The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author

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The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author

Editorial Review

Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands of readers to rethink their beliefs about life.
In his internationally bestselling, now classic volume, The Selfish Gene, Dawkins explains how the selfish gene can also be a subtle gene. The world of the selfish gene revolves around savage competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit, and yet, Dawkins argues, acts of apparent altruism do exist in nature. Bees, for example, will commit suicide when they sting to protect the hive, and birds will risk their lives to warn the flock of an approaching hawk.
This 30th anniversary edition of Dawkins' fascinating book retains all original material, including the two enlightening chapters added in the second edition. In a new Introduction the author presents his thoughts thirty years after the publication of his first and most famous book, while the inclusion of the two-page original Foreword by brilliant American scientist Robert Trivers shows the enthusiastic reaction of the scientific community at that time. This edition is a celebration of a remarkable exposition of evolutionary thought, a work that has been widely hailed for its stylistic brilliance and deep scientific insights, and that continues to stimulate whole new areas of research today.

Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.

Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes, which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. --Rob Lightner

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
• Amazing book
  I had to read this over the summer for AP Bio, and I must say, this is now one of my favorite books. Though it drags on at times, the entire book is wonderfully written, having the perfect blend of scientific intelligence and basic summarization, so that at no point in the book does the reader feel absolutely confused, nor as if they are being spoken to as a child.
  In a way, opening this book is like opening a nerdy Snapple cap. Every page has a different interesting study or pattern observed by... more info
• The Selfish Gene
  Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene is a great book for people with all levels of knowledge about evolution and genetics. It seems that Dawkin's use of metaphors in the bulk of the book, could make it harder to understand the science behind his logic. However, this is not the case because Dawkins is very careful about which metaphors he uses. These metaphors prevent people with a vast knowledge of genetics from getting board while reading the book, but at the same time teach people about genetics without them... more info
• The Right Perspective for Biology and Evolution
  This book puts the body of knowledge in evolutionary biology in the right perspective. Because we are macro beings, because we in this society live and deal at organism level, so we tend to believe that everything revolves around this level. What this book does is to encourage you to think form the perspective of molecular level, the gene's level. After all, they came first in the tree of evolutiona nd they also come first in building the organisms...
  PLIUS it's a good read.
• I think Dawkins is wrong in his central argument. Here's why:
  The first thing I want to say is how much respect I have for Richard Dawkins as a scientist, as a teacher, as a writer of fascinating prose, and as a person. He is a brilliant and courageous man who works hard to bring his knowledge and insights to all of us. For the record I have read six of his books and reviewed four of them. They are:
  The God Delusion (2006)
  The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution (2004)
  A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love... more info

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