{"product_id":"magic-a-very-short-introduction-9780199588022","title":"Magic: A Very Short Introduction","description":"Magic is a much-used term with a complex and controversial history. As a concept and a practice, it has attracted the attention of theologians, anthropologists, psychologists, sociologists, artists, and historians over the centuries. This \u003cem\u003eVery Short Introduction\u003c\/em\u003e explains why. Magic has been defined in terms of the false religions of others, as an evolutionary stage in human thought, a universal state of mind, and a liberating expression of the imagination. For hundreds of millions of people today, no matter their religious persuasion, magic is a real force that helps them to overcome misfortune, poverty, and illness. Indeed, with magic as relevant today as it ever was, it raises questions about the meaning of human progress.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOwen Davies\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of Social History at the University of Hertfordshire. He has written extensively on the history of magic, witchcraft, and ghosts, including \u003cem\u003eGrimoires: A History of Magic Books\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50655347278098,"sku":"9780199588022","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_866fbe1b-cc69-4aeb-b4d8-6e75ae2fc5b8.jpg?v=1733379647","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/magic-a-very-short-introduction-9780199588022","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}