River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (Science Masters Series) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Nearly a century and a half after Charles Darwin formulated it, the theory of evolution is still the subject of considerable debate. Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins is among Darwin's chief defenders, and an able one indeed--witty, literate, capable of turning a beautiful phrase. In River Out of Eden he introduces general readers to some fairly abstract problems in evolutionary biology, gently guiding us through the tangles of mitochondrial DNA and the survival-of-the- fittest ethos. (Superheroes need not apply: Dawkins writes, "The genes that survive . . . will be the ones that are good at surviving in the average environment of the species.") Dawkins argues for the essential unity of humanity, noting that "we are much closer cousins of one another than we normally realise, and we have many fewer ancestors than simple calculations suggest." --Christine Buttery -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .

Nearly a century and a half after Charles Darwin formulated it, the theory of evolution is still the subject of considerable debate. Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins is among Darwin's chief defenders, and an able one indeed-- witty, literate, capable of turning a beautiful phrase. In River Out of Eden he introduces general readers to some fairly abstract problems in evolutionary biology, gently guiding us through the tangles of mitochondrial DNA and the survival-of-the- fittest ethos. (Superheroes need not apply: Dawkins writes, "The genes that survive . . . will be the ones that are good at surviving in the average environment of the species.") Dawkins argues for the essential unity of humanity, noting that "we are much closer cousins of one another than we normally realize, and we have many fewer ancestors than simple calculations suggest."

The newest volume in the new Science Masters series condenses the subject of inherited genes for readers wanting maximum absorption in a single sitting. As with fellow authors in the series, British biologist Dawkins brings the success of a popular science work (The Selfish Gene, 1989) to the goal of introducing the curious to his specialty, evolution. Dawkins' lecture-like text stakes out firm beliefs in gradualism, rather than variants of "creationism," as the motive force in biological change. To a clerical letter-writer who divines divine design in wasp behavior (and by extension, in the intricate structure of life), Dawkins playfully opposes perfectly natural reasons for bee dances. Another chapter attacks the common notion of purposefulness in any biological process--except for DNA's primal drive to self-replicate. The work is crammed with illustrative examples of Dawkins' conceptions; and although it can get ruthlessly grim, the playful exposition earns Dawkins a place on the biology shelves, again. Gilbert Taylor -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Dawkins continues discussion of the evolutionary themes introduced in his previous popular works, The Selfish Gene (LJ 12/1/76) and The Blind Watchmaker (LJ 2/1/87). Using the concept of a digital river of DNA, he explores the evolution of humans from a single ancestor; evolutions of specific organs (e.g., eyes) and coadaptation of species (e.g., wasps and orchids); nature's physical and behavioral mechanisms to maximize survival of DNA; and, finally, the ultimate results when our DNA reaches out into space. His arguments and examples are clear, compelling, and often amusing. Offering alternative and potentially controversial views of nature and its evolutionary processes, Dawkins's book is an enjoyable read, written in terms understandable to nonspecialists but with nuances appealing to more specialized readers. Recommended for academic and larger public science collections.?Jeanne Davidson, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine vergriffene oder nicht verfügbare Ausgabe dieses Titels.

Paperback edition of this highly accessible explanation of evolution. Following its hardback success, Phoenix's superlead title offers a contemporary account of how evolution took place. The river in the title is a river of DNA, flowing from the beginning of life on earth on towards the future. Dawkins goes on to investigate features that other living information systems might have with details on detecting their existence elsewhere in the universe. "Beautifully written and painless to read, there is barely a paragraph that could have been made easier to understand." }Sunday Times{. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .

How did the replication bomb we call life begin and where in the world, or rather, in the universe, is it heading? Writing with characteristic wit and an ability to clarify complex phenomena (the New York Times described his style as the sort of science writing that makes the reader feel like a genius), Richard Dawkins confronts this ancient mystery.

Richard Dawkins ist Evolutionsbiologe und lehrt an der Universität Oxford; er ist erster Inhaber des neu eingerichteten Charles-Simonyi-Lehrstuhls für Allgemeinverständliche Naturwissenschaft. In Deutschland wurde er bekannt durch die Bücher 'Der blinde Uhrmacher' und 'Das egoistische Gen'. -- Dieser Text bezieht sich auf eine andere Ausgabe: Taschenbuch .