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The Selfish Gene

The Selfish Gene

List Price: $15.95
Your Price: $10.85
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Unsophisticated Writing masks Good Science
Review: Dawkins has an interesting and valid thesis in his book. Evolutionary psycology proves to be a compelling and meaningful field. "The Selfish Gene", however, does not communicate it justly. Dawkins relies too heavily on analogies and his convoluted writing style oversimplifies many issues to the point of incredibility. I would recommend, far more quickly, "The Moral Animal" by Robert Wright. It proves more persuasive through a greater use of examples and studies, rather than analogies. There is no doubt, however, that this science is fundamental to human existence and self-awareness.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic Insight into life Itself
Review: Anyone who has ever paused to ask themself "Why am I here?", need only read this book to realize that that might be the wrong question altogether. Dawkins is ready to answer the what, where, when and how of life, and convincingly demonstrates that the who is not relevant (and very unlikely, to boot). A very readable account of the origin of life, and, in my opinion, a very convincing argument for selection at the level of the gene.

Sorry Gould, the individual seems to be going the way of the group ;) .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Need he say more?
Review: I think Dawkins has never had to write another book after this classic - his later work (Extended Phenotype, Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mt Improbable, etc) merely build on the (rock solid) foundation this book establishes. A fantastic synthesis of an immense body of knowledge that provides incredible insight into our own behavior. Keep it on the shelf between Darwin's "Origin" and Wilson's "Sociobiology." An eye-opener.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very good book with a gene's eye view of the world.
Review: A very convincing "redunctionist" view of evolution. Dawkins starts slow but gains strength in later chapters. Part of my skeptisism is rooted in his loose re-definition of what a "gene" is. If gene can be more rigorously defined, this model of evolution may be more quantifable than others and enjoy more verification in field. It is definitely worth reading.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Crucial
Review: Arguably the most important book about biology for the general reader since _Origin of the Species_. Agree or disagree, you MUST read it. Dawkins is a lucid and charming writer, so the experience isn't at all painful.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The negative reviews reveal all!
Review: Read the reviews that give less than five for this book, see the kooks, misfits and anti-scientists who wrote them. Think about what they are frightened of, then read the book. Even if, as you read this, you realise that you are a kook too, I promise you that you will feel better understanding the world than living in your little unreal kook hell.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What's all the fuss about?
Review:

Looking at the reviews, you'll see a host of them, including my own, rating this book as a 10, and a few more giving it 8 or 9, befitting its status as a modern classic in the accurate popularization of science. And then you'll see a few that rate it as a 2 or 5, and whose reviews focus not on the book but on the supposed errors common to all "old" science. Where are these people coming from?

From their rhetoric, it is clear that they are followers of various anti-scientific political groups, collectively termed the "academic left" by Gross and Levitt in their fascinating book, _Higher Superstition_ (buy it here on Amazon). Using some combination of postmodern subjectivism and Marxist and/or radical-feminist social constructivism, they deny the objectivity of science, math and language in general, embracing epistemological nihilism while trying to maintain the moral high ground.

I strongly suggest that, rather than taking my word on it, you see for yourself. Buy _The Selfish Gene_. Buy _Higher Superstition_. For more on evolution and memes, get Dennett's _Darwin's Dangerous Idea_ and Lynch's _Thought Contagion_.

In short, get access to the relevant information, think for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. These topics are too important for you to just accept answers blindly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dawkins makes it all come together and make sense
Review: If you ever wanted to understand what life is doing here on earth, why it is the way it is and what is "the point" of it all, this book is a good place to start. It shows you how clear thinking, consistent definitions, and simple common sense principles can be all you need to achieve that understanding. And once you do you gain a whole new perspective on virtually everything

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Material on game theory can be applied broadly
Review: The Selfish Gene provides an excellent outlook on evolutionary biology, especially with its references to evolutionary game theory. His chapter discussing J. Maynard Smith's "Hawk and Dove" and "War of Attrition" game models is very insightful and has multiple applications to the social sciences. As a budding economist, this book provided me with the biological reasoning behind co-operative and non-cooperative economic game theory as they relate to bargaining and contracting between agents. A must read for anyone interested in everyday human decision making.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It will change Your life, but won't give You the proofs
Review: This book can definitely change the way You think about evolution, but is not giving You the real SCIENTIFIC evidence of what it says. I recommend it to everyone, but don't drink everything You read. Dawkins is a great thinker, and the model is believable but ... we need the proofs.


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