BOOK REVIEW : THE SELFISH GENE
by RICHARD DAWKINS
The
Selfish Gene is one of the most famous popular books on Genetics. After reading
it, I can state that it is an excellent work, though not strictly on pure
Genetics. I prefer to call it the realm of "applied" genetics, or
rather the external effect, phenotypics of genetics. That said, even that is
inadequate; it also covers seminal grounds in a variety of areas of life, and
the imprint of the Gene on these areas : simple living, rearing, reproduction,
and much more.
KEY
TAKEAWAYS
But
what takes the cake for me is the questions it asks in the last chapter wherein
Mr Dawkins has examined the question of why should single celled organisms in
the primordial soup evolve into multi-celled organisms, which is the most
fundamental question in all Science; it is the proverbial last frontier of
Science. As one reads it, it becomes apparent that Science is still floundering;
while we have gone light-years into space – we know actually very little of how
we ourselves function. The gap becomes evident, as we come face to face with
the truth of the current status quo.
I
do not intend to criticize; my intention is just to highlight how much we know
AND how little we know. This is stated so that we learn some humility, I mean no
insult. It becomes more and more apparent that many, many assumptions have gone
into the theories of science; of the notable coincidences, and more – as life
evolved. To give another example : what exactly triggered the specialization in
cells? How exactly did Consciousness evolve? Why should mutations happen? {Random
Selection etc is fine; Meotic processes is fine – but what controls it? How
does it happen all by its lonesome?}. There is so much we do not know as yet.
SECONDARY
TAKEAWAYS
As
I stated above, the last chapter stands out; as do two others - one titled Nice
Guys Finish First, and the other on groupism - tendency of animals to flock +
inter-special cooperation. These 3 stand out head and shoulders as clear
take-aways. The random explanations taken from Insects, Animals and Plants
alike give a very broad picture in your mind, helping to firm up and clarify
the concept. And act as a strong refresher if like me you are returning to the
subject after a long gap.
The
part on the Natural Selection, its mechanics and the gene simulations are
exemplary, bringing to the fore the full convincing power of this theory. Its explanation
is truly fascinating, and sticks out big-time. The emergence of the Evolutionary
Stable State over generations is yet another strong plus here – all the more
so as it helps shift the reader’s view from a one-body state to a far longer
term view of life itself, as one begins to appreciate how the small things
add up, and how over time things change.
CONCLUSION
This
is not an easy read; far from it. It is a read meant for a specialised or
deeply passsionate audience. The text is long, arduous and demanding; you need
passion to continue - passion for the subject. It raises many interesting
questions throughout; it opens avenues in your mind in many areas, and includes
a superb examination of cultural aspects as well, which in a tome on Genetics
is a true rarity. Best of all, what it does not know it states clearly; &
elements that have no explanation are also categorically stated, which is truly
rare in a tome on Science.
I
have deliberately given a rather disjointed review; while I am passionate on
Genetics, and have studied it at UG level – it all lies 25+ years in the past.
So, my objective in this review has been to give the reader as many reasons to choose
to read this book as possible, through small tantalizing glimpses of its myriad
content material. Let me close the review with one small observation on the
negative side – the layout and the presentation, like the majority of Good
Science Papers, is tedious, pointless and arduous. It makes for exceptionally
hard reading; only a true passionate person will go through it. Science needs
to learn the art of presentation, of making a good material excellent…
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