The Selfish Gene-自私的基因

作者：Richard Dawkins

书名：The Selfish Gene《自私的基因》

中文简介：《自私的基因》（英语：The Selfish Gene）是英国演化生物学家理查德·道金斯于1976年出版的书，主要关于进化论，其理论构筑于乔治·威廉斯的书《适应与自然选择》之上。道金斯使用“自私的基因”来表达基因中心的进化论观点。这种观点和基于物种或生物体的进化论观点不同，能够解释生物体之间的各种利他行为。两个生物体在基因上的关系越紧密，就越有可能表现得无私。

英文简介：Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.

Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes, which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. —Rob Lightner