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River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (Science Masters Series) Paperback – August 23, 1996

by Richard Dawkins (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 678 ratings
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How did the replication bomb we call ”life” begin and where in the world, or rather, in the universe, is it heading? Writing with characteristic wit and an ability to clarify complex phenomena (the New York Times described his style as ”the sort of science writing that makes the reader feel like a genius”), Richard Dawkins confronts this ancient mystery.
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Science Masters
  2. Print length
    192 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Basic Books
  5. Publication date
    August 23, 1996
  6. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.5 x 8.13 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0465069908
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0465069903
  9. Lexile measure
    1220L
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nearly a century and a half after Charles Darwin formulated it, the theory of evolution is still the subject of considerable debate. Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins is among Darwin's chief defenders, and an able one indeed-- witty, literate, capable of turning a beautiful phrase. In River Out of Eden he introduces general readers to some fairly abstract problems in evolutionary biology, gently guiding us through the tangles of mitochondrial DNA and the survival-of-the- fittest ethos. (Superheroes need not apply: Dawkins writes, "The genes that survive . . . will be the ones that are good at surviving in the average environment of the species.") Dawkins argues for the essential unity of humanity, noting that "we are much closer cousins of one another than we normally realize, and we have many fewer ancestors than simple calculations suggest."

Review

"An excellent introduction to many important evolutionary ideas." -- --Nature

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Reprint edition (August 23, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465069908
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465069903
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1220L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.5 x 8.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 678 ratings

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Richard Dawkins

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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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
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Top reviews from the United States

Yash
5.0 out of 5 stars It has been life-changing
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2019
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I picked this book up BY ACCIDENT as it was part of the list recommended by Ray Dalio and I wanted to finish the list. There are some ideas that you don't quite fully appreciate until they sit in the mind for a while. Darwinism is one of them. This was my introduction to Darwin (yes, I curse my high school for keeping me totally ignorant of what is the greatest idea anyone ever had, 'survival of the fittest' and 'man from apes' my foot). At first read (on a 14 hour flight), I found a sense of thrill at it's mechanism and the way Dawkins explains it. I was at that point already inclined towards naturalism although I didn't know that's what it was called. As I mulled over it the next few months, I started to realize it's mind-boggling implications. It really changes everything. A universal acid that dissolves every other philosophical speculation. I have probably read a dozen books on the subject since but this book sparked the initial thrill. I remember scribbling on the last page 'the theory is beautiful'. Some people start with the Selfish Gene but I find it too long when you're looking for an introduction. This delivers the poetry of Darwinism quickly.

PS - It doesn't address the idea of no progress in evolution which is a major theme. You have to read Gould for that.
17 people found this helpful
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Quai Chang Cain
4.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to Dawkins' vision of evolution
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014
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This is my 6th Dawkins book. I think it would have made a better 1st. It weaves together some of the ideas of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker with only the tiniest smattering of Extended Phenotype in a light introduction to the way Dawkins thinks about evolution. (I don't mean to draw a sharp distinction between Dawkins' view and the broader consensus of biologists - just that he has a particular way of talking about the subject.)

Dawkins is an ethologist, meaning much of his own research/training is focused on animal behavior, and I think the best parts of this book reflect that specialty. For example, my favorite part of the book was a fascinating discussion about exactly how honeybees dance to reveal the direction and distance of pollen, along with some experiments conducted to get a feel for how that dance might have evolved.

If I had a quibble with this book, it is that I thought the chapter on God's Utility Function was strange. The chapter invited the audience to consider the very line of thinking that Dawkins has argued against in The Blind Watchmaker: to see if we can determine what purpose a Designer would have by contemplating how nature functions. But what follows isn't any sort of slam-dunk rebuttal of that way of thinking. In fact, one could imagine this exercise as a success and decide that the Designer is most concerned about DNA spreading, so we should absolutely legislate against birth control and abortion because the will of the Designer is that we breed and breed abundantly. Further, we could conclude that the Designer wants us to compete for limited resources so that evolution continues, so we shouldn't worry about maintaining biodiversity or over population or rapid consumption of natural resources. Maybe my quibble is showing that 'natural theology' can lead to something every bit as bad as (indeed, indistinguishable from) a society built purely on Darwinian principles (something Dawkins has argued against), but I guess my point is that I don't think Dawkins made his point very strongly in this chapter (which nevertheless had some astute observations).

I think there is a definite place in Dawkins' stable of writings for a simple book that just outlines, clearly, 'what evolution is', without focusing on lists of evidence (Greatest Show on Earth? haven't read that yet. Jerry Coyne's 'Why Evolution is True' falls in this category), overcoming objections (Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable) or advocating particular mechanical details (Selfish Gene, Extended Phenotype). But I'm not quite sure this book fills that slot. Nevertheless, it was a good read and I enjoyed many of the examples.

Notes on the Kindle edition:

The Kindle edition lacks a table of contents, even though the print edition has one. It would be nice if the responsible party would add that back in.

The images at the start of each chapter are included at the end of the previous chapter, with the footnotes for that chapter appearing after the image for the next chapter. Seems like there must be some way to keep each chapter's illustration at the start of that chapter.

When I finished reading this, Kindle recommended The Ancestor's Tale, which is by far my favorite Dawkins book. But it turns out, they would only let me download a sample or add the book to my wish list; I could not buy a copy. I hope Amazon or the publisher will sort things out so that this book is available to US Kindle customers (UK readers can already get it), as it was, I just felt taunted.
8 people found this helpful
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Cover to Cover in Boston
5.0 out of 5 stars It isn't YOU that's eternal! It's your DNA!!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2014
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I finally get him!!! Guess what? Your DNA is eternal, not you. It flows like a river through us (and all creatures) and we are merely the banks (of the river) that house the DNA for its continuation into next generation, and the next (or not).

I have read many of Dawkins' books and articles and this is a winner! If you're interested in learning exactly what Dawkins means by "The Selfish Gene" or the DNA river - this is the read & it's a quickie! The concepts are not as difficult in this book as in many others. Rather, it's a layman's explanation of our beginnings from the replication bombs in space to the biological zygote (or previous bacteria) and on to our own technological replication bombs. Now, I get why he was lead to the next step: memes.
A fun read about the river of DNA that flows in all of us! And, it was particularly interesting to learn about Mitochondrial eve and the importance of the female line as it is always a pure line (no mixing of DNA there!), making it much easier for scientists to study.
12 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars For a retired business man who has fallen into the discovery of evolution and the origins of life I found this book brings all the book I have read all to gether to get a deNce
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2020
Verified Purchase
Ovgins of life this book has allowed me to make sense of all the books I have tried to understand make sense of evolution and human life.The author lays it business plan with the eleven phases of our being what we are today, I have several of Mr Dawkins books which were excellent but to a layman this was the best
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David T.
4.0 out of 5 stars Good and concise introduction to Dawkins
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2011
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After the blind watchmaker, I wasn't going to read any more Dawkins until I read the Selfish Gene, but I found this book in a dollar bin and because its so short I went ahead and read it. This book really benefits from its short length, for once Dawkins seems to really stay on track and not ramble on. I sometimes feel that the other of his book are filled with 30% fluff just to make them longer. The book follows a digital river (DNA), and uses that to follow first bacteria type of cells, then multi-part cells, then complex life. I can see people rating this book lower because it often references The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype and The Blind Watchmaker, and I assume that everything included in this book is included in those books with much more detail, so after reading those books this one might become redundant, but I think this one is likely a good introduction to Dawkins thought and writing.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Geekis
5.0 out of 5 stars Gran libro sobre la evolución desde otro punto de vista
Reviewed in Mexico on May 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
Llegué a este libro por la recomendación de Ray Dalio, la verdad me ha encantado, saber que llegamos a evolucionar a tal punto de que somos la parte más evolucionado y fuerte desde la creación misma, Waw
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Dr.k.balakrishnan
5.0 out of 5 stars Shorter & simpler version of selfish gene
Reviewed in India on February 18, 2024
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I am great fan Prof Richard Dawkins and read many of his books. As expected “River out of Eden “ is a wonderful book, explaining is clear & easy to understand even complex concepts. It writing style is excellent. Compared to his previous books “selfish gene” this one simpler and shorter one. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in biology, particularly evolutionary biology & Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo
Reviewed in Brazil on January 24, 2021
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Ótimo
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars worth it to Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2022
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Light read, some great explanations about evolution, author knows how to keep the reader attention, even though im not familiar with the topic.
One person found this helpful
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Nikki
5.0 out of 5 stars Just as Described!
Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2020
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Great purchase, book in condition just as described! Couldn't be happier, I can't wait to read it.
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