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The God Delusion

by: Richard Dawkins

May 21, 2007
Christianity (viz. the Vatican) is not against science, Gallileo's trial was political and not science based (heliocentricity theory being nothing new at the time) and Monsignor Georges Lemaître, a Belgian RC priest, proposed the Big Bang theory.

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The Selfish Gene

by: Richard Dawkins

March 16, 2006
The author writes about living things as if the gene is the animal and the animal is simply a seed for the gene. He basically turns life inside out. It's a powerful mind tool to get a different perspective on life but don't get too carried away with the idea. The whole theory of evolution is valuable in understanding the world but like a lot of science it starts to become too difficult to use. So in conclusion I don't believe that the author has discovered the secret of life, he just has another way of looking at things that you may find useful. It should be one of the books you have read.

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The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

from: OUP Oxford

March 13, 2008
This book contains a superb collection of excerpts from books and essays of some of the world's greatest scientists. The amount of ideas discussed is truly mind-expanding. A must have for anyone interested in where the great search for knowledge called science is taking us.

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The Blind Watchmaker

by: Richard Dawkins

April 06, 2006
For me, this book was preaching to the converted - I have a good understanding of evolution and can't see how any reasonable scientist could argue with the position spelled out by Dawkins in this book. However, I cannot agree at all that he is good at communicating these ideas - his writing and arguments are laboured, convoluted and actually rather confusing. In particular, the description of molecular genetics is awful and without extensive prior knowledge of this I would have to have read the (albeit limited - see below) coverage of this area many times over to understand it.

I personally found reading the author's smug or arrogant criticisms of others in his field or opponents amusing - perhaps others might not. The problem for the 'Blind Watchmaker' ... Read More:

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Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

by: Richard Dawkins

April 06, 2006
My fourth Dawkins and my second favourite (God Delusion still number one) - and I'm now itching to read another.
Because this is wonderful stuff; clearly written, enormously erudite, delightfully thought-provoking. In it, Dawkins talks about all manner of things, from evolution to probability to the size of the universe... And after a short while you begin to see: it all fits together! Science explains so much, and is so much more beautiful than absurd myths and corroded beliefs.
Here is a man you can happily listen to for hours on end, on any subject. The chapters on crime are particularly diverting and provocative, and it makes you wish that scientists rather than politicians ruled this country (and the world!).
If you read Dawkins you're on the road to intellectual ... Read More:

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The Ancestor's Tale

by: Richard Dawkins

September 01, 2005
Having read 3 or 4 Dawkins books, I get the distinct impression that he majors on 2 subjects: atheism and evolutionary biology. The great virtue of this book is that Dawkins is waxing lyrical about something he loves rather than something he hates (bar the final chapter) and hence shows what a great scientist he really is.

Whether this was intentional or not is hard to fathom but I feel that his magnum opus is Biology and the beauty of the wording combined with the immense depth of his research remind you of the flipside to this book - the God Delusion.

Before I started this book I was skeptical as to evolution and didn't believe in Bio or Abiogenesis. Since I have read it, I have found the measured tone and skillful combating of creationism in this book have won me over ... Read More:

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Climbing Mount Improbable

by: Richard Dawkins

April 06, 2006
I abandoned this book as it is utterly boring. It is certainly not a page-turner. Its author has a patronising and discouraging attitude. He underestimates the intellect of his readers. His major fault, however, is over-elaboration and particularly when it is so unnecessary. Anyone taking up the career of biology would be best advised to avoid this book. The author's communication skill is appalling. How anyone could find the book interesting is beyond my comprehension. It almost slayed my interest in biology. On reading it, it became apparent why the used editions are low in price! My copy too will be added to this heap.

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The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science)

by: Richard Dawkins

March 04, 1999
I read this one after the 30th anniversary of The Selfish Gene, and though Dawkins states in his intro that he regards this as his best work, I personally prefer the slightly expanded Selfish Gene which takes into account his extended phenotype theory. I guess one further point on this is that there is a lot of repetition between the material in the two works too! He also states that this is aimed at his academic colleagues rather than as a book for the layman but I found the science to be pretty straightforward and commonsense and only needed to check the glossary at the back for about half a dozen words. However, other than those points its pretty much faultless and the plot will keep you gripped to the bitter denoument... I'm certainly looking forward to the sequel!

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The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time

by: Douglas Adams

January 03, 2003
`The Salmon of Doubt' is a posthumously published collection of words put into a fantastic collection of arrays by Douglas Adams whom had previously been assembling words in a very pleasing manner in the various incarnations of `The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' and the `Dirk Gently' novels.

The book contains tributes from comic actor and writer Stephen Fry, Nicholas Wroe, scientist and writer Richard Dawkins and the editor of this collection, Peter Guzzardi. All of which give some insight into Douglas but nothing like the insight Douglas gives of himself in the collection of articles, drafts of speeches and letters which have been prised from the hard drive of Douglas' beloved Apple Mac.

The pieces have been assembled into three sections, Life, The Universe and Everything but the themes don't ... Read More:

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A Devil's Chaplain: Selected Writings

by: Richard Dawkins

January 08, 2004
Yet again Dawkins provides us with another book of clear, lucid arguments and great science to leave you awe inspired at the wonder of nature. This is a collection of his various writings and it includes articles, book reviews, eulogies and personal writings. In my opinion it is better than 'The Single Helix' by Steve Jones (that also provides many short scientific articles), as Dawkins is allowed enough space to develop his ideas for you to fully engage with them and appreciate his points. The fact that they are collated from a variety of sources, from over the years, means that the topics are varied and not restricted to x amount of pages per article. Something Steve Jones was unable to achieve in his book. Dawkins argues as keenly as ever and his passion comes across on every page. If you're a fan of Dawkins you won't ... Read More: