or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
109 used & new from $5.95

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design (Paperback)

~ (Author) "We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe..." (more)
Key Phrases: togetherness factor, true cladists, computer biomorphs, The Blind Watchmaker, Biomorph Land, Mont Blanc (more...)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (354 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.95
Price: $11.53 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.42 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Wednesday, November 11? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
53 new from $7.64 55 used from $5.95 1 collectible from $249.99

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  School & Library Binding $29.35 $29.35 $73.94
  Paperback $11.53 $7.64 $5.95
  Audio, Cassette -- -- --

Frequently Bought Together

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design + The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution + The God Delusion
Price For All Three: $38.10

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design by Richard Dawkins

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author

The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author

by Richard Dawkins
4.3 out of 5 stars (317)  $13.57
Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

by Richard Dawkins
3.7 out of 5 stars (96)  $10.17
The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science)

The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science)

by Richard Dawkins
4.2 out of 5 stars (47)  $13.59
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution

The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution

by Richard Dawkins
4.3 out of 5 stars (191)  $11.02
Climbing Mount Improbable

Climbing Mount Improbable

by Richard Dawkins
3.4 out of 5 stars (62)  $11.53
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Richard Dawkins is not a shy man. Edward Larson's research shows that most scientists today are not formally religious, but Dawkins is an in-your-face atheist in the witty British style:

I want to persuade the reader, not just that the Darwinian world-view happens to be true, but that it is the only known theory that could, in principle, solve the mystery of our existence.

The title of this 1986 work, Dawkins's second book, refers to the Rev. William Paley's 1802 work, Natural Theology, which argued 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 Dawkins: "All appearances to the contrary, the only watchmaker in nature is the blind forces of physics, albeit deployed in a very special way... it is the blind watchmaker."

Dawkins is a hard-core scientist: he doesn't just tell you what is so, he shows you how to find out for yourself. For this book, he wrote Biomorph, one of the first artificial life programs. You can check Dawkins's results on your own Mac or PC.



From Publishers Weekly

Oxford zoologist Dawkins (The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype trumpets his thesis in his subtitlealmost guarantee enough that his book will stir controversy. Simply put, he has responded head-on to the argument-by-design most notably made by the 18th century theologian William Paley that the universe, like a watch in its complexity, needed, in effect, a watchmaker to design it. Hewing to Darwin's fundamental (his opponents might say fundamentalist) message, Dawkins sums up: "The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the evolution of organized complexity." Avoiding an arrogant tone despite his up-front convictions, he takes pains to explain carefully, from various sides, why even such esteemed scientists as Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould, with their "punctuated equilibrium" thesis, are actually gradualists like Darwin himself in their evolutionary views. Dawkins is difficult reading as he describes his computer models of evolutionary possibilities. But, as he draws on his zoological background, emphasizing recent genetic techniques, he can be as engrossing as he is cogent and convincing. His concept of "taming chance" by breaking down the "very improbable into less improbable small components" is daring neo-Darwinism. Line drawings.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. (September 17, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0393315703
  • ISBN-13: 978-0393315707
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (354 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #3 in  Books > Science > Evolution > Organic
    #23 in  Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Evolution
    #36 in  Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Biology

More About the Author

Richard Dawkins
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Richard Dawkins Page

Inside This Book (learn more)




What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design
50% buy the item featured on this page:
The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design 3.8 out of 5 stars (354)
$11.53
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution
24% buy
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution 4.4 out of 5 stars (104)
$16.20
The God Delusion
13% buy
The God Delusion 3.8 out of 5 stars (1,479)
$10.37
The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author
9% buy
The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition--with a new Introduction by the Author 4.3 out of 5 stars (317)
$13.57

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

354 Reviews
5 star:
 (182)
4 star:
 (62)
3 star:
 (22)
2 star:
 (28)
1 star:
 (60)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (354 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
622 of 693 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Desert Island Book., July 13, 2000
It's pretty obvious that a fair few people criticising this book have not read it - and have no intention to. Or if they have attempted to read it they simply haven't grasped the most basic concepts. General assumptions that a pro-evolution stance is just an "opinion", or that evolution is "just a theory" (a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of the word in a scientific context), or statements like "given enough time, dirt can turn into people." show that clearly. One person even takes one of the central aims of the book - where Dawkins takes Paley's watchmaker analogy and attempts to show how a complex object like an eye could evolve by selection - and berates Dawkins because because he apparently doesn't grasp the fact that because a watch or computer has a designer, that life must have a designer as well! Awe-inspiring. If I remember he also accuses Dawkins of circular reasoning!

The whole case of the book is that this "it's all chance" thing is precisely the opposite of what Darwin and Wallace said. As Dawkins writes in the prologue "The trouble with evolution is that everyone *thinks* they understand it". If one thing should be taken from this book, it is the realisation that Natural Selection is *anything* but chance.

I used to think I understood evolution. I did Biology as an elective at university but I didn't really begin to understand the subtleties and elegance of the theory until I first read this book 10 years ago. It's genuinely one of the milestone books of my life - and not because I already had an opinion before I read it - unlike the creationists.

To paraphrase Dawkins in this book: If I don't understand Quantum Mechanics or Relativity the last thing I should reasonably expect to be able to do is get away with criticising it as though my opinion had as much weight as that of a person who spent a professional lifetime studying it. Yet, alone amongst the sciences, the theory of evolution is considered fair game for criticism by people of any level of ignorance.

In the middle ages at least people had an excuse for such ignorance. In this age of high technology and scientific breakthoughs, the ingrained, bigoted and ill-thought out repostes to evolution can only be described as willful ignorance. And that's the worst kind.

Comment Comments (12) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
731 of 833 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Why other people give this book 1 star, September 10, 2001
By Royal Tenenbaum "antsarecute" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
Hi, for the un-informed, I'd recommend a search of the phrase "Richard Dawkins" in google.com, which should answer all questions asking if he is a scientist or not.

The book, is an excellent book. I am not an atheist. The reviews with "one" starts have one goal: To prevent you read this book. Because the review writers know - and fear - that people would understand the point of view of Dawkins.

"It is not science". "Evolution Theory is wrong".. These sentences, are nothing but dogmatic claims. Whole books have been written discussing what is science and what is not, and rather comprehensive books have been written to disprove evolution. But as an open-minded person, I'd suggest you to be informed abouth both approaches to the subject, before making an ill-informed judgement about the issue. Don't listen to people who try to prevent you from reaching knowledge.

The book?
Oh, yes... It is excellent, I'm still amazed by his ability to deconstruct complex topics and discuss them in a simple way.

Comment Comments (21) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
113 of 126 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive answer to Intelligent Design theory, April 1, 2005
By R. Aamer (Woodbridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Dawkins has said that if you are going to read only one of his books, make it "The Extended Phenotype". That statement has merit but I would say the following. If you are going to read only one book to see how theory of evolution responds to the creationist arguments, make it "The Blind Watchmaker".

The argument Dawkins is dealing with is the well-known argument of Intelligent Design. The basic tenet of the proponents of intelligent design is the assertion that the complexity existing in the nature can not come about without an intelligent designer. Dawkins is primarily dealing with that assertion in this book, explaining how the process of natural selection gives rise to the complexity.

"The Blind Watchmaker", in my personal opinion, is one of the most successful books written by evolutionists. The success of the book lies in the fact that it deals with a very difficult question in a very readable manner. Dawkins prose is flawless and his skill at presenting arguments is unmatched.

Most of the book, obviously, deals with the creationist argument of design but towards the end of the book, Dawkins moves his focus to the other theories that can be considered rival theories of the theory of evolution like neutral Lamarckism, mutationism etc.

My only complaint about this otherwise marvelous book is its rather limited index. That may not sound like a genuine complaint but once you have read the book, you will realize that Dawkins has dealt with a plethora of things and the index of such a book should enable you to look up those things for quick reference.

Beside that one shortcoming, this book is nothing but perfect.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Fatally Flawed!
Richard Dawkins makes a strange and unconvincing case for the theory of evolution!
We are lucky to be here; but we're not here by chance! Read more
Published 2 days ago by Reading Fan

4.0 out of 5 stars It's SCIENCE Folks!
Forget the "Unintelligent Design" crowd, this is about what's real in terms of what we know about the universe we live in. I Mean, Really! Read more
Published 10 days ago by Truth seeker

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
The book is not bad, it is just not what I expected. It seemed like it was written for followers. Quite technical for the casual reader. Read more
Published 15 days ago by G. R. Mann

5.0 out of 5 stars Great if you're interested in Atheism or Biology
I bought this book as an exploration into Atheism, to see how they think about things. I'm about halfway through it right now, and I am loving every page. Read more
Published 2 months ago by E. W. Iverson

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an outstanding book for the intelligent layman
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's been in print so long that virtually everything that can be said about has been said about it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jim Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic!
A thought provoking book that is a major blow to the ID folks. I would enjoy watching Richard discuss his views some some of the comment makers here on Amazon. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Christine Richardson

4.0 out of 5 stars A good description of how natural selection works
If you are interested in the idea of creationism and Darwin's theory of evolution, you will probably find this book of interest. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nelson R. Kent

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret of Life
In this rightly called classic book, Richard Dawkins unveils nothing less than the
Secret of life, the principle that encompasses all forms of living things, human, animal,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Luc REYNAERT

2.0 out of 5 stars Caught up in the discussions of the day
While the point Dawkins makes is obviously right and a good point, he frequently looses himself in endless repetition of the same argument, and many of the chapters serve to... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Thomas Boltze

5.0 out of 5 stars Things change over time; given enough time they can change into something different
This is Richard Dawkins' most accessible book on evolution. I always had the feeling that, having composed this most erudite layman's guide to the theory of evolution, he must... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Trevor Coote

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
The Blind Watchmaker or The Selfish Gene? 3 August 2009
beginners books for evolution... help! 3 April 2009
Scientific Proof of God 15 October 2008
See all 3 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.