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branch_c 's review for:
The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins
A classic that I never got around to reading until now since it was written in '76 and I didn't start reading about evolution until the early 90s.
The basic theme of this book: that the gene, rather than the organism, should be thought of as the unit being acted upon by natural selection, seems a bit obvious now. But that's only because so many other evolution-related books written in the last thirty years build upon what was spelled out in this one!
In a cursory check of the bibliographies of books on my science shelves I found no fewer than twenty books that included this one as a reference, and deservedly so. Dawkins is such a fantastic writer that this book really does seem as fresh today as when it was written. Concepts are introduced and explained with such clear and clever language that whether or not the subject matter is already familiar to the reader, the high level of interest is maintained throughout. This edition has a couple of additional chapters that were added in '89, along with extensive end notes, allowing Dawkins to expand upon some of his points that were more speculative in '76 than they are now. And in case anyone is unaware, it's in this book that Dawkins coins the word "meme" as the cultural equivalent to the biological gene.
A brilliant book, highly recommended.
The basic theme of this book: that the gene, rather than the organism, should be thought of as the unit being acted upon by natural selection, seems a bit obvious now. But that's only because so many other evolution-related books written in the last thirty years build upon what was spelled out in this one!
In a cursory check of the bibliographies of books on my science shelves I found no fewer than twenty books that included this one as a reference, and deservedly so. Dawkins is such a fantastic writer that this book really does seem as fresh today as when it was written. Concepts are introduced and explained with such clear and clever language that whether or not the subject matter is already familiar to the reader, the high level of interest is maintained throughout. This edition has a couple of additional chapters that were added in '89, along with extensive end notes, allowing Dawkins to expand upon some of his points that were more speculative in '76 than they are now. And in case anyone is unaware, it's in this book that Dawkins coins the word "meme" as the cultural equivalent to the biological gene.
A brilliant book, highly recommended.