Richard Dawkins
A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love
Richard Dawkins
The first collection of essays from renowned scientist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins.
Richard Dawkins's essays are an enthusiastic testament to the power of rigorous, scientific examination, and they span many different corners of his personal and professional life. He revisits the meme, the unit of cultural information that he named and wrote about in his groundbreaking work The Selfish Gene. He makes moving tributes to friends and colleagues, including a eulogy for novelist Douglas Adams; he shares correspondence with the evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould; and he visits with the famed paleoanthropologists Richard and Maeve Leakey at their African wildlife preserve. He concludes the essays with a vivid note to his ten-year-old daughter, reminding her to remain curious, to ask questions, and to live the examined life.
An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist
Richard Dawkins
Born to parents who were enthusiastic naturalists, and linked through his wider family to a clutch of accomplished scientists, Richard Dawkins was bound to have biology in his genes. But what were the influences that shaped his life and intellectual development? And who inspired him to become the pioneering scientist and public thinker now famous (infamous to some) around the world?
In "An Appetite for Wonder" we join him on a personal journey back to an enchanting childhood in colonial Africa, where the exotic natural world was his constant companion. Boarding school in England at the age of eight and public school at Oundle introduce Dawkins, and the reader, to strange rules and eccentric schoolmasters, vividly described with both humorous affection and some reservation. An initial fervent attachment to Church of England religion soon gives way to disaffection and, later, teenage rebellion. Early signs of a preference for music, poetry and reading over practical matters become apparent as he recalls the opportunities that entered his small world.
Oxford, however, is the catalyst to his life. Vigorous debate in the dynamic Zoology Department unleashes his innate intellectual curiosity, and inspirational mentors together with his own creative thinking ignite the spark that results in his radical new vision of Darwinism, "The Selfish Gene".
From innocent child to charismatic world-famous scientist, Richard Dawkins paints a colourful, richly textured canvas of his early life. Honest self-reflection and witty anecdotes are interspersed with touching reminiscences of his family and friends, literature, poetry and songs. We are finally able to understand the private influences that shaped the public man who, more than anyone else in his generation, explained our own origins.
Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science
Richard Dawkins
At a time when science can seem complex and remote, it has a greater impact on our lives, and to the future of our planet, than ever before. It really matters that its discoveries and truths should be clearly and widely communicated. That its enemies, from the malicious to the muddled, the self-deluding to the self-interested, be challenged and exposed. That science should be brought out of the laboratory, taken into the corridors of power and defended in the maelstrom of popular culture. No one does this better than Richard Dawkins.
In bringing together his forewords, afterwords and introductions to works by some of the leading thinkers of our age—Carl Sagan, Lawrence Krauss, Jacob Bronowski, Lewis Wolpert—and a selection of his reviews, both admiring and critical, of a wide range of scientific and other works, Books do Furnish a Life celebrates the writers who communicate the ideas of science and the natural world in both fiction and non-fiction. It celebrates the courage of those who write about their experiences of escaping religion and embracing rationality, of protecting the truths of science and analytical rigour against charlatanry and obfuscation.
Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science
Richard Dawkins
In this hugely entertaining sequel to the New York Times bestselling memoir An Appetite for Wonder, Richard Dawkins delves deeply into his intellectual life spent kick-starting new conversations about science, culture, and religion and writing yet another of the most audacious and widely read books of the twentieth century—The God Delusion.
Called “one of the best nonfiction writers alive today” (Stephen Pinker) and a “prize-fighter” (Nature), Richard Dawkins cheerfully, mischievously, looks back on a lifetime of tireless intellectual adventure and engagement. Exploring the halls of intellectual inquiry and stardom he encountered after the publication of his seminal work, The Selfish Gene; affectionately lampooning the world of academia, publishing, and television; and studding the pages with funny stories about the great men and women he’s known, Dawkins offers a candid look at the events and ideas that encouraged him to shift his attention to the intersection of culture, religion, and science. He also invites the reader to look more closely at the brilliant succession of ten influential books that grew naturally out of his busy life, highlighting the ideas that connect them and excavating their origins.
On the publication of his tenth book, the smash hit, The God Delusion, a “resounding trumpet blast for truth” (Matt Ridley), Richard Dawkins was catapulted from mere intellectual stardom into a circle of celebrity thinkers dubbed, “The New Atheists”—including Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett.
Throughout A Brief Candle in the Dark, Dawkins shares with us his infectious sense of wonder at the natural world, his enjoyment of the absurdities of human interaction, and his bracing awareness of life’s brevity: all of which have made a deep imprint on our culture.
Climbing Mount Improbable
Richard Dawkins
In Climbing Mount Improbable, Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, builds a powerful and carefully reasoned argument for evolutionary adaptation as the force behind all life on earth.
What drives species to evolve? How can intricate structures such as the human eye, the spider's web or the wings of birds develop, seemingly by chance? Regarding evolution's most complex achievements as peaks on a metaphorical mountain, Climbing Mount Improbable reveals the ways in which the theory of natural selection can precisely explain the beautiful, bizarre and seemingly 'designed' complexity of living things.
And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time. Accompanied by evocative illustrations, Dawkins's eloquent descriptions of the living world's astonishing adaptations throw back the curtain on the mysteries of 'Mount Improbable'.
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
Der Gotteswahn
Richard Dawkins
»Religion ist irrational, fortschrittsfeindlich und zerstörerisch.« Richard Dawkins, einer der einflussreichsten Intellektuellen der Gegenwart, zeigt, warum der Glaube an Gott einer vernünftigen Betrachtung nicht standhalten kann. Ein wichtiges Buch, das zu einem brennend aktuellen Thema eindeutig und überzeugend Position bezieht – brillant und bei aller Schärfe humorvoll.
Deus, Um Delírio
Richard Dawkins
Num tempo de guerras e ataques terroristas com motivações religiosas, o movimento pró-ateísmo ganha força no mundo todo. E seu líder intelectual é o respeitado biólogo Richard Dawkins, que neste Deus, um delírio investe contra o fundamento básico de toda e qualquer religião. Autor de clássicos como O gene egoísta, Dawkins argumenta que a existência de Deus (ou Alá) é cientificamente improvável e que crer nele não só é inútil e supérfluo, mas também prejudicial. De acordo com o autor, ninguém precisa de Deus para ter princípios morais, para fazer o bem, para apreciar a natureza.
O objetivo confesso deste livro - best-seller nos Estados Unidos e na Europa - é não apenas provocar os religiosos convictos, mas principalmente levar os religiosos "por inércia" a pensar racionalmente a sua crença, trocando-a pelo orgulho ateu e pela ciência.
El gen egoísta
Richard Dawkins
"The Selfish Gene" caused a wave of excitement among biologists and the general public when it was first published in 1976. Its vivid rendering of a gene's eye view of life, in lucid prose, gathered together the strands of thought about the nature of natural selection into a conceptual framework with far-reaching implications for our understanding of evolution. Time has confirmed its significance. Intellectually rigorous, yet written in non-technical language, "The Selfish Gene" is widely regarded as a masterpiece of science writing, and its insights remain as relevant today as on the day it was published.
El gen egoísta extendido
Richard Dawkins
Desde el mismo día de su publicación, en 1976, El gen egoísta se convirtió en un clásico instantáneo y provocó un encendido debate en la comunidad científica. Esta fue una de las razones por las que Richard Dawkins escribió más tarde El fenotipo extendido, obra en la que ahondaba con igual lucidez en la idea de que los efectos fenotípicos del gen van más allá de la máquina de supervivencia en la que se hallan. Ahora, por primera vez, El gen egoísta extendido une los dos famosos libros de Dawkins al incluir y poner al alcance de los lectores dos capítulos clave de El fenotipo extendido.
El gen egoísta. Las bases biológicas de nuestra conducta
Richard Dawkins
"Somos máquinas de supervivencia, autómatas programados a ciegas con el fin de perpetuar la existencia de los egoístas genes que albergamos en nuestras células." Cuando se lee esta categórica afirmación de Richard Dawkins al comienzo del libro, quizá la primera reacción sea de incredulidad. Pero cuando se termina el último capítulo, es muy probable que el escepticismo haya desaparecido. Dawkins, zoólogo especializado en comportamiento animal y en teoría de la evolución, explica con profundidad y objetividad las bases evolutivas del comportamiento de los animales y del ser humano. Esta nueva edición contiene numerosas notas al texto y dos capítulos adicionales: uno sobre la evolución biológica de la cooperación social y otro sobre la dicotomía gen-organismo como sujeto de la evolución.
Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins on how nature and humans have learned to overcome the pull of gravity and take to the skies. 'A masterly investigation of all aspects of flight, human and animal... A beautifully produced book that will appeal across age groups' Alexander McCall Smith 'Dawkins has always been an extraordinarily muscular, persuasive thinker. What feels new here is that he writes with such charm and warmth' The TimesHave you ever dreamt you could fly? Or imagined what it would be like to glide and swoop through the sky like a bird? Do you let your mind soar to unknown, magical spaces? Richard Dawkins explores the wonder of from the mythical Icarus, to the sadly extinct but spectacular bird Argentavis magnificens, from the Wright flyer and the 747, to the Tinkerbella fairyfly and the Peregrine falcon. But he also explores flights of the mind and escaping the everyday – through science, ideas and imagination. Fascinating and beautifully illustrated, this is a unique collaboration between one of the world's leading scientists and a talented artist.
O curiozitate fără margini: cum am devenit om de știință
Richard Dawkins
Dawkins cercetătorul şi Dawkins omul sunt la fel de prezenţi în acest volum de memorii din prima parte a vieţii autorului, care încep cu copilăria idilică petrecută în Africa şi se încheie cu povestea scrierii şi publicării Genei egoiste, una dintre cele mai importante cărţi ale secolului XX. Pentru omul de ştiinţă, esenţiale au fost două evenimente biografice: admiterea, în 1959, la Oxford, la Departamentul de Zoologie, unde a beneficiat de celebrul sistem „tutorial“ al universităţii, care i-a cultivat şi rafinat curiozitatea pentru lumea vie; iar mai apoi intrarea în grupul de cercetare condus de marele său mentor, etologul Niko Tinbergen. După o teză de doctorat strălucită, urmează fecunda perioadă experimentală de la Berkeley, revenirea la Oxford, în 1970, şi continuarea cercetărilor folosind intens posibilităţile computerelor din acea vreme. Scrisă cu talent, ca toate cărţile lui Richard Dawkins, combinând istorii amuzante şi versuri iubite cu interpretări de experimente şi cu mari idei din biologie povestite pe înţelesul nespecialiştilor, O curiozitate fără margini „este menită – cum spunea Michael Shermer – să devină o carte clasică în analele autobiografiei ştiinţifice“.
„Tot pe atunci am început şi tutorialele cu Niko Tinbergen pe tema comportamentului animal – şi viaţa mea s-a schimbat. […] Se pare că-i făcusem o impresie bună lui Niko: în raportul de la sfârşitul anului prezentat colegiului, a spus că sunt cel mai bun student pe care l-a avut vreodată […]. M-a încurajat înde-ajuns ca să-l întreb dacă ar fi de acord să mă ia sub aripa lui ca student cercetător; spre enorma mea încântare, a acceptat. Viitorul îmi era asigurat, cel puţin pentru următorii trei ani. Şi pentru tot restul vieţii, dacă stau să mă gândesc mai bine.“ (Richard DAWKINS)
Outgrowing God: A Beginner's Guide
Richard Dawkins
Should we believe in God? In Outgrowing God, written for a new generation of thinkers, the brilliant author of The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene explains why we shouldn't.
Richard Dawkins was fifteen when he stopped believing in God. Deeply impressed by the beauty and complexity of living things, he felt certain they must have had a designer. Learning about evolution changed his mind. Now one of the world's best and bestselling science communicators, Dawkins has given readers, young and old, the same opportunity to rethink the big questions.
In twelve fiercely funny, mind-expanding chapters, Dawkins explains how the natural world arose without a designer—the improbability and beauty of the "bottom-up programming" that engineers an embryo or a flock of starlings—and challenges head-on some of the most basic assumptions made by the world's religions: Do you believe in God? Which one? Is the Bible a "Good Book"? Is adhering to a religion necessary, or even likely, to make people good to each other? Dissecting everything from Abraham's abuse of Isaac to the construction of a snowflake, Outgrowing God, is a concise, provocative guide to thinking for yourself.
Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide to Atheism
Richard Dawkins
Should we believe in God? In this new book, written for a new generation, the brilliant science writer and author of The God Delusion, explains why we shouldn't.
Should we believe in God? Do we need God in order to explain the existence of the universe? Do we need God in order to be good? In twelve chapters that address some of the most profound questions human beings confront, Dawkins marshals science, philosophy and comparative religion to interrogate the hypocrisies of all the religious systems and explain to readers of all ages how life emerged without a Creator, how evolution works and how our world came into being.
For anyone hoping to grapple with the meaning of life and what to believe, Outgrowing God is a challenging, thrilling and revelatory read.
River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life
Richard Dawkins
How did the replication bomb we call ”life” begin and where in the world, or rather, in the universe, is it heading? Writing with characteristic wit and an ability to clarify complex phenomena (the New York Times described his style as ”the sort of science writing that makes the reader feel like a genius”), Richard Dawkins confronts this ancient mystery.
Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist
Richard Dawkins
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERRichard Dawkins - author of The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, and The God Delusion - is one of science's greatest communicators. This anthology of more than forty pieces is a kaleidoscopic argument for the power and the glory of science. Breathtaking, brilliant and passionate, these essays, journalism, lectures and letters make an unanswerable case for the wonder of scientific discovery and its power to stir the imagination; for the practical necessity of scientific endeavour to society; and for the importance of the scientific way of thinking – particularly in today’s ‘post-truth’ world.With an introduction and new commentary by the author, subjects range from evolution and Darwinian natural selection to the role of scientist as prophet, whether science is itself a religion, the probability of alien life in other worlds, and the beauties, cruelties and oddities of earthly life in this one. Alongside the explications, the celebrations and the controversies are wonderfully funny ventures into satire and parody, and moving personal reflections in memory and honour of others.Science in the Soul is a sparkling showcase for Professor Dawkins' rapier wit, the clarity, precision and vigour he brings to an argument, the beauty of his prose, the depth of his feeling and his capacity for joy.
Sungai dari Firdaus: Suatu Pandangan Darwinan tentang Kehidupan
Richard Dawkins
Siapa duga kita yang hidup sekarang sudah berusia 3550 tahun?
Sipa duga kita semua sesungguhnya adalah sepupu?
Siapa duga kita semua adalah bukti bahwa kaidah hidup yang utama adalah kerjasama bahu-membahu, bukan persaingan apalagi gontok-gontokan?
Kita, serta serangkaian panjang leluhur kita, mulai dari bakteri hingga Homo sapiens, benar-benar makhluk yang sukses. Di antara tiga milyar spesies yang pernah ada, kita termasuk di antara 1 persen yang bertahan hidup. Selebihnya, 99 persen, gagal dan punah. Sepupu pun bukan hanya satu leluhur, tapi juga tahu hidup saling membantu, bukan saling membunuh.
Dalam buku ini, Richard Dawkins, dengan kemahirannya bertutur yang sudah tidak asing lagi, yang tidak jarang memicu senyum geli, menjelaskan semua itu dengan jernih dan indah. Bukan tanpa alasan jika buku ini dapat meneguhkan dan memperdalam iman umat beragama.
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution
Richard Dawkins
The renowned biologist and thinker Richard Dawkins presents his most expansive work yet: a comprehensive look at evolution, ranging from the latest developments in the field to his own provocative views. Loosely based on the form of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Dawkins's Tale takes us modern humans back through four billion years of life on our planet. As the pilgrimage progresses, we join with other organisms at the forty "rendezvous points" where we find a common ancestor. The band of pilgrims swells into a vast crowd as we join first with other primates, then with other mammals, and so on back to the first primordial organism.
Dawkins's brilliant, inventive approach allows us to view the connections between ourselves and all other life in a bracingly novel way. It also lets him shed bright new light on the most compelling aspects of evolutionary history and theory: sexual selection, speciation, convergent evolution, extinction, genetics, plate tectonics, geographical dispersal, and more. The Ancestor's Tale is at once a far-reaching survey of the latest, best thinking on biology and a fascinating history of life on Earth. Here Dawkins shows us how remarkable we are, how astonishing our history, and how intimate our relationship with the rest of the living world.
The Blind Watchmaker (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
Richard Dawkins
Archived: Does not meet catalog guidelines
The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design
Richard Dawkins
***30th Anniversary Edition*** Cover note: Each copy of the anniversary edition of The Blind Watchmaker features a unique biomorph. No two covers are exactly alike.
Acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution written in the last hundred years, The Blind Watchmaker offers an inspiring and accessible introduction to one of the most important scientific discoveries of all time. A brilliant and controversial book which demonstrates that evolution by natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by Darwin - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist?
The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science)
Richard Dawkins
People commonly view evolution as a process of competition between individuals—known as “survival of the fittest”—with the individual representing the “unit of selection.” Richard Dawkins offers a controversial reinterpretation of that idea in The Extended Phenotype, now being reissued to coincide with the publication of the second edition of his highly-acclaimed The Selfish Gene. He proposes that we look at evolution as a battle between genes instead of between whole organisms. We can then view changes in phenotypes—the end products of genes, like eye color or leaf shape, which are usually considered to increase the fitness of an individual—as serving the evolutionary interests of genes.
Dawkins makes a convincing case that considering one’s body, personality, and environment as a field of combat in a kind of “arms race” between genes fighting to express themselves on a strand of DNA can clarify and extend the idea of survival of the fittest. This influential and controversial book illuminates the complex world of genetics in an engaging, lively manner.
The Genetic Book of the Dead: A Darwinian Reverie
Richard Dawkins
One of the world's great science writers and a book that reflects on the vast arc of evolutionary history and what it tells us about life on earth. How much do we really know about our past? For centuries, we have yearned to learn more about our ancestors and piece together the story of how we came to be. But language can only record so much. And fossils can be even harder to decipher. We are left groping in the dark, forced to speculate and reconstruct ways of life based on fragments of information. But what if there was a better way? In The Genetic Book of the Dead , Richard Dawkins explores the untapped potential of DNA to transform and transcend our understanding of evolution. In the future, a zoologist presented with a hitherto unknown animal will be able to read its body and its genes as detailed descriptions of the world its ancestors inhibited. This 'book of the dead' would uncover the remarkable ways in which animals have overcome obstacles, adapted to their environments and, again and again, developed remarkably similar ways of finding solutions to life's problems. From the bestselling author of The Selfish Gene comes a revolutionary, vividly illustrated book that unlocks the door to a past more vivid, nuanced and fascinating than anything we have ever seen.
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
A preeminent scientist - and the world's most prominent atheist - asserts the irrationality of belief in God, and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.
With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament, to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion, and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence.
The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong, but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.
The God Delusion: 10th Anniversary Edition
Richard Dawkins
'Timely, impassioned and brilliantly argued' Rod Liddle, Sunday Times'A spirited and exhilarating read' Joan Bakewell, GuardianDawkins attacks God in all his forms. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children.The God Delusion is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
Richard Dawkins
Charles Darwin, whose 1859 masterpiece "On the Origin of Species" shook society to its core, would surely have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy over evolution still raging 150 years later.
"The Greatest Show on Earth" is a stunning counter-attack on creationists, followers of "Intelligent Design" and all those who still question evolution as scientific fact. In this brilliant tour de force, Richard Dawkins pulls together the incontrovertible evidence that underpins it: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics.
"The Greatest Show on Earth" comes at a critical time as systematic opposition to the fact of evolution flourishes as never before in many schools worldwide. Dawkins wields a devastating argument against this ignorance whilst sharing with us his palpable love of science and the natural world. Written with elegance, wit and passion, it is hard-hitting, absorbing and totally convincing.
The Magic of Reality
Richard Dawkins
Magic takes many forms. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting that the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods' bridge to earth. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality - science.
Packed with inspiring explanations of space, time and evolution, laced with humour and clever thought experiments, The Magic of Reality explores a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? What causes tsunamis? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, inspirational detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist too.
Richard Dawkins elucidates the wonders of the natural world to all ages with his inimitable clarity and exuberance in a text that will enlighten and inform for generations to come.
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True
Richard Dawkins
Magic takes many forms. Supernatural magic is what our ancestors used in order to explain the world before they developed the scientific method. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods’ bridge to earth. The Japanese used to explain earthquakes by conjuring a gigantic catfish that carried the world on its back—earthquakes occurred each time it flipped its tail. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality—science.
Packed with clever thought experiments, dazzling illustrations and jaw-dropping facts, The Magic of Reality explains a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? Why do the continents look like disconnected pieces of a puzzle? What causes tsunamis? Why are there so many kinds of plants and animals? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, graphic detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist as well.
Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous evolutionary biologist and one of science education’s most passionate advocates, has spent his career elucidating the wonders of science for adult readers. But now, in a dramatic departure, he has teamed up with acclaimed artist Dave McKean and used his unrivaled explanatory powers to share the magic of science with readers of all ages. This is a treasure trove for anyone who has ever wondered how the world works. Dawkins and McKean have created an illustrated guide to the secrets of our world—and the universe beyond—that will entertain and inform for years to come.
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing
Richard Dawkins
Boasting almost one hundred pieces, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a breathtaking celebration of the finest writing by scientists--the best such collection in print--packed with scintillating essays on everything from "The Discovery of Lucy" to "The Terror and Vastness of the Universe."
Edited by best-selling author and renowned scientist Richard Dawkins, this sterling collection brings together exhilarating pieces by a who's who of scientists and science writers, including Stephen Pinker, Stephen Jay Gould, Martin Gardner, Albert Einstein, Julian Huxley, and many dozens more. Readers will find excerpts from bestsellers such as Douglas R. Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach, Francis Crick's Life Itself, Loren Eiseley's The Immense Journey, Daniel Dennett's Darwin's Dangerous Idea, and Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us. There are classic essays ranging from J.B.S. Haldane's "On Being the Right Size" and Garrett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" to Alan Turing's "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" and Albert Einstein's famed New York Times article on "Relativity." And readers will also discover lesser-known but engaging pieces such as Lewis Thomas's "Seven Wonders of Science," J. Robert Oppenheimer on "War and Physicists," and Freeman Dyson's memoir of studying under Hans Bethe.
A must-read volume for all science buffs, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a rich and vibrant anthology that captures the poetry and excitement of scientific thought and discovery.
One of New Scientist's Editor's Picks for 2008.
The Selfish Gene
Richard Dawkins
"The Selfish Gene" caused a wave of excitement among biologists and the general public when it was first published in 1976. Its vivid rendering of a gene's eye view of life, in lucid prose, gathered together the strands of thought about the nature of natural selection into a conceptual framework with far-reaching implications for our understanding of evolution. Time has confirmed its significance. Intellectually rigorous, yet written in non-technical language, "The Selfish Gene" is widely regarded as a masterpiece of science writing, and its insights remain as relevant today as on the day it was published.
Unweaving the Rainbow
Richard Dawkins
Keats accused Newton of destroying the poetry of the rainbow by explaining the origin of its colours. In this illuminating and provocative book, Richard Dawkins argues that Keats could not have been more mistaken, and shows how an understanding of science enhances our wonder of the world. He argues that mysteries do not lose their poetry because they are solved: the solution is often more beautiful than the puzzle, uncovering even deeper mysteries. Dawkins takes up the most important and compelling topics in modern science, from astronomy and genetics to language and virtual reality, combining them in a landmark statement on the human appetite for wonder.
Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder
Richard Dawkins
Keats accused Newton of destroying the poetry of the rainbow by explaining the origin of its colours. In this illuminating and provocative book, Richard Dawkins argues that Keats could not have been more mistaken, and shows how an understanding of science enhances our wonder of the world. He argues that mysteries do not lose their poetry because they are solved: the solution is often more beautiful than the puzzle, uncovering even deeper mysteries. Dawkins takes up the most important and compelling topics in modern science, from astronomy and genetics to language and virtual reality, combining them in a landmark statement on the human appetite for wonder.
Бог как иллюзия
Richard Dawkins
Ричард Докинз — выдающийся британский ученый-этолог и популяризатор науки, лауреат многих литературных и научных премий. Каждая новая книга Докинза становится бестселлером и вызывает бурные дискуссии. Его работы сыграли огромную роль в возрождении интереса к научным книгам, адресованным широкой читательской аудитории. Однако Докинз — не только автор теории мемов и страстный сторонник дарвиновской теории эволюции, но и не менее страстный атеист и материалист. В книге «Бог как иллюзия» он проявляет талант блестящего полемиста, обращаясь к острейшим и актуальнейшим проблемам современного мира. После выхода этой работы, сегодня уже переведенной на многие языки, Докинз был признан автором 2006 года по версии Reader's Digest и обрел целую армию восторженных поклонников и непримиримых противников. Споры не затихают. «Эту книгу обязан прочитать каждый», — считает британский журнал The Economist.
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