The selfish gene

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

I have been hoping to use the book section of my blog to give a short summary of some of the books which I found most worthwhile and interesting in relevance to zoology. To start this off the Selfish Gene seemed an appropriate place to start. Witty and well written it provides a brilliant look at different suggestions for key question within evolution, focusing on the concept that everything we, or other living organisms do, is controlled by genes trying to survive. Anybody studying biology…

The Selfish Gene is a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. In it Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for the replication of genes.

Nature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot... - Richard Dawkins quotes at AZquotes.com

In 1976 Richard Dawkins’s study of evolutionary theory became the first popular science bestseller. How do its ideas stand up today?

My true appreciation of evolution began with this book.

The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary edition

We now have the power to genetically modify entire species by inserting certain genes into them with brute force. Doing this to malaria-carrying mosquitoes could allow us to wipe out humanity's most deadly killer.

New findings from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research uncover critical insights about how a dangerous selfish gene—considered to be a parasitic portion of DNA—functions and survives. Understanding this dynamic is a valuable resource for the broader community studying meiotic drive systems.

Richard Dawkins’ hypothesis buries a crucial part of life’s story.