This was my first Dawkins (I discovered this book 8 years ago, read half of it and forgot about it. I dug it up again last week and read it through). What a shame - I have spent all these years in ignorance :(
Very educational, very entertaining and extremely readable.
This is really 5 essays on evolution in the form of a book. To be sure Dawkins builds on the ideas developed in the first chapter in the later ones, but still each can stand on its own.
The first chapter lays down the basics about the nature of DNA and it's propagation (DNA's digital nature, how heredity works, etc.)
The second discusses the "out of Africa" theories of human evolution. The discussion of the Mitochondrial Eve is fabulous.
The third chapter's purpose "is to destroy the argument that complicated contrivances have to be perfect if they are to work at all" - a favorite position of creationists. Brilliantly argued. Case closed!
The fourth chapter is the best: "God's Utility Function" - what's the "designer" of life (on Earth) maximizing? It can't be the "greatest good for the greatest number" - clearly there are lifeforms hurting other lifeforms for the purpose of simply existing. Or is he trying to maximize David Attenborough's TV ratings?! More serious questions like, "it makes no economic sense in many species for the sex ratio to be 50%, when a majority of males simply consume resources and have no role to play in reproduction. why have they not been selected out?" Read the book to get the answers :) It's worth it.
To me, the last chapter is the least best; I admit I rushed through it a bit. Dawkins tries to come up with a generalized receipe for the evolution of intelligent life on any given planet - in terms of the thresholds that need to be crossed to achieve that. It's a little hard to follow. May be I'll re-read it soon.
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