Download or read book The Selfish Gene written by Richard Dawkins and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1989 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science need not be dull and bogged down by jargon, as Richard Dawkins proves in this entertaining look at evolution. The themes he takes up are the concepts of altruistic and selfish behaviour; the genetical definition of selfish interest; the evolution of aggressive behaviour; kinshiptheory; sex ratio theory; reciprocal altruism; deceit; and the natural selection of sex differences. 'Should be read, can be read by almost anyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution.' W.D. Hamilton, Science

Download or read book The Selfish Gene written by Richard Dawkins and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-05-26 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The million copy international bestseller, critically acclaimed and translated into over 25 languages. As influential today as when it was first published, The Selfish Gene has become a classic exposition of evolutionary thought. Professor Dawkins articulates a gene's eye view of evolution - a view giving centre stage to these persistent units of information, and in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. This imaginative, powerful, and stylistically brilliant work not only brought the insights of Neo-Darwinism to a wide audience, but galvanized the biology community, generating much debate and stimulating whole new areas of research. Forty years later, its insights remain as relevant today as on the day it was published. This 40th anniversary edition includes a new epilogue from the author discussing the continuing relevance of these ideas in evolutionary biology today, as well as the original prefaces and foreword, and extracts from early reviews. Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.

Download or read book Mean Genes written by Terry Burnham and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2012-10-02 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Short, sassy, and bold, Mean Genes uses a Darwinian lens to examine the issues that most deeply affect our lives: body image, money, addiction, violence, and the endless search for happiness, love, and fidelity. But Burnham and Phelan don't simply describe the connections between our genes and our behavior; they also outline steps that we can take to tame our primal instincts and so improve the quality of our lives. Why do we want (and do) so many things that are bad for us? We vow to lose those extra five pounds, put more money in the bank, and mend neglected relationships, but our attempts often end in failure. Mean Genes reveals that struggles for self-improvement are, in fact, battles against our own genes -- genes that helped our cavewoman and caveman ancestors flourish but that are selfish and out of place in the modern world. Why do we like junk food more than fruit? Why is the road to romance so rocky? Why is happiness so elusive? What drives us into debt? An investigation into the biological nature of temptation and the struggle for control, Mean Genes answers these and other fundamental questions about human nature while giving us an edge to lead more satisfying lives.

Download or read book Genetics and the Manipulation of Life written by Craig Holdrege and published by Lindisfarne Books. This book was released on 1996 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A provocative work that challenges our common assumptions about nature and science, this book is for all who want to understand the biological revolution of the late twentieth century. In this clearly written, well-illustrated book, Holdrege describes, using fascinating examples, how living organisms develop and exist within the context of their environments. In an age when we are able to reshape life on earth, this book offers a deeper, more complex vision of nature, one that can help us establish a more conscious and responsible connection to the world around us.

Download or read book The Music of Life written by Denis Noble and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2008-02-14 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Life? Decades of research have resulted in the full mapping of the human genome - three billion pairs of code whose functions are only now being understood. The gene's eye view of life, advocated by evolutionary biology, sees living bodies as mere vehicles for the replication of the genetic codes. But for a physiologist, working with the living organism, the view is a very different one. Denis Noble is a world renowned physiologist, and sets out an alternative view to the question - one that becomes deeply significant in terms of the living, breathing organism. The genome is not life itself. Noble argues that far from genes building organisms, they should be seen as prisoners of the organism. The view of life presented in this little, modern, post-genome project reflection on the nature of life, is that of the systems biologist: to understand what life is, we must view it at a variety of different levels, all interacting with each other in a complex web. It is that emergent web, full of feedback between levels, from the gene to the wider environment, that is life. It is a kind of music. Including stories from Noble's own research experience, his work on the heartbeat, musical metaphors, and elements of linguistics and Chinese culture, this very personal and at times deeply lyrical book sets out the systems biology view of life.

Download or read book The Gene Illusion written by Jay Joseph and published by Algora Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jay Joseph's timely, challenging book provides a much-needed rebuttal of the evidence cited in support of genetic theories in psychiatry and psychology, which are based mainly on twin and adoption studies. He shows that, far from establishing the importance of genes, psychiatric genetic and behavior genetic research on twins and adoptees has been plagued by researcher bias, unsound methodology, and a reliance on erroneous theoretical assumptions. Furthermore, he discusses how this faulty research has been used to support the interests of those attempting to bolster conservative social and political agendas. Under the Microscope Dr. Jay Joseph provocatively challenges current genetic theories and the evidence cited to support them - in particular, genes' alleged role in criminal behavior, IQ, heritability and molecular genetic research - and maintains they are all part of the "Gene Illusion."

Download or read book Adam s Curse written by Bryan Sykes and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2004 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the history and future of the Y chromosome and maintains that because it is unable to exchange genetic material or repair itself, the day will come when it will cease to exist.

Download or read book The Web of Meaning written by Jeremy Lent and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2021-07-12 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A profound personal meditation on human existence . . . weaving together . . . historic and contemporary thought on the deepest question of all: why are we here?” —Gabor Maté M.D., author, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts As our civilization careens toward climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. The dominant worldview of disconnection, which tells us we are split between mind and body, separate from each other, and at odds with the natural world, has been invalidated by modern science. Award-winning author Jeremy Lent, investigates humanity’s age-old questions—Who am I? Why am I? How should I live?—from a fresh perspective, weaving together findings from modern systems thinking, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience with insights from Buddhism, Taoism, and Indigenous wisdom. The result is a breathtaking accomplishment: a rich, coherent worldview based on a deep recognition of connectedness within ourselves, between each other, and with the entire natural world. It offers a compelling foundation for a new philosophical framework that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on a flourishing Earth. The Web of Meaning is for everyone looking for deep and coherent answers to the crisis of civilization. “One of the most brilliant and insightful minds of our age, Jeremy Lent has written one of the most essential and compelling books of our time.” —David Korten, author, When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community “We need, now more than ever, to figure out how to make all kinds of connections. This book can help—and therefore it can help with a lot of the urgent tasks we face.” —Bill McKibben, author, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?

Download or read book Altered Genes Twisted Truth written by Steven M. Druker and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers an exposé on the genetic engineering of foods, maintaining that the unduly reckless way it has been practiced is based, not on sound science, but the subversion of science, and that its promotion has been marked by corruption and the suppression or distortion of facts.

Download or read book The Good Life written by Graham Music and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-16 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are we born selfish or primed to help others? Does stress make people more antisocial? Can we ever be genuinely altruistic? This book explores some of the dilemmas at the heart of being human. Integrating cutting edge studies with in-depth clinical experience, Graham Music synthesizes a wealth of fascinating research into an explanation of altruism, cooperation and generosity and shows how we are primed to turn off the ‘better angels of our nature’ in the face of stress, anxiety and fear. Using fascinating psychological research but rooted in a clinicians understanding of the impact of stress on our moral and pro-social capacities, The Good Life covers topics as diverse as: The role of parenting and family life in shaping how antisocial or pro-social we become How stress, abuse and insecure attachment profoundly undermine empathic and altruistic capacities The relative influence of our genes or environments on becoming big-hearted or coldly psychopathic How our immediate contexts and recent social changes might tilt us towards either selfish or cooperative behaviour This book makes a unique contribution to a subject that is increasingly on people’s minds. It does not shirk complexity, nor suggest easy explanations, but offers a hard look at the evidence in the hope that we can gain some understanding of how a ‘Good Life’ might develop. Often personally challenging, intellectually exhilarating and written with an easily accessible style, The Good Life makes sense of how our moral selves take shape, and shines a light on the roots of goodness and nastiness.

Download or read book The Mutant Project written by Eben Kirksey and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2020-11-10 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An anthropologist visits the frontiers of genetics, medicine, and technology to ask: Whose values are guiding gene editing experiments? And what does this new era of scientific inquiry mean for the future of the human species? "That rare kind of scholarship that is also a page-turner." —Britt Wray, author of Rise of the Necrofauna At a conference in Hong Kong in November 2018, Dr. He Jiankui announced that he had created the first genetically modified babies—twin girls named Lulu and Nana—sending shockwaves around the world. A year later, a Chinese court sentenced Dr. He to three years in prison for "illegal medical practice." As scientists elsewhere start to catch up with China’s vast genetic research program, gene editing is fueling an innovation economy that threatens to widen racial and economic inequality. Fundamental questions about science, health, and social justice are at stake: Who gets access to gene editing technologies? As countries loosen regulations around the globe, from the U.S. to Indonesia, can we shape research agendas to promote an ethical and fair society? Eben Kirksey takes us on a groundbreaking journey to meet the key scientists, lobbyists, and entrepreneurs who are bringing cutting-edge genetic engineering tools like CRISPR—created by Nobel Prize-winning biochemists Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier—to your local clinic. He also ventures beyond the scientific echo chamber, talking to disabled scholars, doctors, hackers, chronically-ill patients, and activists who have alternative visions of a genetically modified future for humanity. The Mutant Project empowers us to ask the right questions, uncover the truth, and navigate this brave new world.

Download or read book Brave New Worlds written by Bryan Appleyard and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text takes the liberal humanist position against the advance of scientific ethics (or lack of them), in particular those of genetics. As the achievements of science threaten to engulf this century leaving us morally and philosophically floundering in their wake (what are we going to do about Dolly?), Appleyard engages with the issues in a debate which can only get hotter and more desperate.

Download or read book The Price of Altruism George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness written by Oren Harman and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-06-20 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the intellectual journey of eccentric American genius George Price, who tried to answer the evolutionary riddle of why people are nice, and eventually gave away all his belongings and took his own life in a squatter's flat.

Download or read book The Selfless Gene written by Charles Foster and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2010-02-01 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If evolutionary theory is correct, what does that say about creator God? Ever since the famous debate on Darwinism between Huxley and Wilberforce in 1860, there has been little real conversation between the scientific community and much of the Christian world. This book offers the prospect of reconciliation between what are seen as two opposing worldviews. With remarkable insight and skill, Foster shows that most evolutionary theory and its consequences are easily reconciled with Christian orthodoxy and explores the ethical problems of natural selection in a fresh and invigorating way. Charles Foster insists on getting to the heart of the topic and succeeds through a scientific and biblical analysis that is second to none. The Selfless Gene has the potential to become required reading for theologians and laypeople alike.

Download or read book The Blind Watchmaker written by Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science Richard Dawkins and published by Turtleback Books. This book was released on 1996-09-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Patiently and lucidly, this Los Angeles Times Book Award and Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize winner identifies the aspects of the theory of evolution that people find hard to believe and removes the barriers to credibility one by one. As readable and vigorous a defense of Darwinism as has been published since 1859.--The Economist.

Download or read book The God Gene written by Jaymie Simmon and published by Twinbrook, Limited. This book was released on 2012-07-01 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At an elite Chicago university, Cancer researcher Rosalind Evans discovers that the genetic code at the center of the second chromosome spells out the Ten Commandments. Sure that her top-secret pharma project has been hacked, she launches an investigation. But that night, unbeknownst to her, the discovery is leaked to a popular blog and goes viral. The next morning, the world wakes up to the news that there is a message from God in their DNA. Public reaction is intense: to some it s a miracle, and to others, a myth. But to a group of religious and political elites, the God Gene is a dangerous public delusion that threatens their very existence. With the media fanning the flames, Evans quickly becomes the scapegoat in a growing controversy. A pharma executive wants her fired, the Vatican wants her silenced, and the U.S. Attorney wants her arrested. A bizarre battle ensues as Rosalind Evans takes on the most powerful institutions on earth to preserve her scientific integrity, her freedom, and ultimately her life.

Download or read book Unbridled Rage written by Gene O'Shea and published by Berkley. This book was released on 2005 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A true story of organized crime, corruption, and murder in Chicago. The brutal 40-year-old murders of three Chicago boys were never solved, until two "cold case" agents decided to launch their own investigation. From eyewitness accounts, old police reports, and new information they delved deep into the Chicago Horse Syndicate, an underworld of violence, greed, and sex that produced--and protected--a brutal killer