- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Headline Book Publishing; New edition edition (23 Jun 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0755311515
- ISBN-13: 978-0755311514
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.2 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 306,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Invisibility cloaks, flying broomsticks, magic doors - all the stuff of children's fantasy. But have you ever wondered if this magic could feasibly work? Roger Highfield explores the extraordinary world of the Harry Potter stories and shows how cutting edge science can explain much of it. Exciting new concepts are tackled, such as wormholes and general relativity, and also explained are the more historical links between magic and science, and investigating the archaeological and anthropological evidence for witchcraft and dragons.
About the Author
Dr Roger Highfield is the Science Editor of the Daily Telegraph, having joined the paper in 1986. He has won four Glaxo science writing awards, and his books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was initially hesitant about buying this book, and left it sitting on my wishlist for a while, wondering if it was a cynical cash-in on the popularity of Harry Potter. It's most definitely not.
As both a fan of popular science and a Harry Potter-obsessed adult, I found "The Science of Harry Potter" a very enriching read. The insight and detail regarding Potterverse references reveals Highfield to be a genuine fan, choosing exactly the right examples even where another event character might, on shallow reading, seem to be a more obvious choice.
I found the science comfortable to read, enjoying the detail without ever feeling stretched or confused, and it provided an interesting perspective on scientific disciplines that I'd met before, as well as introducing a few new ones. The range of subjects covered is huge, and yet there's no sense of oversimplification. The subtitle (How Magic Really Works) is slightly misleading, as the book covers everything from the effect of Slytherins on the spirit of goodwill to the intelligence of post owls, and too many other great topics to list without producing a novel-length review.
Adult and older teenage fans of Harry Potter who enjoy popular science (or are interested in exploring the genre) should find this an absolute joy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fascinating book about all kinds of science and history, with Harry Potter as a fairly loose thread holding it all together. Better suited to children 11/12+ (in my opinion) as younger ones will just find it too difficult. It's not a book for a Harry Potter fanatic who wants to read about Harry Potter, but a book for someone who wants to learn some really REALLY interesting bits of science and history. Much more challenging than most pop science books, and therefore a much better book. Very enjoyable indeed.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an excellent read.
It was good to see the topic of 'science meets magic' dealt with in style that was neither condescending nor patronising and, truth be told, I have an even greater admiration for JK as a result of this book, because whether by accident, design or through some pretty good research, JK has managed to create sufficient touch points with scientific reality to make her magic seem all the more plausible.
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