New Books: The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

I'm very much lacking in children's level science books, so this one really caught my eye when I saw it. It even has an iPad app to go with it, and rave reviews as well!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/143919 ... 1439192812
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True [Hardcover]
Richard Dawkins (Author), Dave McKean (Illustrator)
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Free Press (October 4, 2011)
Price: $16.49 (you can download it through iTunes for $14.99)

Product Description
Magic takes many forms. Supernatural magic is what our ancestors used in order to explain the world before they developed the scientific method. ...But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality—science.

Packed with clever thought experiments, dazzling illustrations and jaw-dropping facts, The Magic of Reality explains a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? Why do the continents look like disconnected pieces of a puzzle? What causes tsunamis? Why are there so many kinds of plants and animals? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, graphic detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist as well.

Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist and one of science education’s most passionate advocates, has spent his career elucidating the wonders of science for adult readers. But now, in a dramatic departure, he has teamed up with acclaimed artist Dave McKean and used his unrivaled explanatory powers to share the magic of science with readers of all ages. This is a treasure trove for anyone who has ever wondered how the world works. Dawkins and McKean have created an illustrated guide to the secrets of our world—and the universe beyond—that will entertain and inform for years to come.

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History and the Decline of Human Violence
In a magisterial new book, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker​ argues that humanity's ‘better angels’ are triumphing
By Gareth Cook | October 4, 2011

Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, is the author of the best-selling books, “How the Mind Works​,” and “The Blank Slate.” But he is also a public intellectual, devoted to bringing the ideas of academia to questions of broad public interest. His latest work is an ambitious attempt to understand the origins, history—and perhaps the future—of human violence. The book is called “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined,” and it combines science with history to conclude that, by many measures, we live in the best of times, not the worst. He spoke recently with Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook.

There is 1 question posed that he answers that I'm not sure if I agree or not. It's truly difficult to compare our current world events, on a personal level, to those that occurred in the past (also at a personal level) and make any truly informed judgement comparing the two, as what's known of history at a personal level is greatly lacking.

COOK: Is the general trend toward less violence going to continue in the future?
PINKER: It depends. In the arena of custom and institutional practices, it’s a good bet. I suspect that violence against women, the criminalization of homosexuality, the use of capital punishment, the callous treatment of animals on farms, corporal punishment of children, and other violent social practices will continue to decline, based on the fact that worldwide moralistic shaming movements in the past (such as those against slavery, whaling, piracy, and punitive torture) have been effective over long stretches of time. I also don’t expect war between developed countries to make a comeback any time soon. But civil wars, terrorist acts, government repression, and genocides in backward parts of the world are simply too capricious to allow predictions.

I agree with his suspicions concerning violence against women, children, homosexuality, etc, but disagree that there will be no more wars between developed countries: if resources become scarce, of course they will (unless, of course, we're considering that if things get bad enough that countries who are currently considered "developed" would lose that status...).

What are your thoughts?

This answer I like because it highlights one of our many unconscious biases - to overemphasize that which does occur, because we don't think about what hasn't and weight it accordingly. It could very well be that the reason I am uncomfortable with the answer above is that we rally don't know what day-to-day life was like for individuals in the past. Was it more brutal, sure; but, was it that brutal more often for an individual or not?

COOK: Having worked through this material, I wonder, do you see current events differently now?
PINKER: Absolutely. The present looks less sinister, the past less innocent. Every day I notice the dogs that don’t bark.