Hi Everyone,
Today I came to you with a post. Today I wanted to make a different post so I was looking for a different community so that I could post there and after searching I found it. I am going to post a community where you can give your opinion only on books. You can tell me about how the book is and its story here. The name of my book is The Selfish Gene This book is written by Richard Dawkins and this book was published in 1976. You can read this book if you want. I hope you will like today's post.
Book Story
The book The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is a meaningful explanation of life from a unique angle. Key to the idea of this book is that the real cause of the biological world is not our bodies but the genes or genetic substances of our bodies. We or animals just being mere victims like vehicles or expression of gene and according to Dawkins gene doing all this including us as its rescue so that gene can discharge themselves and continue their march. The idea of the selfish gene is at the center of the book. People tend to misunderstand this term when they hear it Dawkins is not saying that genes are evil or sadistic. What he is saying is not that genes make war in the sense of directing an army and whatnot he means that genes do whatever is necessary to preserve their own lives. Thus genes run the body themselves so that they can issue instructions to the next generation of copies of themselves.
An example of this is where a mother bird braids to obtain dinner to feed her brood. This would appear to be a selfless act at first sight. However it is a strategy but in the view of genetic connections since the baby has the parent genes of the mother. By saving it a gene would be saved. Dawkins in this book reports that most apparently altruistic behavior can be found in animals as a way of safeguarding the interests of the gene. The genetic strategy of defense also include self sacrifice cooperations of the group or helping one another within the family. Bees have an example where they safeguard their queen as in her they pass their genes.
To Dawkins the animals are survival machines. These machines are constructed directed at the advantage of genes. Through natural selection those animals or machines which carry and reproduce genes most efficiently survive. However further on in the book Dawkins brings out a new term the word meme. It is a cultural concept or practice which propagates within the brain of people. Such things as songs meditation religion or fashion etc spread like a virus between one brain and another. Like genes memes make an attempt to live as well.
My Explanation
The language of the book by Dawkins is simple humorous and anecdotal and even the non-specialized reader can learn to comprehend the evolution of generics. He refers to examples metaphors and humor besides the scientific information which makes the book to be a lively journey based on knowledge as opposed to a boring scientific book. In the view of Dawkins it is possible to note that the kind of self-sacrifice behavior that is evident in animals is in fact an activity that occurs as a result of selfish genes. E.g a mother bird putting her life in danger of defending her chicks bee risking its life to defend its queen bee all these are tactics of genes which ultimate goal is extending their copies of genes. Dawkins narrates the book in simple comic and anecdotal terms because his book even makes the simple reader comprehend complicated subjects such as genetic evolution. He includes examples metaphors and jokes as well as science information so that the book becomes an exciting journey of knowledge itself as opposed to a dry science book.
Later in the book there is a novel idea by Dawkins termed meme which has connection with cultural evolution. In the same manner in which genes store information about our bodies memes also bring to our minds our thoughts beliefs religion songs customs etc. across generations. It is also another idea behind the internet memes of today. Despite its hype the book has not gone without blame. There is an opinion that the opinion of Dawkins is too practical and that it does not pay enough attention to the feelings of human beings. The opinion of Dawkins especially on the subject of religion morality and love might be hard or awkward to most people. The Selfish Gene could be called a philosophical book but not only a biology one. The reader is taught to think who he or she is what is the gist of his actions and what is the true sense of life. Dawkins talks of the science of life in such a manner which makes an impact on a reader. This book is a life long memory to those who ponder over the major questions of life to those who are in love with science and rationality.
That's it for today!I appreciate your time and attention. At the end of this post, you can comment and let me know how you liked my post and if you have any questions, I will try to answer them inshaAllah. I hope you like it. See you soon..
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Thank you so much for reading.
Hope you liked it. See you in the next Book review post.
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