The Selfish Gene

Richard Dawkins' book "The Selfish Gene" is what I'm reading at the moment. It certainly has hyped itself up a lot, with the foreword warning that previous readers have been brought to tears (and not in a good way) and depressed. Some places have banned it because of the purposeless it promotes.

It's also the book that is responsible for the deconversion of Douglas Adams, one of my heroes. Being dead he can be a hero. I'm not going to meet him IRL and find out he's a total bastard, thus destroying my image of him.

I must say that it's an interesting, thought out and convincing argument for looking at life from a different point of view. It isn't a new idea or theory, but a new way of looking at an existing theory: from the point of view of the genes.

It's not too much dense science, but keeps it interesting and lively whilst putting across some rather difficult topics. A feat not achieved since I read "Quantum Physics Cannot Hurt You."

The other notable feature is that it included a "purpose of life" segment, rather similar to the one I posted a few weeks ago.

Coincidental? I think not. Dawkins clearly travelled from the '60s (I think that's when it was written) and poached my idea.

Rather good so far.