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The Selfish Gene
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
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The Selfish Gene
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Publisher's Summary
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 to rethink their beliefs about life.
In his internationally best-selling, 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.
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about The Selfish Gene
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bryan Ferguson
- 02-10-2022
Astounding body of work
This is like a text book and maybe not the most suitable type of book for listening but to hear Dawkins personally bring his anecdotes and humour to life is invaluable. Nearly 50 years since first published, the end notes are a history of Dawkins change in views throughout his lifetime. It has fired up a great interest in evolutionary biology for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Brendan Everingham
- 07-04-2015
Narated by the man himself.
Although outdated and superceded now this classic was a great way to pass a few idle hours. It was interesting to see that a few concepts we take for granted now were so muddled such a short time ago. worth every second spent.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Michael
- 01-08-2018
Good ideas
Good concept but occasionally waffles on. Would have been nice to see the author back up the selfish gene theroy against harder opponents like religious extremism and sacrifice.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dirk Bertels
- 02-09-2017
Great book, great listening experience.
Any additional comments?
Dawkin's 'Selfish Gene' is of course one of the great science publications of the decade. But it is surprisingly easy to listen to. Dawkins has a passionate and articulate voice, as does Lala Ward, though the constant changing between the 2 voices can be distracting. At the end of the book, Dawkins refers to his favourite publication 'The Extended Phenotype' which I discovered is accessible freely online as pdf (hope this is legitimate). A must read!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Joanne
- 20-08-2017
Wonderfully thought-provoking
"Survival Machines" - what an amazingly unique perspective! I found this book incredibly interesting and informative!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Wassum
- 19-11-2019
Excellent
An absolutely amazing lecture told with wit and intelligence. A really worthwhile listen on a fascinating subject
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- susan glazier
- 28-05-2019
Best non fiction book I’ve read so far
Sometimes the exposition is long winded but you can really understand quite tricky concepts by the end of the book. Amazing opens your eyes to a whole other way of looking at the world. Unfortunately another book I read of his didn’t have the same fire but I have listened to this book 2-3 times whereas usually I only finish one in 10 books and usually give up after half an hour or so.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Prashant Hurria
- 21-06-2021
This book will change the way you think.
This is one of the books I have read which have permanently changed the way I think .
We all have read about evolution in high school but somewhere in the mind (at least to me ) it seemed like post rationalisation . This book will make you realise the slow glacial grind of evolution .
The only grip I have is the Author's obsession with Naming and shaming people who have disagreed with him .
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Morgan James
- 28-09-2017
Highly Recommend
Intriguing ideas on the evolutionary driver well presented with colorful anecdotes. Narration is easy to listen to. Highly recommend in print or audio format.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Kellie Davis
- 22-06-2018
very interesting
i felt at times we were expected to believe in the atom again . Interesting that Richard doesnt believe in a god, yet has so much godlike faith in his own ideas. that said, very interesting
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