Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having
provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped
change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands of readers to rethink their beliefs
about life.
In his internationally bestselling, now classic volume, The Selfish Gene , Dawkins explains how the selfish gene
can also be a subtle gene. The world of the selfish gene revolves around savage competition, ruthless exploitation,
and deceit, and yet, Dawkins argues, acts of apparent altruism do exist in nature. Bees, for example, will commit
suicide when they sting to protect the hive, and birds will risk their lives to warn the flock of an approaching
hawk.
This 30th anniversary edition of Dawkins' fascinating book retains all original material, including the two enlightening
chapters added in the second edition. In a new Introduction the author presents his thoughts thirty years after
the publication of his first and most famous book, while the inclusion of the two-page original Foreword by brilliant
American scientist Robert Trivers shows the enthusiastic reaction of the scientific community at that time. This
edition is a celebration of a remarkable exposition of evolutionary thought, a work that has been widely hailed
for its stylistic brilliance and deep scientific insights, and that continues to stimulate whole new areas of research
today.
Table of Contents
1. Why are people?
2. The replicators
3. Immortal coils
4. The gene machine
5. Aggression: stability and the selfish machine
6. Genesmanship
7. Family planning
8. Battle of the generations
9. Battle of the sexes
10. You scratch my back, I'll ride on yours
11. Memes: the new replicators
12. Nice guys finish first
13. The long reach of the gene