Author: Richard Dawkins
By Oxford Paperbacks

A gene-centred view of evolution, 2010-04-15
The idea of the selfish gene must rank as one of the most significant of the last century. Certainly it made a huge impact in biology, extending the explanation of evolution given by Charles Darwin before the basic mechanisms of genetics were understood. It was also this idea - and this book - that catapulted the writing career of Richard Dawkins, so for better or for worse, we have this book to thank for that!

This is a book that, in many ways, is as much about game theory as it is about the theory (and fact) of evolution. With rigorous analysis and beautifully clear writing, Dawkins explores the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour, kinship, sex ratio theory, reciprocal altruism, deceit, and much more. He frequently refers to fellow specialists in the field of evolutionary biology, and where he disagrees with them, does so with honesty and generosity. More than thirty years later, the book shows a few small signs of age, but also retains a certain freshness - most likely because the idea of the selfish gene has, in the intervening years, become more not less controversial.

On that last point, anyone who doubts or dismisses evolution as "just a theory" needs to read The Selfish Gene. And I mean actually read it. (Yes, the whole book - not just the title) Only then will it become abundantly clear that the author is *NOT* suggesting any of the following:

1) that at the human level, selfishness is good and altruism is bad,
2) that genes are somehow conscious entities,
3) that we must live in a manner that benefits our genes.

What he IS suggesting is that blind natural selection makes genes behave AS IF they were purposeful. The genes that get passed on are the ones "whose consequences serve their own implicit interests - to continue being replicated". The selfish gene is no more than a metaphor; a convenient way to avoid having to repeat an account of events each time in longwinded terms. Dawkins emphasizes and re-emphasizes this point constantly. I'm doing the same here as it's mind-boggling that some people (including reviewers here on Amazon) still overlook this crucial point.

The 30th anniversary edition includes the original 1976 preface and foreward (the latter by RL Trivers), a further preface to the 1989 second edition, and a new 2005 introduction by Dawkins. It also includes 65 pages of genuinely illuminating endnotes, written more than a decade later, so incorporating clarification and responses to criticism of the original material. There are also selected extracts from reviews. In short, if you are planning on reading The Selfish Gene, this is the version to get.

Author: Philip Ball
By OUP Oxford

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An introductory guide to biochemistry, 2010-01-26
Molecules: A Very Short Introduction - previously sold as Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules - is not so much an introduction to molecules as an introduction to biochemistry, the molecules of life. This is something Ball states from the outset, and with the boundary between chemistry and biology becoming ever more blurred, it's an understandable approach to take. We are, after all, now using natural molecules in technology as well as synthetic molecules to preserve what we deem 'natural'.

The book starts with the very basics - how atoms are joined together and why we can't 'see' them in the traditional sense, before quickly advancing to biochemistry and the complex molecules so vital to the body. As the author himself says, molecular biology is not difficult in the way that theoretical physics is difficult - the concepts are not unfamiliar, abstract or mathematically hard. The difficulty arises because there is so much going on all at once, and so many levels to the hierarchy.

So while Ball's writing is, for the most part, clear and full of personality, some of the processes he describes are unavoidably complicated and a lot to take in. As a non-specialist, I came away remembering the gist, if not all the detail. One of the reviews (Chemistry in Britain) described Ball's science as 'encyclopaedic'. That's definitely a word that springs to mind.

The choice of topics is good, and if, like me, you're new to the subject, you'll find it mind-boggling to learn just how finely-tuned our bodies are - all the checkpoints, safety mechanisms, back-up plans and careful record-keeping that occurs. Also the illustrations here are genuinely interesting and not just irrelevant ways to break up the text, as has been the case with certain other entries in this series. (Speaking of other entries, I can recommend the author's follow-up, The Elements: A Very Short Introduction.)

All in all, this is an impressive attempt by Ball to lead the non-specialist reader through a labyrinthine but vital area of science. You may not keep it all in your head, but you'll come away with a better sense of the kind of finely-tuned processes required to keep the big things functioning normally.

Author: Bryan Sykes
By Corgi Books

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The Seven Daughters of Eve, 2010-05-25
This is a very interesting and well written book. Although there is a great deal of scientific content Professor Sykes explains this very clearly. The links between his work and other theories and evidence on the evolution of mankind is very interesting. However towards the end of the book he discusses the lives of the seven daughters and this does not fit in very well with the earlier part of the book, which is much more scientifically reasoned. This does not distract though from a very interesting book and a very good read.

Author: Jeremy Narby
By Phoenix

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Origins of life, 2010-07-15
Many books have been written about shamanism, haluciongens, trance, ectasy states, higher counsciosnes, spiritual paths, etc. Many of them are also very educational and require a bit more of intelectual work - specialy from proffesional reaserchers. Jeremy Narby succesfuly manages to stay professional, versed with knowledge, what makes his work credible, but also leaves space for easier aproach to understanding demanding informations like details about DNA, microbiology, working of halucinogens (ahayuasca)and other more scientific informations. His aproach makes this book an easy read, understandable, close to "common reader" who doesn't have much knowledge about heavy scientific topics.
What is even more important in the sense of content, he opens a connection between modern science and shamanism - with arguments that are hardly contested. The book can open one's eyes about man origins, connection between man and nature, universe and the function of DNA in our lives. Western world has disconnected from DNA, what makes us lost inside, without understanding why are we here and what is our purpuse. It is hard to write it in short, but i must suggest you read it, it will be life changing. Narby made a huge step towards understanding life and it's origin.

Author: Richard Dawkins
By OUP Oxford

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A gene-centred view of evolution, 2010-04-15
The idea of the selfish gene must rank as one of the most significant of the last century. Certainly it made a huge impact in biology, extending the explanation of evolution given by Charles Darwin before the basic mechanisms of genetics were understood. It was also this idea - and this book - that catapulted the writing career of Richard Dawkins, so for better or for worse, we have this book to thank for that!

This is a book that, in many ways, is as much about game theory as it is about the theory (and fact) of evolution. With rigorous analysis and beautifully clear writing, Dawkins explores the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour, kinship, sex ratio theory, reciprocal altruism, deceit, and much more. He frequently refers to fellow specialists in the field of evolutionary biology, and where he disagrees with them, does so with honesty and generosity. More than thirty years later, the book shows a few small signs of age, but also retains a certain freshness - most likely because the idea of the selfish gene has, in the intervening years, become more not less controversial.

On that last point, anyone who doubts or dismisses evolution as "just a theory" needs to read The Selfish Gene. And I mean actually read it. (Yes, the whole book - not just the title) Only then will it become abundantly clear that the author is *NOT* suggesting any of the following:

1) that at the human level, selfishness is good and altruism is bad,
2) that genes are somehow conscious entities,
3) that we must live in a manner that benefits our genes.

What he IS suggesting is that blind natural selection makes genes behave AS IF they were purposeful. The genes that get passed on are the ones "whose consequences serve their own implicit interests - to continue being replicated". The selfish gene is no more than a metaphor; a convenient way to avoid having to repeat an account of events each time in longwinded terms. Dawkins emphasizes and re-emphasizes this point constantly. I'm doing the same here as it's mind-boggling that some people (including reviewers here on Amazon) still overlook this crucial point.

The 30th anniversary edition includes the original 1976 preface and foreward (the latter by RL Trivers), a further preface to the 1989 second edition, and a new 2005 introduction by Dawkins. It also includes 65 pages of genuinely illuminating endnotes, written more than a decade later, so incorporating clarification and responses to criticism of the original material. There are also selected extracts from reviews. In short, if you are planning on reading The Selfish Gene, this is the version to get.

Author: Michael O'Shea
By OUP Oxford

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Understanding the Organ Which Allows You to Understand, 2010-01-02
Professor O'Shea writes with great enthusiasm and zeal, introducing the reader to the topic in the first two chapters to some interesting ideas that come with thinking about the brain (Chpt 1), and how it has been (mis)understood historically (2). A more in-depth discussion follows, in which signalling (3), evolution of the brain (4), sensing, perceiving, and acting (5), and memories (6) are all explained. The final chapter (7) before the epilogue deals with possibilities of brain-machine hybrids and other brain-machine interfacing that may in the future be possible to cure the 'broken' brain.

That neuroscience has still got a long way to go in fully explaining brain function suggests something about the complexity of the brain. This book can at times, therefore, be a little 'heavy', and I would strongly recommend you have basic scientific knowledge AND interest before reading the book.

That said, O'Shea's articulate way of writing, his enthusiasism, wit and careful explanation make the book a sound introduction to the brain, with predictable scientific terminology-e.g. ionotropic, metabotropic-fully explained.

I certainly finished reading the book with an enhanced knowledge of the brain, despite knowing the basics beforehand, and I can guarantee that if you are interested in the subject, then you will enjoy this book.

Author: Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter
By Garland Science

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A consistently good book, 2010-07-11
This is a very good book from start to finish and provides throrough explanations. The figures are detailed and explained (though in some detail). I would recommend this book for any undergraduate. It is well indexed and supported not only by a web site and student workbook but also by a CD with video and PPT slides.

Author: Mark Henderson
By Quercus Publishing Plc

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Great read, 2010-07-03
This is the 1st of the "50" series I've read. Since then I've bought many more. Its a great read, a book where everytime I'd read a chapter I'd think, just one more before bed! If you have any interest in this area, even casual, I'd highly recommend you read this book.

Author: Richard Dawkins
By Oxford Paperbacks

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The long reach of the metaphor, 2010-06-10
In addition to the other positive reviews:

The 'extended phenotype' is an elaboration of the selfish gene principle, in which the target of selection is the gene (the replicator), of which the phenotype (the individual organism) is merely a vehicle. Not only this, the vehicle (the phenotype) need not be identical to the individual organism's body but can extend beyond, so that webs, dams and nests are as much the phenotypes of spider genes, beaver genes and bird genes as the individual organisms themselves. Moreover, the human chemical addiction to nicotine is an extended phenotype of tobacco genes and some behaviour of host organisms are extended phenotypes of their parasites. For example, a parasitic fluke modifies the behaviour of its snail host, so that the snail's body is as much the phenotype of the fluke's genes as the fluke body is itself.

A good question is how far the phenotype can extend. Dawkins thinks that lakes (which may be miles long) caused by beaver dams are the largest extended phenotype, but how can we exclude any effect of the genes that benefits them in a way they can control or plan for? In which case, perhaps temperate forests are the extended phenotype of moles (as has been conjectured because they push out horses, which would crop young trees) and is the weather an extended phenotype of bacteria (which create bio-precipitation by forming ice-nuclei in clouds)? This way lies the holistic nonsense of Gaia.

These questions aside, this excellent book is my favourite of Dawkins' works because it is full of clearly exposed ideas and brilliant examples. Dawkins is a master of scientific explanation. A slight criticism, therefore, is that many examples concerned fictional animals or fictional genetic processes, giving the impression that there are no real-life examples to cite; though the reason, clearly, is that a fiction illuminates the principle without getting us bogged down in the exceptions and complications that natural examples inevitably entail.

Besides all other of Richard Dawkins' works (compared to which, this is the most technical), a useful book to read before reading 'The Extended Phenotype' is 'Mendel's Demon: Gene Justice and the Complexity of Life' by Mark Ridley, which explains in layman's terms the gene's-eye view of evolution with regard to parasite DNA, outlaw genes, meiotic drive, segregation distorters, arms wars between mother and embryo and other examples of genes promoting themselves at the expense of other genes in the same organism.

Read and enjoy!

Author: Richard Dawkins
By OUP Oxford

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A gene-centred view of evolution, 2010-04-15
The idea of the selfish gene must rank as one of the most significant of the last century. Certainly it made a huge impact in biology, extending the explanation of evolution given by Charles Darwin before the basic mechanisms of genetics were understood. It was also this idea - and this book - that catapulted the writing career of Richard Dawkins, so for better or for worse, we have this book to thank for that!

This is a book that, in many ways, is as much about game theory as it is about the theory (and fact) of evolution. With rigorous analysis and beautifully clear writing, Dawkins explores the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour, kinship, sex ratio theory, reciprocal altruism, deceit, and much more. He frequently refers to fellow specialists in the field of evolutionary biology, and where he disagrees with them, does so with honesty and generosity. More than thirty years later, the book shows a few small signs of age, but also retains a certain freshness - most likely because the idea of the selfish gene has, in the intervening years, become more not less controversial.

On that last point, anyone who doubts or dismisses evolution as "just a theory" needs to read The Selfish Gene. And I mean actually read it. (Yes, the whole book - not just the title) Only then will it become abundantly clear that the author is *NOT* suggesting any of the following:

1) that at the human level, selfishness is good and altruism is bad,
2) that genes are somehow conscious entities,
3) that we must live in a manner that benefits our genes.

What he IS suggesting is that blind natural selection makes genes behave AS IF they were purposeful. The genes that get passed on are the ones "whose consequences serve their own implicit interests - to continue being replicated". The selfish gene is no more than a metaphor; a convenient way to avoid having to repeat an account of events each time in longwinded terms. Dawkins emphasizes and re-emphasizes this point constantly. I'm doing the same here as it's mind-boggling that some people (including reviewers here on Amazon) still overlook this crucial point.

The 30th anniversary edition includes the original 1976 preface and foreward (the latter by RL Trivers), a further preface to the 1989 second edition, and a new 2005 introduction by Dawkins. It also includes 65 pages of genuinely illuminating endnotes, written more than a decade later, so incorporating clarification and responses to criticism of the original material. There are also selected extracts from reviews. In short, if you are planning on reading The Selfish Gene, this is the version to get.