The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works

This book starts off slowly talking a lot of science and mathematics and you wonder, is this what it's going to be like throughout. But wait. It does get better. The writer eventually discusses the unique animals in Harry's world - Fluffy, hippogriffs, nifflers, - inferring that with the coming of gene manipulation such animals may one day exist. Potions are merely herbs, plants, and such that are used in their natural state while medicines are many times refinements of these same plants. Then there's Skele-Gro - that amazing elixir that will grow bones back. There is a Professor in NY who believes he understands how it works with special cells being activated... well you see what I mean. This book is full of "possible" explanations for show more the magical world of Harry Potter. show less

An exceptionally well-written book...if you forget the fact that it's about Harry Potter. The book deals only vary conservatively with Harry Potter.
However, once you leave that behind, the book is wonderful. It is concise enough that you can read short bursts of it and use it as a bathroom book, detailed enough that you can use it strictly for reference, and yet eloquent enough that it can be read all the way through without feeling like you're stuck in a high school chemistry lecture.
I truly wish that aside from his Harry Potter glossary he had included a more in-depth science glossary (let's face it, most of us aren't chemistry majors). But he did a fine job of thoroughly explaining most concepts and notable people...I really wish show more he would have explained what a meme was though, I had to look it up on-line. show less

Who doesn't like Harry Potter? I suppose there must be some such person, but it is hard to criticize a book series that has youngsters eager to gobble up 700 pages, even if they were not as creative and entertaining as they are. If you have read some or all of the books, I'm sure that you noticed all the science they contain. No? Me neither. These are not science books - in fact, they are about as nonscientific as you can get. Yet Roger Highfield claims to have written his own 300 plus pages on the subject. Mr. Highfield is trying (successfully, I might add - I contributed my own fourteen bucks) to cash in on Pottermania. The relationship between his book and the original is extremely tenuous, and I found his excursions to be show more interesting but not very relevant to his promise to tell "how magic really works". The magic of Harry Potter does not require scientific explanation. show less

2.5 stars honestly. The idea behind the book is cool and some of the info is interesting, but to me it reads almost like a textbook. Considering who the target audience is for Harry Potter, you would think this book might be a little easier to read or more enjoyable. Towards the middle I had to start skimming. Simply put, it was boring, and this is coming from someone who enjoys reading about science.

Ever wonder how a broomstick could fly? How a three headed dog could coe to be?

This book takes a look at those questions and others through the lens of modern science, examining how the magic world of Harry Potter might actually work. Wormholes, game theory, and genetics are all invoked to explain the things we see.

It's a fascinating, fun book.

“Animated by Highfield's enthusiasm for the extraordinary, The Science of Harry Potter is an enjoyably indirect survey of modern science.”

This book starts off slowly talking a lot of science and mathematics and you wonder, is this what it's going to be like throughout. But wait. It does get better. The writer eventually discusses the unique animals in Harry's world