Richard Dawkins

How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think

Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

In this exciting collection of original essays, some of the world's leading thinkers offer their take on how Dawkins has changed the way we think. Contributors include Daniel Dennett, Steven Pinker, and James Watson. Dawkins' widely admired literary style forms the subject of several pieces, including one from novelist Philip Pullman. As one of the world's best known rationalists, Dawkins' stance on religion is another theme in this collection. Numbering twenty in all, these articles are not simply rosy tributes, but explore how Dawkins' ideas have shaped thinking and public debate, and include elements of criticism as well as thoughtful praise.

Richard Dawkins

How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think

Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

Description

With the publication of the international bestseller The Selfish Gene some thirty years ago, Richard Dawkins powerfully captured a newly emerging way of understanding evolution--a gene's eye view. Dawkins went on to publish five more bestselling books, including The Blind Watchmaker and Unweaving the Rainbow. He is one of the most high profile public intellectuals today and any attempt to understand the scientific view of the world must grapple with his ideas.
Now, in this exciting collection of original essays, some of the world's leading thinkers offer their take on how Dawkins has changed the way we think. Readers will find stimulating pieces by Daniel Dennett, the renowned philosopher of mind and author of Darwin's Dangerous Idea; Steven Pinker, the brilliant Harvard linguist who wrote The Language Instinct and The Blank Slate; Matt Ridley, author of the bestselling Genome; and James Watson, who with Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, arguably the greatest scientific discovery of the last century. Dawkins' widely admired literary style forms the subject of several pieces, including one from novelist Philip Pullman (author of the bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy). As one of the world's best known rationalists, Dawkins' stance on religion is another theme in this collection, explored by Simon Blackburn, Michael Ruse, Michael Shermer, and the Bishop of Oxford. Numbering twenty in all, these articles are not simply rosy tributes, but explore how Dawkins' ideas have shaped thinking and public debate, and include elements of criticism as well as thoughtful praise.
Richard Dawkins' work has had the rare distinction of generating as much excitement outside the scientific community as within it. This stimulating volume is a superb summation of the depth and range of his influence.

Richard Dawkins

How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think

Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

Author Information

Alan Grafen is Professor of Theoretical Biology in the Department of Zoology, at Oxford University.

Mark Ridley lectures in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University. He is best known as the author of a number of popular books, including the critically acclaimed Mendel's Demon.

Contributors:

Andrew F. Read
Helena Cronin
John Krebs
Michael Hansell
Marian Stamp Dawkins
David Haig
Alan Grafen
Ullica Segerstråle
Daniel C. Dennett
Seth Bullock
David Deutsch
Steven Pinker
Michael Ruse
Patrick Bateson
Robert Aunger
Martin Daly and Margo Wilson
Randolph M. Nesse
Kim Sterelny
Michael Shermer
Richard Harries
A. C. Grayling
Marek Kohn
David P. Barash
Matt Ridley
Philip Pullman

Richard Dawkins

How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think

Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

Reviews and Awards

"A vivid picture of how one man, by force of rigorous analysis and clear writing, taught a generation of biologists how to think about evolution."--New York Times

Richard Dawkins

How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think

Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

From Our Blog

A look back on the 400th anniversary year of the King James Bible

By Gordon Campbell The celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible were in one respect a surprise. As the Archbishop of Canterbury commented at the end of the year, the KJB had not been treated "simply as a possession of religious believers", much less as a "preserve of the Church", but rather as part of a wider cultural legacy throughout the English-speaking world. This did not reflect, in the Archbishop's tolerant view, a diminution of the Bible's standing as a sacred text, but rather extended its significance beyond the spiritual to the cultural sphere.

Posted on May 2, 2012

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