PC-The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works

by Roger Highfield | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0142003557 Global Overview for this book
Registered by KAT123 of Columbia, Pennsylvania USA on 11/15/2003
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8 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by KAT123 from Columbia, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, November 15, 2003
Can Fluffy the three-headed dog be explained by advances in molecular biology? Could the discovery of cosmic "gravity-shielding effects" unlock the secret to the Nimbus 2000 broomstick's ability to fly? Is the griffin really none other than the dinosaur Protoceratops? Roger Highfield, author of the critically acclaimed The Physics of Christmas, explores the fascinating links between magic and science to reveal that much of what strikes us as supremely strange in the Potter books can actually be explained by the conjurings of the scientific mind. This is the perfect guide for parents who want to teach their children science through the adventures of their favorite hero, as well as for the millions of adult fans of the series intrigued by the factual foundations of its marvels and mysteries.




Journal Entry 2 by KAT123 from Columbia, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, November 22, 2003
This book is part of my person collection but would like to do a little traveling as a bookring
1)PokPok-USA<----
2)fizzfred-USA
3)MarciNYC-USA
4)Summermarie-USA
5)moonglow18-USA
6)cmbohn-USA
7)Penny-n-Chaos-USA
8)Enidq
9)IACBY USA
10)mfa -portugal (lisbon)
11)shroomi -coimbra, Portugal and I can ship anywhere, but i'd prefer
shipping to Europe.
12) Ember83- italy
13) back to me

If the science in one section is not interesting to you- you may want to skip ahead a little he covers many differnt sciences and a little history too

Journal Entry 3 by PokPok from Vista, California USA on Friday, December 5, 2003
I received this in the mail today, along with the fun bookmarks. I'll take a Pooh one, and pass it on with my next wild release.

I hope to finish this in the next 2 weeks, as I'm moving and I don't want anything to get stuck in the chaos.

---------------------------------

Dec. 20th. I'm 3/4ths done with this book, so should finish it in the next couple days. Unfortunately (well, not really) I am moving in 2 days, and also with Christmastime and the post office, I likely won't get this mailed until the first or second week in January. I hope to not delay it too long.

I am *really* enjoying this book quite a lot. I've read a lot of the Star Trek style "Physics of Star Trek" type books, but this one is much better. Also, as a scientist, the information is mostly new to me. It's very current, and is explained in a way that the average reader can understand. The only probem is...now I want a copy for myself! Sigh.

Thanks Kat!

Pokpok

Journal Entry 4 by fizzfred from Sacramento, California USA on Friday, February 6, 2004
I just returned from vacation to find this waiting for me. I should be able to read it in the next couple weeks - fingers crossed.

Journal Entry 5 by fizzfred from Sacramento, California USA on Thursday, March 4, 2004
Well, this book was taking me forever to read. Although it was interesting and I loved the concept, I had to give up on it. :( The science was a bit over my head. Now that I re-read KAT123's suggestions I am bummed I didn't skip ahead. Anyway, I felt I was taking too long so I mailed it off to MarciNYC today. I hope you enjoy it!!!

Journal Entry 6 by MarciNYC from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Wow! This book flew across the country at lightning speed. I'm a bit apprehensive about it after PMing with fizzfred, but I'll give it a go. It arrived with another bookring book, so I will do my best to get this on the next leg of its journey within a month.

Journal Entry 7 by MarciNYC from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, March 14, 2004
I had somewhat of a difficult time with this book - it wasn't that the subject matter wasn't interesting, it was, but simply that I just didn't find some of the info interesting enough to sink my teeth into. So, instead of reading it like a "traditional" book (front to back), I skipped around quite a bit, reading the parts the piqued my interested. The parts I read thoroughly, I enjoyed, the other parts weren't for me!

One thing that bothered me was the "quote boxes" at the beginning of each chapter -- they split the line you were supposed to read in half and I had a real continuity problem with that. Stupid layout design... I most enjoyed the latter half of the book, especially the sections on witchcraft, the philospher's stone and superstition. Of course, my husband enjoyed me explaining the blast ended skrewts to him - he swears one of our cats is a distant relative of said skrewts.

Anyhow, I am PMing the next on the list and will get it out the door as soon as I have an address.

Update: 18 Mar 2004 - sending out to summermarie today. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 8 by summermarie from Clifton Forge, Virginia USA on Friday, April 2, 2004
Received this book as a part of a bookring...have to say - I am really, really leery of it. Good golly, read all the journals ahead of me-LOL-you would be too! I hope I like it, but we'll see...

Journal Entry 9 by summermarie from Clifton Forge, Virginia USA on Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Okay, this book was not quite what I thought, but I flipped through it a couple of times and read what looked interesting. Sometimes it is more fun to just get swept up in the fantasy of magic than to really try to understand it. Afterall, if we really understand it, is it still MAGIC???

Journal Entry 10 by summermarie at post office in Mail, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Released on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 at post office in snail mailed to a fellow bookcrosser as part of a bookring, Bookring Controlled Releases.

I have sent this on to the next person in the ring!

Journal Entry 11 by moonglow18 from Rainsville, Alabama USA on Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Recieved this last week and i found it to be very boring in parts bu other parts were very interesting so i gave it a 6. Will be sending it on as soon as i recieve a email with an address from the next person on the list.

Released 19 yrs ago (9/7/2004 UTC) at Another Bookcrosser By Mail in -- Mail, post, or by hand, Alabama USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Recieved address of the next in line and this will be going out Tuesday morning. Thanks for letting me join.

Journal Entry 13 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Really excited to get this one. I've just started, but it's pretty interesting so far. Thanks for the chance to read it!

CMB

Journal Entry 14 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Sunday, October 31, 2004
Just finished this one today. I found it a bit uneven. I really enjoyed some parts, while others I got a little bogged down in. I always like a good popular science book, one that is insightful, but still written in layman's terms. I liked that he brought in Harry Potter as the basis for the discussion. But I got a little tired of it after a while. Sure, we all know science is real, but magic is supposed to be magic, not easily understood in the "mundane" world.

Still, it was an interesting book. I think I liked the part about Bertie Bott's beans the best.

Thanks! Will send PM to the next on the list.

CMB

Journal Entry 15 by lostbookisland on Monday, September 12, 2005
What science or magic has taken this book away from its bookring route? Is this book lost?

The Lost Book Island Resort gives this book a place to stay with no matter if it is science or magic that brings it here for the visit. We all hope that soon a magical journal entry will come to take this book away from the unknown and tell us just exactly where it has ended up and if we can expect that it will be resuming its journey.

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