The selfish gene by Richard Dawkins
One of the first popular science books I read and one of the few I have no hesitation in recommending to anyone (indeed everyone). Its clarity and precision makes complex ideas like evolution and behaviour easily accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Dawkins book is mainly based on the ‘why’ of animal behaviour. Scientists originally believed that organisms worked for the good’ (survival) of the species for instance, a worker bee gives up its right to reproduce to instead raise its siblings. This explanation is based on the idea that the organism/species needs to survive. An idea effectively demolished by Dawkins, who looks at the gene as the primary unit upon which natural selection acts. Rather than an organism using genes to ensure their survival, it is the genes that use the organism to survive. This simple reversal with the aid of examples and easy to follow explanations, clarifies concepts such self sacrifice, co operation and aggression in animal behaviour superbly.
Undoubtedly the best part of the book was the chapter on ‘memes’ (ideas that propagate) and human behaviour and culture. This is the type of book that I love, the type that is convincing; detailed enough not to become boring and thought provoking even after it’s finished.
I would sincerely recommend this book to everyone, but be warned it may change your perception of the natural world.
3 comments:
If you like memes you might like this book. You can also find the autobiography of the woman who wrote it in the college library - she is an ex-parapsychologist who "saw the light" of Dawkins-like convensional science and has since devoted her life to developing the meme theory.
Memetrics is not popular in socoiology (personally I think it's a load of rubbish). Mary Midgely is an interesting writer who manages to pick holes in Dawkins approach to social life. It's a hard thing to do -I agree with you, he has a very convincing style.
In my opinion, The Selfish Gene is the finest popular science book ever written. Dawkin's explaination of evolution from the gene's eye-view is a revelation and has profoundly changed the way I think about life. I first read this book many years ago and not a day has gone by since that I have not marvelled at its insights. Alice is critical of meme theory - ie. the replication and evolution of human ideas and behaviours through imitation, but I ask of her: If not memes, what else?
What else?
Simply, nothing. And I'm pleased with that.
I dont want a reductive theory of the movement of human ideas.
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