Science of the Magical

Please give my review on Amazon a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/review/R2UNKOAN2R7D7Z/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

This is the written equivalent of the old “In Search Of...” documentary television series. The series would offer rational explanations for topics like Noah's ark, or vampires, or other things that straddle history and myth. The series was vastly entertaining, but essentially fluff.

This book seems to have higher quality material than the old series. Some of it was top-notch speculation, e.g., the oracle at Delphi, but some of it went of the tracks, e.g., the Adam and Eve story is about humans consuming mind-expanding mushrooms. The writing as a whole was breezy and entertaining. The author, Matt Kaplan, is a science writer, so he is up to date on current science. He liberally sprinkles his knowledge into his sections on various ancient “magic” to provide an explanation for the lore, and, on occasion, he tests his theories. I enjoyed his descriptions of his personal experiences “in search of” answers, and the book had sections that provoked a “gosh-wow!” reaction for me.

The book is enjoyable, but not deep.