TelexExternal LinkInternal LinkInventory Cache

published in 1976, i read it in 1987.  needless to say, it's one of those giddy moments when i came across the last chapter re: "memes".  the rest so they say, is history... - @Om* 4/26/00

by Richard Dawkins

Paperback - 352 pages (September 1990)
Oxford Univ Pr (Trade); ISBN: 0192860925 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.87 x 7.72 x 5.10

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.

Synopsis
In this revised edition of his bestselling book _The Selfish Gene_, Richard Dawkins demonstrates how cooperation can evolve even in a basically selfish world.Contains two new chapters and a wealth of remarkable new insights into the biological world.

TelexExternal LinkInternal LinkInventory Cache