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Daniel C. Dennett

Richard Dawkins

The Extended Phenotype: The Gene As the Unit of Selection Hardcover – January 1, 1981

by Richard Dawkins (Author)

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People commonly view evolution as a process of competition between individuals--known as "survival of the fittest"--with the individual representing the "unit of selection." Richard Dawkins offers a controversial reinterpretation of that idea in The Extended Phenotype, now being reissued to coincide with the publication of the second edition of his highly-acclaimed The Selfish Gene. He proposes that we look at evolution as a battle between genes instead of between whole organisms. We can then view Nanges in phenotypes--the end products of genes, like eye color or leaf shape, which are usually considered to increase the fitness of an individual--as serving the evolutionary interests of genes. Dawkins makes a convincing case that considering one's body, personality, and environment as a field of combat in a kind of "arms race" between genes fighting to express themselves on a strand of DNA can clarify and extend the idea of survival of the fittest. This influential

Print length

307 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W H Freeman & Co
Publication date

January 1, 1981
ISBN-10

0716713586
ISBN-13

978-0716713586
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Richard Dawkins
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W H Freeman & Co; First Edition (January 1, 1981)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 307 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0716713586
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0716713586
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #1,537,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,752 in Evolution (Books)
- #6,616 in Biology (Books)

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4.8 20 ratings

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Daniel C. Dennett
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Richard Dawkins
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Richard Dawkins taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995. Among his previous books are The Ancestor's Tale, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, and A Devil's Chaplain. Dawkins lives in Oxford with his wife, the actress and artist Lalla Ward.
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4.8 out of 5

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Ward A. Fredericks

Confusion Multiplies

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 5, 2002

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Dawkins takes the thesis of his "Selfish Gene", and tries to meet the critics by further expanding the "action at a distance" aspects of the idea.
Dawkins just doesn't seem to get it -- evolution doesn't see the individual gene. It only "sees" the fitness of the individual and evaluates the total fitness relative to others in the locality. Fitness is normally the product of a constellation of genes, which manifest a characteristic or characteristics. He does start to move towards the importance of the individual or the body, but doesn't want to let loose of this single gene idea. Parsimony of assumptions crumbles as he adds issue upon issue to try to emerge from the blind alley he has created. The piling on of assumptions and attempts to use language to craft a logic for a perspective that nature does not recognize is masterful. Science is, however, not about nuance or language. It should be an attempt to describe and explain what nature has put before us.

I guess, if I had sold enough books called "The Selfish Gene", and had as much invested in it, I'd not go easily, either. Save your time, and read "Darwins Dangerous Idea", by Dennett, or anything by Gould or Eldridge.

20 people found this helpful

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Meir Ben David

I am not a professional in the field, but found this book most fascinating

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 3, 2006

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Although I am not an evolutionary biologist, I found this book most fascinating. With a little preparation, you can easily understand it. The way it changes your perspective at the end is just striking. I find that I think about nature much differently now that I read this book than I ever had before. I am currently re-reading this book to get a deeper appreciation for what the author had to say.

3 people found this helpful

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James R. Mori

A MUST READ

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 5, 2013

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This most excellent book by Richard Dawkins takes the theory of evolution beyond its first step by Darwin,
into quantum genetics...just as did Einstein take the world of physics as known by Newton, into quantum physics.

J.R.Mori

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 28, 2015

good

Genes and memes are forever

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 9, 2010

In this rather technical book with splendid examples (e.g., digger wasps), Richard Dawkins settles brilliantly some disputes with his `attackers" (S.J. Gould, R. Lewontin) and explains crystal-clearly his view on natural selection, evolution, the unit of selection and its characteristics and strategies, and the site and the extension of the unit's influence.

Natural selection, adaptation, evolution, unit of selection
The unit, the basic element, is the active germ-like replicator, the gene, a small genetic section of DNA. Its activity is the exertion of power in order to increase its frequency in its living site.
Natural selection happens at the level of the replicator: his survival or the failure to survive.
Errors and mutations during the replication are cumulative (=adaptation). Evolution is the manifestation of the differential survival of alternative active replicators.
All replicators are potential ancestors of indefinitely long lines of descendant replicators and, in this way, potentially immortal.
The main characteristics of a potential immortal replicator are longevity, fecundity and fidelity.

Selection strategies
Replicators are not selected directly, but by proxy (individual organisms).
Their effects on the existing world (phenotypic) are the tools by which replicators, in concert with other ones, lever themselves into the next generation. These tools may extend far outside the body in which the replicator sits (beaver dams). The living world can be seen as a network of interlocking fields of replicator power.
The replicators use a very broad range of strategies, going from artifacts (sexually attractive feathers), over `arms races' (progressive improvements and counter-improvements in adaptations) to manipulations (of hosts by parasites).
Economically, these strategies minimize costs and maximize benefits.

Organisms
Replicators use discrete organisms as vehicles, because organisms are physical units with one single life cycle. In this way, replicators can after every life cycle `return to the drawing board' for new adaptations and continued preservation.

Memes
In the cultural `sector', R. Dawkins sees also genes at work. He calls them `memes', units of information in the brain. Their phenotypic effects are words, tunes, visual images, gestures ...

The books of Richard Dawkins are a must read for all those who want to understand the world we live in.

3 people found this helpful

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Wabber Jockey

The original edition, not the revised edition

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 5, 2006

The reason there are so few reviews for this book is that this is the orginal 1982 edition, not the now more common revised edition of 1989, which has a different subtitle: "The Long Reach of the Gene".

2 people found this helpful

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doctor82

Intellectual treat!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 5, 2006

The best book I've ever read about evolutionary bology. It takes us to the realms of scientific determinism and philosophy which I used to believe as the sole realm of theoretical physicists. A very pleasurable read and a no nonsense approach. Fantastic indeed!!

3 people found this helpful

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Paul Carr

Accessible to the general reader

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 28, 1998

I have no training in biology, but was able to understand this book, with the aid of the provided glossary. The main theme here is that the phenotype should be extended beyond the body of the organism into the environment, and even into other organisms. He perhaps does spend a bit too much time repeating this, but Dawkins is such a fine writer you won't much mind.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Erplore

Complicated

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 7, 2012

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I loved The Selfish Gene and many other books by Dawkins but this book seems beyond me. It's not for the laymen and get very technical very quickly.

John Hodges

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 18, 2015

Verified Purchase

Can't say enough good things and the author and this book. Highly recommended

Mark H.

A Fantastic book from this great author

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 24, 2019

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Great Book

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The Extended Phenotype: The Gene As the Unit of Selection Hardcover – January 1, 1981

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