Books that Rocked My World (1): The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
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.
I read this many, many years ago and I can still remember being overwhelmed by the power and simplicity of his explanation of evolutionary processes. I can enthusiastically recommend this to anyone who has any interest in who we are and where we come from. Though it didn’t exactly convert me to Darwinian Evolution – it most certainly confirmed in my mind that Darwin was right and that evolution was the best explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. If, at that age, their still existed any possibility of me accepting a supernatural explanation for what we see around us – it vanished after reading The Selfish Gene.
7 comments:
Read that and saw a lecture on it by the man himself, very interesting stuff
haven't read it, but it is going on my to read list!
I liked it too, but I think memetics, which I think he started in that book, goes a little too far. It's a rather weak analogy, but people treat it as if it's real.
Dawkin's book The Blind Watchmaker may have been what sealed the deal on my atheism, though.
The Blind Watchmaker is one of my bedtime reading books ATM.... Good, but I found he was preaching to the already converted (grin)
I was, however, most impressed with his wholesale demolition of the Creationist argument.
Memetics was an interesting idea.. Maybe a little too much 'out there' - but interesting nevertheless. It's certainly another way of looking at things like religion or any other kind of belief system.
I also read _The Selfish Gene_ many years ago for a class. I don't remember much about it though, so I'm thinking I must have been carrying a heavy load that semester with work, kids and classes. I'll have to pick up another copy and have a re-read. As for the Blind Watchmaker, never heard of that one. Guess I'll be buying a couple of books.
Oh, and a book that rocked my world was Rachel Carson's _Silent Spring_.
I tried to read Silent Spring in my Teens but didn't make it far in I'm afraid. It's on my 'To Buy' list.
The Blind Watchmaker is another Dawkins book. It's one of my 10 bedtime books. Only 50 pages to go. Dawkins has a VERY incisive mind & it's a real pleasure to follow his explanations.
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