sign in sign up
<<
Home , The Blind Watchmaker, Watchmaker analogy

THE BLIND : WHY THE EVIDENCE OF REVEALS A UNIVERSE WITHOUT DESIGN PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Richard Dawkins | 496 pages | 14 Jul 2016 | WW Norton & Co | 9780393351491 | English | New York, - Wikipedia

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design by British science writer and zoologist presents the theory of evolution while arguing for its acceptance by the general public. While a bestseller and widely praised for its persuasive writing and in-depth research, it has been critiqued for not offering explanations of human consciousness. Its themes include scientific discovery, overcoming human cognitive limitations, and the peculiar social stigma against evolution. The title is a response to an hypothesis held by Theologian that the complexity of nature suggests an intelligent creator behind it. Paley likens this creator to a watchmaker. Dawkins argues that common misperceptions of evolution lead to many social problems, including a devaluation of nature and skepticism toward the efficacy of vaccines. It thus is urgent for society to confront its skepticism of evolution and to understand the evidence thoroughly before making light of it or claiming all the research is bogus. Dawkins looks into public misconceptions of how evolution operates. He highlights that it is an intensely random process. That it gives rise to complex organisms seems counterintuitive, but it becomes more reasonable when one considers this process takes millions and millions of years. With one example, Dawkins looks into how airplanes are built. This process is known as gradualism. One can see its work in how the human eye has developed, as well as the echolocation abilities of bats. On the surface, evolution goes against many religious teachings, especially , which argue for a supreme, all-knowing being who designed the universe. The implications of evolution—the universe was randomly created—are much harder to accept when coming from such a . Watchmaker . Wikipedia:WikiProject . An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 5, 49 1, 4. In the Rev. William Paley's argued in Natural that just as finding a watch would lead you to conclude that a watchmaker must exist, the complexity of living organisms proves that a Creator exists. Not so, says Richard Dawkins, and in this brilliant and controversial book, the acclaimed evolutionary biologist sets out to demonstrate that the theory of evolution by - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist? Top Five Books of Best Science Books for Non-Scientists Falling for Science Alan Kay's Reading List LT picks: Blue Books No current Talk conversations about this book. As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. I have only ever read one other Dawkins book before, The Delusion, and really didn't like the style or attitude of the writing, so was not completely looking forward to this one. PDCRead Apr 6, An incredible work of great importance Status Dawkins, Richard — primary author all editions confirmed Groot, Frans de Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Olbinski, Rafal Cover artist secondary author some editions confirmed Pyle, Liz Illustrator secondary author some editions confirmed. The Pocket Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Charles Darwin [Charles Robert: ]. Stephen J. William Paley. Richard Dawkins. Los Angeles Times Book Prize Royal Society of Literature Award Torchlight List To my parents. We animals are the most complicated things in the known Universe. The Argument from Personal Incredulity is an extremely weak argument, as Darwin himself noted. But they cannot be the whole truth, for they deny the very heart of the evolution theory, which gives it the power to dissolve astronomical improbabilities and explain prodigies of apparent . Smith, John Maynard. Gribbin, John. Amis, Martin. References to this work on external resources. From the author of , Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker has been acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution in the last hundred years. No library descriptions found. Haiku summary random mutation and natural selection slowly change Munchkinguy. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions. Audible 0 editions. CD Audiobook 0 editions. Project Gutenberg 0 editions. Google Books — Loading Local Book Search. Swap want. Rating Average: 4. Norton An edition of this book was published by W. Is this you?

I was baffled by his logical , most excellent examples and extremely engaging vernacular. In this work, one learns much about the evolutionary of numerous species, of which the sonar technology of baths, dolphins and other mammals seemed most shocking. His reasoning of what constitutes , probability Dawkins is one of my top picks for the most articulate, engaging and proficient scientists I've read to date. His reasoning of what constitutes miracles, probability theory and reasoning behind the drawback of the Lamark's theory of acquired characteristics is exceptionally enticing. The book should be a required high-school reading. A very, very high recommendation. View 1 comment. Feb 01, Seth Hanson rated it really liked it. At the time, this was a tough book for me to read. Considering the way I was raised - in a heavily religious atmosphere - it was hard for me to accept the theory of evolution. However, Dawkins very clearly lays out the theory in a way that anyone can understand if they are willing to open their mind just a little and put in just a little effort. It might be hard to accept but its even harder to dispute. Reality is like that. I think everyone should be required to read this book. Aug 10, Max rated it really liked it Shelves: biology. Dawkins wrote the book to counter creationist thinking, but for a firm believer in Darwinian evolution, his lengthy arguments were unnecessary. However, if Dawkins converted any creationists, I would consider the book a great success. With that said, there were a number of things I did like. Below are some items that caught my attention. Gradual evolution was then challenged by saltationists who believed large genetic changes or macro-mutations could explain much of evolution. A more refined view is that of who posited . This view recognized varying rates of change, periods of relative stasis with intervals of rapid modification. Keep in mind rapid was on a geologic time scale where 50, years is a short time. The effect of gradualism that struck me was the notion that speciation is contingent on the demise of intermediate individuals. Otherwise one could not tell where one species began and another ended. The view of chimpanzees as property is made more acceptable because there are no living intermediaries that show our close relationship. This made me wonder how Neanderthals would be treated if some were found alive. Would they be treated like chimpanzees as a different species? Since they are beings who can successfully interbreed with Homo sapiens, would they be given the same rights? Would Christians consider them as individuals with that should be saved? I enjoyed Dawkins explanation of the development of the eye in support of gradualism. The watch is too intricate to have formed naturally. Post-Darwin, like the watch, some held that the eye was so complex as to defy gradual evolution. Dawkins counters. He takes us from a cell with a light sensitive spot to a creature with several such cells that is helped by this sense of light or dark. Then if the light sensitive cells are recessed, the creature can tell the direction of the shadow. Next if the walls of the cup build up and protrude partially over the cup, a pinhole camera is formed casting an image on the cup. Then, protecting the cup by extending a membrane over the pinhole forms a lens. And so on… I enjoyed the section on bats and echolocation. Dawkins also offers a reasonable explanation of how this seemingly amazing ability could develop. Dolphins, whales and some birds have independently developed this use of sound showing such development not to be quite as extraordinary as one might think. Dawkins pondering of how bats experience this sense I found fascinating. Do the nerve impulses get mapped by the brain to a model similar to the one we experience as vision? And then there is the fish that senses its environment from disruption to an electrical field — elctrolocation. How is this sense perceived? Another intriguing topic was how augments natural selection. Unlike environmental factors which wax and wane in intensity, sexual selection forms a positive feedback loop. As both genes proliferate tails will grow longer until a practical limit is reached. The bird still has to be an able flyer to survive. This book will mean different things to different readers. Every creationist should read it although I suspect few will. If you get bored reading why creationism is wrong, keep in mind the book is written to be easily read, so you can get through those sections quickly. Nov 29, Jose Moa rated it it was amazing Shelves: biology , science. This book is a more nail in the coffin of creationism. It develops the darvinian theory of evolution,change and selection,but at a more deep level than the original Darwins theory,the deeper level of molecular biology and molecular genetics,subjects this unknown in the Darwins time as the quantum electrodinamics was unknown in the Maxwells time but explains at a deeper level the electromagnetic fenomenology. The first chapters explains the incredible aparition of wonderful organs as the human eye This book is a more nail in the coffin of creationism. The first chapters explains the incredible aparition of wonderful organs as the human eye as a long series of very small changes and steps as consecuence of mutations by chance each step selected between many others possibles by efficacy and supervivence along unimaginable for the human mind long period of time,millions of years,as the human mind is unable of make a idea of what a light year is in distance. He also explains the deep work of evolution making software models resembling the working of genes. In the mid chapters underlined the mportance of the fact of the cooperation of the genes in the evolution throught the relation with epigenetics and embriology,also explains the concept of punctuated equilibrium as a long standby followed by a fast evolution and it important role in the peciation and the existence of molecular clocks for measuring times and distances in evolutionary processes. In the final chapters confronts the different schools of taxonomy in clasifyng species and discuss the other failed schools of explanation of the origen of the species : creationism,saltationism,Lamarckism inherited features and some other. A excelent book in giving another perspetive of darvinian evolution,full of subtle concepts and reasonings that dismantle the creationism and other wrong theories. Apr 19, Orhan Pelinkovic rated it it was amazing Shelves: science. If you are interested in I would highly recommend this book. The author is very aggressive in convincing the reader in evolution by means of cumulative natural selection compare to all the other beliefs natural selection in one step, creationist, etc. But having built up the mystery, my other main aim is to remove it again by explaining the solution I hadn't planned to read this since I understood this from h I'm glad I did. I find about half of these wanderings interesting, while some just beat the particular subject to death. He starts the preface with the following: This book is written in the conviction that our own existence once presented the greatest of all mysteries, but that it is a mystery no longer because it is solved. Darwin and Wallace solved it, though we shall continue to add footnotes to their solution for a while yet That's incredible in light of the age of this book. Some of the best parts are his opinions of other scientists. He's very fast to give credit to others where it is due. He didn't try for a lot of humor, but when it popped up like that it was great. It was great to be able to fiddle with the biomorph program. I understood Dawkins' explanations just fine, but actually playing with the program is really worth it. The extreme effects of random change over time are amazing. He's right, we aren't equipped to really understand large numbers or long times, the obvious problem with Young Earth Creationists' beliefs. I find their intellectual dishonesty infuriating, especially so when they try to foist them on me, especially in matters of public policy. Beliefs should remain private. One thing I really missed was an explanation of what a species is. For years I thought the criterion was simply the ability to breed with the result of fertile offspring. Still, it had no real bearing on his argument even in the chapter on taxonomy. I had no idea taxonomists disagreed so much. I thought I was the only person who made such a muddle of filing. I loved Dawkins' comparisons to library science. He says that Explaining is a difficult art. You can explain something so that your reader understands the words; and you can explain something so that the reader feels it in the marrow of his bones He manages the latter most of the time. A truly gifted educator. Analyzes all the various flavors of Darwinist evolution and some competing theories Richard Dawkins is a very lucid and intelligent proponent of evolutionary theory and biology when he isn't getting into vitriolic debates with Creationists, which is an exercise in futility for both sides I'd say. I admire him for trying, but frankly trying to use logic and scientific reasoning with people who think the world is 6, years old, was created by an all-powerful being who somehow still tolerates Dona Analyzes all the various flavors of Darwinist evolution and some competing theories Richard Dawkins is a very lucid and intelligent proponent of evolutionary theory and biology when he isn't getting into vitriolic debates with Creationists, which is an exercise in futility for both sides I'd say. I admire him for trying, but frankly trying to use logic and scientific reasoning with people who think the world is 6, years old, was created by an all-powerful being who somehow still tolerates Donald Trump's existence, explain the fossil record and dinosaurs as just tests of , and really think the universe is centered around planet Earth is truly a tase of time. So it's good to listen to a book that focuses on evolution, but as this book explores some of the subtle variants of evolutionary theory, like gradualists vs punctuationalists, dismantles Lamarkism and Lysenko, it feels a bit turgid at times, and I thought his much later book The Greatest Show on Earth was more interesting and focused on explaining what non-random natural selection means rather than debunking some other "weak" theories. Aug 27, Hamid rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites , science. Here are some key points I gathered from this wonderful wonderful book: - According to Dawkins, Darwinism seems to be more in need of advocacy than other branches of science. For instance, many people have no grasp of quantum mechanics, but that doesn't make them oppose the theory as nonsense. This could have religious implications. We have no difficulty visualizing processes that take seconds, minutes, years and decades at most to complete, whereas evolutionary change transpires in millions or hundreds of millions of years. They are made of metal and plastic rather than of flesh and blood. We are designed on a drawing board too, but were our parts assembled by a skilled engineer? When Charles Darwin first explained the matter, many people either wouldn't or couldn't grasp it. In this book which was lauded by Darwin and Dawkins as an inspiring book at the time, Paley uses the analogy of a watch you find in the middle of a road. Upon seeing such a complex apparatus think of all the cogs and springs and things used in a watch to make it work , you immediately realize that it must be the product of some . It makes no sense to declare it just happened to lie there higgledy-piggledy by mere chance or accident. According to Paley a human organ like an eye is much more complex than a watch, therefore like the watch which requires a watchmaker, the eye requires a designer, or does it? Natural selection is the blind, unconscious, automatic process which Darwin discovered. It has no vision, no foresight. It can be said to play the role of the watchmaker in nature, but it's the blind watchmaker and hence the title of this book. Nevertheless, many of these theologians have tried to smuggle God in by the back door, so to speak, and they allow him some sort of supervisory role over the course that evolution has taken. Dawkins rightly asserts that we cannot disprove beliefs like these. Be that as it may, there are some problems with these beliefs. Firstly, that they are superfluous and, secondly, that they assume the existence of the main thing we want to explain, namely organized complexity. If we want to postulate a deity capable of engineering all the organized complexity in the world, either instantaneously or by guided evolution, that deity must have already been vastly complex in the first place. There are many things I learned like idea of arms races, or what mutations are and what's random and nonrandom and so much more. Some parts of the book are quite intriguing while a few chapters carry some ponderousness, leaving me in a bewilderment of what Dawkins intends to convey. Just put aside the evolutionary theory and natural selection and find something amusing. In the female birds' preference for a long tail section, it seems the female birds were in a dominant position in choosing what kind of male birds she likes, be they long tails or short tails. This reminds me of a hilarious essay of James Thurber which he Some parts of the book are quite intriguing while a few chapters carry some ponderousness, leaving me in a bewilderment of what Dawkins intends to convey. For the past ten million years Nature has been busily inventing ways to make the male attractive to the female, but the whole business of courtship, from the marine annelids up to man, still lumbers heavily along, like a complicated musical comedy. I have been reading the sad and absorbing story in Volume 6 Cole to Dama of the Encyclopedia Britannica. In this volume you can learn about cricket, cotton, costume designing, crocodiles, crown jewels, and Coleridge, but none of this subject is so interesting as the Courtship of animals, which recounts the sorrowful lengths to which all males must go to arouse the interest of a lady. Mar 08, Mario the lone bookwolf rated it it was amazing Shelves: 0-social-progress , dawkins-richard. One of the best and most understandable arguments for evolutionary theory and natural selection Please note that I put the original German text at the end of this review. Just if you might be interested. In the of Darwin, Dawkins argues soundly, comprehensively, in this form of a non-fiction book rhetorically above average and merely correct. In contrast to his later work "The God Delusion," which is so full of polemics, he refrains from doing so. He endeavors to provide factual and scient One of the best and most understandable arguments for evolutionary theory and natural selection Please note that I put the original German text at the end of this review. He endeavors to provide factual and scientifically sound reasoning. Thus he celebrates the breathtaking emergence of highly sophisticated systems such as the human body with the apparent enthusiasm of an evolutionary biologist, who burns for his profession and also does not hesitate to lead various theses against the theory of evolution in the field. Mind you only around, to feed his lines, then enjoyable to dismantle piece by piece and to intone on their ruins a song of praise to the fantastic, developmental severe history of life. Ironically, the title of the work also refers to a book by the creationist pioneer William Paley, who wanted to use God in the form of a watchmaker to depict the "production" of all worldly components. Understandably, Dawkins could not resist alienating this clear image of his natural adversary for his purposes and turning the chronograph maker into an unconscious, a meaningless and blind metaphor for natural selection. As an illustration, object to be drawn through the book, the human eye was chosen. Its origins, shapes, and history of development make the reader pause in astonishment with fascinating insights into out of which amazing creatures our windows to the world have watched world eons of years ago. As long as Dawkins lingers in his field of study, the soundness of his lines of reasoning can hardly be counteracted, and until nowadays, this literature, which was published in , cannot be compared with the writing of equal value. Unfortunately, an inappropriate and meanwhile more than obsolete attempt to show a kind of evolution based on the development of computer technology is to be found among the examples. No current Talk conversations about this book. As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. I have only ever read one other Dawkins book before, The God Delusion, and really didn't like the style or attitude of the writing, so was not completely looking forward to this one. PDCRead Apr 6, An incredible work of great importance Status Dawkins, Richard — primary author all editions confirmed Groot, Frans de Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Olbinski, Rafal Cover artist secondary author some editions confirmed Pyle, Liz Illustrator secondary author some editions confirmed. The Pocket Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Charles Darwin [Charles Robert: ]. Stephen J. William Paley. Richard Dawkins. Los Angeles Times Book Prize Royal Society of Literature Award Torchlight List To my parents. We animals are the most complicated things in the known Universe. The Argument from Personal Incredulity is an extremely weak argument, as Darwin himself noted. But they cannot be the whole truth, for they deny the very heart of the evolution theory, which gives it the power to dissolve astronomical improbabilities and explain prodigies of apparent miracle. Smith, John Maynard. Gribbin, John. Amis, Martin. References to this work on external resources. From the author of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker has been acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution in the last hundred years. No library descriptions found. Haiku summary random mutation and natural selection slowly change species Munchkinguy. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions. Audible 0 editions. CD Audiobook 0 editions. Project Gutenberg 0 editions. Google Books — Loading Local Book Search. Swap want. On the surface, evolution goes against many religious teachings, especially Christianity, which argue for a supreme, all-knowing being who designed the universe. The implications of evolution—the universe was randomly created—are much harder to accept when coming from such a religion. The author, however, does not see an acceptance of Darwinism to be totally at odds with religious ; if anything, it may deepen our appreciation for the mystery behind our existence. Humans are wired to conceive of time in small increments like months or years. Evolution requires thousands or millions of years to occur. Human common sense alone cannot uncover these effects; more often, one has to rely on empirical methods of testing, such as DNA testing. Dawkins describes in depth his own computer reenactments of DNA replication that provide further evidence for the theory of evolution. With evolution, the complexity of life may be explained by the millions of micro changes over the course of millions of years. But Dawkins goes into depth on how certain species achieved their most prominent features. This includes the peacock tail, which developed to its current form after those males with it were able to attract more female peacocks. About the Author. Related Searches. Alive, Alive Oh! Diana Athill charmed readers with her prize-winning memoir Somewhere Towards the End, which transformed her View Product. Climbing Mount Improbable. A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current The Conscience of the Eye: The Design and. Visionary, often brilliant. Cowboys Are My Weakness: Stories. She writes with clarity and zest. The result is a first class biography of an exceptional man. But, as Dawkins keeps reminding us, it's not about survival of the species, or even of the individual, but rather of the gene. Suppose there's a sex-linked male gene that disposes towards long tails, and a sex-linked fema Dawkins loves explaining evolutionary theory, and this is one of his best books. Suppose there's a sex-linked male gene that disposes towards long tails, and a sex-linked female gene that disposes towards finding long tails attractive. A child born of a union between two individuals carrying these genes will be likely to have both of them. Hence, if it's male, it'll have a long tail, and if it's female it will prefer males with long tails. If this combination becomes common, long-tailed males will have a larger and larger advantage in terms of being preferred by females. Tails will lengthen until the practical downside being unable to fly, avoid predators, etc counterbalances the upside of efficiently attracting potential mates. I read this, and suddenly looked at supermodels in a new light. God, they're hot! In fact, if they were any hotter they'd be dead. View all 11 comments. Apr 03, Bradley rated it it was amazing Shelves: shelf , science , non-fiction. As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. Read it for yourself. All his arguments are crystal clear, but he takes extra time to caricature the caricature of Darwinists, pointing out exactly how the ad absurdum argument really works while also elucidating the fine points of what Darwinism IS versus what it is NOT. He steps us through the first third of the book showing us how Selectio As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. He steps us through the first third of the book showing us how Selection works: from an energy standpoint, a competition standpoint, and a sexual standpoint The descriptions are quite beautiful and clear and all the while, we've got all the foundations for life The argument is simple, of course. If we can explain everything, and I mean everything that is life and physics, then what purpose does adding a superfluous layer to the explanation serve? This is ten years worth of hate mail for the author, people. He has been beset on all sides with genuinely curious and well-meaning seekers of the god-fearing sort and inundated with screaming lunatics telling him he'll burn in hell for his first book, The Selfish Gene , which, by the way, didn't really give a rat's ass about creationism or the people who support it. It just laid out a very cogent theory that fit all the copious mountains of data in biology. And yet, after that point, a Mr. Dawkins who professes not to want or need a PR team or lawyers, decides to put his foot down and tackle the problem that has reared its muti-angled head in his direction and DEFEND Darwinism. He does so beautifully, I might add. Every step of the way, he defines the complaints with due diligence and proceeds to demolish them sonar-producing batlike grace, with light humor, sharp intellect, and sometimes he makes of his opponents an overzealous meal. Can you blame him? Granted, by this point it's only been a decade of Creationist hate. Give it a decade or a decade and a half more before we see a truly flame worthy attack from Mr. I'm looking forward to seeing some of it in his books. I hope it's there and not just in his interviews which I still haven't seen. Seriously, though, this book is pretty wonderful for its lucid and quoteworthy passages and vivid descriptions of how Darwinism works, from gene level to the kinds of time-spans that can only be described as geological when it comes to real changes in evolution. I particularly loved the fact that he used computer terminology to describe how our genes are nothing more than complex computers. I've heard this before, of course, but the way he laid it out was particularly enlightening. This stuff is pretty damn great. Just from the science viewpoint, even leaving out the whole defense, it's well worth reading and not nearly as acerbic or rabid as certain other mass-produced troll-attacks make him appear. But then again, I've only read one of his later books, the : How We Know What's Really True , which was just a charming bi-modal description of science versus magical thinking which also happened to "gently" draw people away from having to add that extra layer of explanation to reality. View all 9 comments. Shelves: science-evolution , media-hyped , evolution. It is a good thing that Dawkins himself takes the trouble to think about which chapters of his books will be of vanishing interest in the near future. Of course, he turned out to be more accurate than he must have wished for. With whole chapters devoted to the driest taxonomy problems and to disprovin It is a good thing that Dawkins himself takes the trouble to think about which chapters of his books will be of vanishing interest in the near future. With whole chapters devoted to the driest taxonomy problems and to disproving outdated theories, the book was a massive waste of time once I went past the mildly interesting first half. I will try to examine in detail how Dawkins has betrayed his own principles of scientific grounding and rational rigorousness in The God Delusion by using arguments and structures from this book in the review. Hopefully that will happen by tomorrow View all 13 comments. Oct 10, Amirography rated it it was amazing Shelves: by-the-bed-books , philosophy. A rather well-written book. I like the writing style of Pr. It was not as challenging as "Selfish gene". But I guess its complexity is pretty relevant to the level of articulation many have. However, it was a great read and made me think more about the topic. View all 3 comments. Sep 01, Mostephl rated it it was amazing. Jan 25, Laura rated it it was ok Shelves: science. This book was okay, but since I already am convinced evolution occurs by natural selection, I felt like he was not preaching to the choir, but trying to convince the choir. Of course, I got tired of it after a while but I had to keep going, because I had to read it for a class. For instance, I recommend The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner, which shows how scientists study evolution and natural selection in action. Jul 14, Roy Lotz rated it really liked it Shelves: ignorance-of-experts. Two summers ago, I did myself the favor of reading The Selfish Gene. Agree or disagree with Dawkins, one must admit that The Selfish Gene is a book of the finest quality. I was expecting an entertaining book of popular science; what I got was an eloquent, subtle, and powerful book which managed, in a just a couple weeks of long walks, to completely transform my understanding of animal behavior. This book, The Blind Watchmaker —also listened to in a few long walks—is not of the same caliber. But it is quite good. Well, if it were written by almost anybody except Dawkins himself, I would say it was very good—but I know the heights he can reach. Dawkins is, to an almost remarkable extent, as much a philosopher as a scientist. As a result, his books can actually be a bit dense and exhausting; but the patient reader is amply rewarded with a deepened understanding. Having read Gould, I was personally interested in this; but I would understand if others were not. I was particularly excited when not to take too much credit Dawkins confirmed a suspicion that I had expressed a few years back, when I was learning about human evolution. I was actually in Kenya, studying with the Leakeys, who—being the Leakeys—had plastic casts of several dozen important hominin fossils in their lab. As my anatomy teacher enjoyed pointing out, the vast majority of hominin fossils for any given species can fit inside a shoebox. Most of the fossils are distorted, broken, or otherwise fragmentary. Yet from these scant remains, paleoanthropologists expend tremendous energy arguing about the hominin family tree. Is this skull cap Homo erectus or Homo habilis? Is this thigh bone from an early homo or a late autralopithecus? After all, if we believe that species change via gradual selection one to another, it follows that there must be individuals intermediate between any two given hominin species, and, furthermore, individuals intermediate between the intermediates—and so on. Well, it turns out Dawkins as well as many other, probably had the very same idea long before; it appears that is even more prevalent among than genes. Perhaps this is why the paleoanthropologists are still arguing? I got sidetracked—back to the book. Speaking of sidetracked, Dawkins is the master of the interesting aside and the lengthy digression; and, even more impressively, he always manages to tie his asides and digressions neatly back into the main theme under discussion. View all 4 comments. Jun 23, Simon Cleveland, PhD rated it it was amazing Shelves: nature , evolution , science , genetics. Dawkins is one of my top picks for the most articulate, engaging and proficient scientists I've read to date. The Blind Watchmaker turned out to be a very prolific piece. I was baffled by his logical analogies, most excellent examples and extremely engaging vernacular. In this work, one learns much about the evolutionary adaptations of numerous species, of which the sonar technology of baths, dolphins and other mammals seemed most shocking. His reasoning of what constitutes miracles, probability Dawkins is one of my top picks for the most articulate, engaging and proficient scientists I've read to date. His reasoning of what constitutes miracles, probability theory and reasoning behind the drawback of the Lamark's theory of acquired characteristics is exceptionally enticing. The book should be a required high-school reading. A very, very high recommendation. View 1 comment. Feb 01, Seth Hanson rated it really liked it. At the time, this was a tough book for me to read. Considering the way I was raised - in a heavily religious atmosphere - it was hard for me to accept the theory of evolution. However, Dawkins very clearly lays out the theory in a way that anyone can understand if they are willing to open their mind just a little and put in just a little effort. It might be hard to accept but its even harder to dispute. Reality is like that. I think everyone should be required to read this book. Aug 10, Max rated it really liked it Shelves: biology. Dawkins wrote the book to counter creationist thinking, but for a firm believer in Darwinian evolution, his lengthy arguments were unnecessary. However, if Dawkins converted any creationists, I would consider the book a great success. With that said, there were a number of things I did like. Below are some items that caught my attention. Gradual evolution was then challenged by saltationists who believed large genetic changes or macro-mutations could explain much of evolution. A more refined view is that of Stephen Jay Gould who posited punctuated equilibrium. This view recognized varying rates of change, periods of relative stasis with intervals of rapid modification. Keep in mind rapid was on a geologic time scale where 50, years is a short time. The effect of gradualism that struck me was the notion that speciation is contingent on the demise of intermediate individuals. Otherwise one could not tell where one species began and another ended. The view of chimpanzees as property is made more acceptable because there are no living intermediaries that show our close relationship. This made me wonder how Neanderthals would be treated if some were found alive. Would they be treated like chimpanzees as a different species? Since they are beings who can successfully interbreed with Homo sapiens, would they be given the same rights? Would Christians consider them as individuals with souls that should be saved? I enjoyed Dawkins explanation of the development of the eye in support of gradualism. The watch is too intricate to have formed naturally. Post-Darwin, like the watch, some held that the eye was so complex as to defy gradual evolution. Dawkins counters. He takes us from a cell with a light sensitive spot to a creature with several such cells that is helped by this sense of light or dark. Then if the light sensitive cells are recessed, the creature can tell the direction of the shadow. Next if the walls of the cup build up and protrude partially over the cup, a pinhole camera is formed casting an image on the cup. Then, protecting the cup by extending a membrane over the pinhole forms a lens. And so on… I enjoyed the section on bats and echolocation. Dawkins also offers a reasonable explanation of how this seemingly amazing ability could develop. Dolphins, whales and some birds have independently developed this use of sound showing such development not to be quite as extraordinary as one might think. Dawkins pondering of how bats experience this sense I found fascinating. Do the nerve impulses get mapped by the brain to a model similar to the one we experience as vision? And then there is the fish that senses its environment from disruption to an electrical field — elctrolocation. How is this sense perceived? Another intriguing topic was how sexual selection augments natural selection. Unlike environmental factors which wax and wane in intensity, sexual selection forms a positive feedback loop. As both genes proliferate tails will grow longer until a practical limit is reached. The bird still has to be an able flyer to survive. This book will mean different things to different readers. Every creationist should read it although I suspect few will. If you get bored reading why creationism is wrong, keep in mind the book is written to be easily read, so you can get through those sections quickly. Vision in fishes. . Wikipedia:WikiProject Creationism. An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 5, 49 1, 4. In the Rev. William Paley's argued in that just as finding a watch would lead you to conclude that a watchmaker must exist, the complexity of living organisms proves that a Creator exists. Not so, says Richard Dawkins, and in this brilliant and controversial book, the acclaimed evolutionary biologist sets out to demonstrate that the theory of evolution by natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by Charles Darwin - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist? Top Five Books of Best Science Books for Non-Scientists Falling for Science Alan Kay's Reading List LT picks: Blue Books No current Talk conversations about this book. As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. I have only ever read one other Dawkins book before, The God Delusion, and really didn't like the style or attitude of the writing, so was not completely looking forward to this one. PDCRead Apr 6, An incredible work of great importance Status Dawkins, Richard — primary author all editions confirmed Groot, Frans de Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Olbinski, Rafal Cover artist secondary author some editions confirmed Pyle, Liz Illustrator secondary author some editions confirmed. The Pocket Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Charles Darwin [Charles Robert: ]. Stephen J. William Paley. Richard Dawkins. Los Angeles Times Book Prize Royal Society of Literature Award Torchlight List To my parents. We animals are the most complicated things in the known Universe. The Argument from Personal Incredulity is an extremely weak argument, as Darwin himself noted. But they cannot be the whole truth, for they deny the very heart of the evolution theory, which gives it the power to dissolve astronomical improbabilities and explain prodigies of apparent miracle. Smith, John Maynard.

While a bestseller and widely praised for its persuasive writing and in-depth research, it has been critiqued for not offering explanations of human consciousness. Its themes include scientific discovery, overcoming human cognitive limitations, and the peculiar social stigma against evolution. The title is a response to an hypothesis held by Theologian William Paley that the complexity of nature suggests an intelligent creator behind it. Paley likens this creator to a watchmaker. Dawkins argues that common misperceptions of evolution lead to many social problems, including a devaluation of nature and skepticism toward the efficacy of vaccines. It thus is urgent for society to confront its skepticism of evolution and to understand the evidence thoroughly before making light of it or claiming all the research is bogus. Dawkins looks into public misconceptions of how evolution operates. He highlights that it is an intensely random process. That it gives rise to complex organisms seems counterintuitive, but it becomes more reasonable when one considers this process takes millions and millions of years. With one example, Dawkins looks into how airplanes are built. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. About the Author. Related Searches. Alive, Alive Oh! Diana Athill charmed readers with her prize-winning memoir Somewhere Towards the End, which transformed her View Product. Climbing Mount Improbable. A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current The Conscience of the Eye: The Design and. Visionary, often brilliant. Not so, says Richard Dawkins, and in this brilliant and controversial book, the acclaimed evolutionary biologist sets out to demonstrate that the theory of evolution by natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind yet essentially non-random process discovered by Charles Darwin - is the only answer to the biggest question of all: why do we exist? Top Five Books of Best Science Books for Non-Scientists Falling for Science Alan Kay's Reading List LT picks: Blue Books No current Talk conversations about this book. As the title's extension spells out, this is a definitive as of '87 rebuttal against all comers in favor of Darwinism, but don't let my saying so prove it. I have only ever read one other Dawkins book before, The God Delusion, and really didn't like the style or attitude of the writing, so was not completely looking forward to this one. PDCRead Apr 6, An incredible work of great importance Status Dawkins, Richard — primary author all editions confirmed Groot, Frans de Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Olbinski, Rafal Cover artist secondary author some editions confirmed Pyle, Liz Illustrator secondary author some editions confirmed. The Pocket Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Charles Darwin [Charles Robert: ]. Stephen J. William Paley. Richard Dawkins. Los Angeles Times Book Prize Royal Society of Literature Award Torchlight List To my parents. We animals are the most complicated things in the known Universe. The Argument from Personal Incredulity is an extremely weak argument, as Darwin himself noted. But they cannot be the whole truth, for they deny the very heart of the evolution theory, which gives it the power to dissolve astronomical improbabilities and explain prodigies of apparent miracle. Smith, John Maynard. Gribbin, John. Amis, Martin. References to this work on external resources. From the author of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker has been acclaimed as the most influential work on evolution in the last hundred years. No library descriptions found. Haiku summary random mutation and natural selection slowly change species Munchkinguy. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions.

https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4638414/normal_601eb87dc3920.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4638824/normal_601f32acea46c.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4644878/normal_60201e7e52c6b.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9588141/UploadedFiles/C3071237-4D21-15BD-C257-EFAE421DB0D7.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9587363/UploadedFiles/B40D99F4-632A-987A-18EF-901EFC65BF67.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9591169/UploadedFiles/B13E03E5-6413-2B8F-E8B8-79649E34ADEE.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/ea5ba28a-363d-4a9a-8e0d-aa7f87022c07/vor-langer-zeit-in-einer-weit-weit-entfernten-galaxis-wurde- jemand-sehr-cooles-geboren64-happy-b-998.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4644037/normal_601f75a58aea0.pdf