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The Selfish Gene

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The Selfish Gene

By: Richard Dawkins
Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
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Summary

 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.©1989 Richard Dawkins (P)2011 Audible, Inc. Biological Sciences Evolution Evolution & Genetics Genetics Science Thought-Provoking

Editor reviews

The internationally best-selling The Selfish Gene, is written by renowned author Richard Dawkins and narrated in this unabridged 30th Anniversary audiobook edition by the author himself alongside Lalla Ward. Darwin’s theory on natural selection are revisited in this absorbing book that aims to explain why nature is selfish in its instincts for survival. Dawkins also reveals those selfless acts to protect others that are occasionally seen in nature and tries to explain why they occur in the animal kingdom irrespective of conscience. It includes the original foreword by Scientist Richard Trivers and a new introduction by the author. Available now from Audible.
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Critic reviews

"Dawkins first book, The Selfish Gene, was a smash hit.... Best of all, Dawkins laid out this biology - some of it truly subtle - in stunningly lucid prose. (It is, in my view, the best work of popular science ever written.)" (H. Allen Orr, Professor of Biology, University of Rochester, in The New York Review of Books)
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The Selfish Gene restarted a function and feeling in my brain that I've not felt for a long time. It was a much welcome catalyst for brain activity. I'm a 23 year old without any A-levels or degree with no (other than intrinsic) interest in the theory of natural selection.

It is an interesting book, full of great ideas and explanations. I found myself having several 'ah-ha' moments and feeling enlightened by many of the explanations. I was quite happy with all off the explanations put forward in the book, since I could apply my own logic in all cases. You shouldn't belive everything you read in a book, but in this case I am yet to be convinced otherwise. It made sense and in a brain-excercise kind of way, was incredibly enjoyable.

I've remember reading somewhere that this book was a depressing realisation of life and I'd tend to agree, since it breaks life down to a single motivation - survival. For that reason, I found the book even more interesting to absorb.

The naration is excellent, from both Lalla Ward and Richard Dawkins himself.

Great listen

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I bought this book wondering whether the passage of time would have dulled it but far from it, the end-notes added by Richard Dawkins, inserted in the right place in the audio track, really add to the story and make it clear when things have changed (few) and when they have been reinforced (many). This is a clear benefit of the audio over the written version. Well-argued, clear and thought-provoking - if you haven't heard it you should. Excellent book, read really well (I like the double act of voices).

gene and survival machine

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All Dawkin's books are good, but in my view this is the best of the lot. This was a truely groundbreaking book when published in '76. This audio version, incorporating updates since the first publication shows how all Dawkins original arguments have stood the test of time.

The Original and Best of Dawkins

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This updated edition of The Selfish Gene showcases much of what people love and hate about Richard Dawkins' preferences when presenting his theses. An unquestionably solid empirical approach to explaining his theory of the form, function and dissemination of genes tainted in part by a somewhat arrogant demand that you either accept his conclusions or admit that you are at best being obtuse, or at worst, a religious zealot.
Interesting examples are presented to assist the listener understand how genes move down through the generations, perhaps the most interesting are those that detail why certain genes proliferate and others fall away as they engage in a possibly hopeless mission to achieve a stable evolutionary strategy.
Undoubtedly the best explanation of gene theory I've encountered thus far.

The narration performance by Dawkins and Ward is quite good and logically implemented.

I have bought other Dawkins audiobooks, this is probably the most satisfying.

An engaging portrait of our fundamentals!

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Dawkins uses this extended metaphor of selfishness throughout the book although it is most intensely applied in the first two thirds. It is very tiresome to endless hear of selfish babies, parents, sexual partners, uncles, aunts etc all at the mercy of selfish genes. I understand why Dawkins wants to use this metaphor. He is trying to avoid a mathematical approach to natural selection. I have studied evolution from a more mathematical perspective and found it to be easy to understand and in no way irritating. It allow one to how how natural selection works in a dispassionate way and in my view is closer to Darwin’s original approach. Dawkins is at pains to remind the listener, reader every half hour or so that we are using a metaphor and that genes do not have intentions. He also points out more than once that human beings are able to defy whatever impulses our genes may be providing. However I feel that the use of the extended metaphor Dawkins promotes lends itself to the grosser excesses of the popular sociobiologists, who seek to justify injustices in the world by appeals to biology. Dawkins himself addresses this issue in the early part of this book where he he denies any such intention on his own part. I think that if you see evolution and natural section as essentially selfish it is hard not to keep a more everyday meaning of that word our of human affairs and indeed politics. On the other hand Dawkins treatment of memes, extended phenotypes, parasitism, developmental bottlenecks are fascinating and worth persevering with the book as they are in the final third.

Intolerable language but great ideas.

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