Magic: The Basics

By Michael D. Bailey and Michael Bailey

Book Overview

Magic: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to magic in world history and contemporary societies. Presenting magic as a global phenomenon which has manifested in all human cultures, this book takes a thematic approach which explores the historical, social, and cultural aspects of magic.

Key features include:

attempts to define magic either in universal or more particular terms, and to contrast it with other broad and potentially fluid categories such as religion and science;

an examination of different forms of magical practice and the purposes for which magic has been used;

debates about magic's effectiveness, its reality, and its morality;

an exploration of magic's association with certain social factors, such as gender, ethnicity and education, among others.

Offering a global perspective of magic from antiquity through to the modern era and including a glossary of key terms, suggestions for further reading and case studies throughout, Magic: The Basics is essential reading for anyone seeking to learn more about the academic study of magic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138809616
• ISBN13: 9781138809611
• Release Date: August 2017
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.7" x 5.0"