The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary edition (Paperback)

just about the hardback edition this is just some info if you are thinking to get the hardback edition - it is awful ! they have made a large book into a small one at the expense of readability. Very small font, very small line spacing; and to make matters worse, nearly 100 pages of end notes are in a font smaller still! An absolute nightmare to read, the tiny condensed print will hurt your eyes and give you a headache; also the binding is so tight I practically had to wrestle the book open. I have uploaded a couple of pictures of this book next to another Dawkins hardcover (The Greatest Show on Earth) just to show how comparatively small and small-printed The Selfish Gene is. I was hoping for the same big a-joy-to-behold kind of book like all the other Dawkins hardbacks I have. What a disappointment. as to the contents themselves... well, pure genius. Richard Dawkins should be taught in school - and not just in Britain, everywhere in the world, right after Darwin.

Strikingly intelligent, eye-opening book on the role of genes According to the popular belief, evolution is a struggle between species for survival. We are supposed to be genetically programmed to ensure the survival of the species. However, the scientists have discovered examples where organisms act in a way that doesn't seem to be beneficial from the survival-of-the-species point of view. There are entire books exploring such occurrences and discussing how that apparently harmful behaviour could be beneficial for the survival of the species after all. Some others try to use those examples to discredit the very theory of evolution. This remarkable book makes it clear that that confusion is illusory and the above-described discussions are off the point. Natural selection is not between species. It's not even between individuals. It's between genes. The genes compete against each other for survival. They use individual organisms as vehicles for reproduction. A gene doesn't care if it survives inside one species or another. So an individual might well be programmed to act in a way that is harmful to its species or itself, as long as its beneficial to the reproduction of its genes. This book explains in detail how it works. It's very technical, not always an easy read. But it's logical and makes perfect sense. Mr. Dawkins is remarkably intelligent. In particular, the way how he calmly encounters criticism (which is sometimes very stupid) and rips it apart without getting emotional, is fascinating. It's unbelievable that this book was published 30+ years ago, and the selfish gene theory which is so obviously true isn't still the ruling paradigm. How is it possible that it's still being referred to as a curious theory of an obscure British author, not to be taken too seriously? I can't understand what kind of a person could read this book and not be convinced. (All right, "Power, Sex, Suicide" explains that the selfish gene theory doesn't apply to bacteria, but I don't care too much about them, do I?) This is a book you absolutely have to read if you want life to make sense.

"Scientific Myth" This book is very good, i found it helpfull when studying behavioural ecology at college and tho it is factual inside it should be read as if it was "Scientific Myth"

book received as described. It's new and customer service is good as the first time the book was lost in the post, they sent me a new one.

What else is left to say? I wish I'd paid more attention to biology at Uni. Having said that, we always have Dawkins to explain it to us later. Beautifully easy to read (even for the layperson), you never feel as if you're being 'lectured', but rather that you are learning while engaging in an entertaining read. For those afraid of mathematics - don't be! This book will put your mind at rest. Nature lovers you are in for a feast!