The Selfish Gene Author:Richard Dawkins This is a new edition of possibly the most exciting and innovative book on evolution in years. An international bestseller, Dawkins's superb reworking of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much interest outside the scientific community as within — it. Fascinating, convincing, and beautiful in the simp... more »licity with which complex ideas are expressed, The Selfish Gene is a classic.
The revised, expanded edition contains two important new chapters. "Nice Guys Finish First" shows how cooperation can evolve even in a basically selfish world, and "The Long Reach of the Gene" advances the startling view that genes may reach outside the bodies in which they sit to manipulate
other individuals--and even the world at large. The book concludes with completely new endnotes in which Dawkins replies to previous critics, or elaborates on points in the original text.
Written in characteristically lively and accessible style, this new edition confirms Dawkins's reputation as one of the most brilliant biologists of his generation.« less
I gave this book only 4 stars and not the full 5, not due to author's ideas but to the organization of the book. The author spent too much time jumping from topic to topic or telling you he will discuss a topic a few chapters later.
Example: I felt like the research by Axelrod in later chapters on Game Theory should have been included when ESS was first introduced with the Hawks and Doves game in the earlier chapters. There were too many questions by the reader left unanswered between those chapters.
Aside from the aforementioned, the theories in this book will truly make you put your thinking cap on.