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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.",{"_788":957,"_790":970,"_770":971},"audience","Trade",{"_788":957,"_790":973,"_770":974},"publisher","Oxford University Press",{"_788":957,"_790":795,"_770":976},"Trade Paper",{"_788":957,"_790":978,"_770":979},"onix_binding","Paperback",{"_788":957,"_790":981,"_770":982},"bic_subject","GENETICS (NON-MEDICAL); EVOLUTION; SOCIAL & CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, ETHNOGRAPHY",{"_788":957,"_790":984,"_770":985},"publish_date","2016-06-23",{"_788":957,"_790":987,"_770":988},"page_count","544",{"_788":804,"_790":344,"_770":805},{"_788":804,"_790":724,"_770":805},{"_788":804,"_790":992,"_770":811},"onorder_auckland",{"_788":804,"_790":807,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":810,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":996,"_770":997},"last_received_auckland","24/02/2026",{"_788":804,"_790":813,"_770":999},"04/03/2026",{"_788":804,"_790":1001,"_770":1002},"price_auckland","45.0",{"_788":804,"_790":816,"_770":1002},{"_788":804,"_790":1005,"_770":819},"stock_auckland",{"_788":804,"_790":818,"_770":1007},"1",{"_788":821,"_790":822,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":344,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":724,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":826,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":1013,"_770":740},"codes_auckland",{"_788":821,"_790":828,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":830,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":1017,"_770":831},"sub_auckland",{"_788":821,"_790":833,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":835,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":1021,"_770":836},"main_auckland",{"_788":821,"_790":838,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":840,"_770":841},{"_788":821,"_790":843,"_770":841},{"_788":821,"_790":845,"_770":849},{"_788":821,"_790":1027,"_770":849},"department_auckland",{"_788":821,"_790":848,"_770":849},{"_755":1030},[1031],{"_758":109,"_759":-5,"_123":1032,"_203":1033,"_761":1041,"_767":1042,"_17":938,"_771":1044,"_773":1045},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/45275495399621",{"_1034":1035,"_1036":1037,"_123":1038,"_941":942,"_1039":1040},"altText","The Selfish Gene Cover Image","height",2048,"gid://shopify/ProductImage/39882927702213","width",1345,{"_763":764,"_765":1002},[1043],{"_744":745,"_770":938},"9780198788607",{"_775":1046},[1047,1050],{"_778":1048},{"_780":36,"_126":1049},{"_744":341},{"_778":1051},{"_780":109,"_126":1052},{"_744":722},{"_123":1054,"_17":1055,"_735":1056,"_752":1057,"_785":1059,"_753":1108},"gid://shopify/Product/8397024690373","On Natural Selection Popular Penguin","on-natural-selection-popular-penguin",{"_941":1058},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-0-14-139943-0.jpg?v=1754878520",[1060,1061,1063,1064,1066,-5,1068,1069,-5,1071,1073,1075,1076,1078,1079,-5,-5,1080,1082,1084,1086,1088,-5,1089,-5,1090,1091,-5,1093,-5,1095,-5,1097,1098,-5,1099,1100,-5,1101,1102,-5,1103,1104,-5,1105,-5,-5,1106,1107,-5],{"_788":789,"_790":17,"_770":1055},{"_788":789,"_790":792,"_770":1062},"DARWIN CHARLES",{"_788":789,"_790":795,"_770":948},{"_788":789,"_790":798,"_770":1065},"PENGUI",{"_788":789,"_790":952,"_770":1067},"UBD",{"_788":957,"_790":958,"_770":808},{"_788":957,"_790":17,"_770":1070},"On Natural Selection",{"_788":957,"_790":792,"_770":1072},"Charles Robert Darwin",{"_788":957,"_790":967,"_770":1074},"No one has done more to shape our view of what makes us human than Charles Darwin, whose seismic theory of evolution turned the Victorian world upside down, utterly rewrote our notions of life on earth and is still attacked by religious creationists today.
",{"_788":957,"_790":970,"_770":971},{"_788":957,"_790":973,"_770":1077},"Penguin Publishing Group",{"_788":957,"_790":795,"_770":976},{"_788":957,"_790":978,"_770":979},{"_788":957,"_790":981,"_770":1081},"BIOLOGY, LIFE SCIENCES",{"_788":957,"_790":984,"_770":1083},"2010-06-28",{"_788":957,"_790":987,"_770":1085},"118",{"_788":957,"_790":798,"_770":1087},"Penguin Press",{"_788":804,"_790":344,"_770":805},{"_788":804,"_790":992,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":810,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":996,"_770":1092},"03/02/2026",{"_788":804,"_790":1001,"_770":1094},"16.0",{"_788":804,"_790":1005,"_770":1096},"2",{"_788":821,"_790":822,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":344,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":826,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":1013,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":830,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":1017,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":835,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":1021,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":840,"_770":841},{"_788":821,"_790":845,"_770":849},{"_788":821,"_790":1027,"_770":849},{"_755":1109},[1110],{"_758":109,"_759":-5,"_123":1111,"_203":1112,"_761":1116,"_767":1117,"_17":1119,"_771":1120,"_773":1121},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/44998936887493",{"_1034":1113,"_1036":1037,"_123":1114,"_941":1058,"_1039":1115},"On Natural Selection Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/39095966728389",1256,{"_763":764,"_765":1094},[1118],{"_744":745,"_770":1119},"On Natural Selection Popular Penguin","9780141399430",{"_775":1122},[1123,1126],{"_778":1124},{"_780":109,"_126":1125},{"_744":341},{"_778":1127},{"_780":36,"_126":1128},{"_744":722},{"_123":1130,"_17":1131,"_735":1132,"_752":1133,"_785":1135,"_753":1202},"gid://shopify/Product/8199608631493","On the Origin of Species","on-the-origin-of-species-1",{"_941":1134},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/On_20the_20Origin_20of_20Species_40cb625e-2245-4a3d-a9ff-f070328c08a5.jpg?v=1737410937",[1136,1137,1138,1140,1142,1144,1146,1147,-5,1148,1150,1152,1154,1156,1158,1160,-5,1163,1165,1167,1169,1171,1172,1173,1174,1175,1176,1178,1180,1182,1183,1184,1185,1186,1187,1188,1189,1190,1191,1192,1193,1194,1195,1196,1197,-5,1198,1199,1200,1201],{"_788":789,"_790":17,"_770":1131},{"_788":789,"_790":792,"_770":1062},{"_788":789,"_790":795,"_770":1139},"HB",{"_788":789,"_790":798,"_770":1141},"COLLIB",{"_788":789,"_790":952,"_770":1143},"TSEA",{"_788":789,"_790":801,"_770":1145},"TDLC",{"_788":957,"_790":958,"_770":808},{"_788":957,"_790":17,"_770":1131},{"_788":957,"_790":792,"_770":1149},"Charles Darwin",{"_788":957,"_790":967,"_770":1151},"A pocket edition of Darwin's classic work of evolutionary biology.In The Origin of Species Darwin outlined his theory of evolution, which proposed that species had been evolving and differentiating over time under the influence of natural selection. On its publication it became hugely influential, bringing about a seismic shift in the scientific view of humanity's place in the world that is still controversial today. It is both a brilliant work of science and also a clear, vivid and at times even moving, piece of writing that reflects both Darwin's genius and his boundless enthusiasm for the natural world.

With an Afterword by Oliver Francis",{"_788":957,"_790":970,"_770":1153},"College Audience",{"_788":957,"_790":973,"_770":1155},"Pan Macmillan",{"_788":957,"_790":795,"_770":1157},"Trade Cloth",{"_788":957,"_790":978,"_770":1159},"Hardback",{"_788":957,"_790":1161,"_770":1162},"language","English",{"_788":957,"_790":981,"_770":1164},"GENETICS (NON-MEDICAL); EVOLUTION",{"_788":957,"_790":984,"_770":1166},"2017-02-14",{"_788":957,"_790":987,"_770":1168},"576",{"_788":957,"_790":798,"_770":1170},"Collector's Library, The",{"_788":804,"_790":344,"_770":805},{"_788":804,"_790":724,"_770":805},{"_788":804,"_790":992,"_770":808},{"_788":804,"_790":807,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":810,"_770":811},{"_788":804,"_790":996,"_770":1177},"14/01/2026",{"_788":804,"_790":813,"_770":1179},"19/12/2025",{"_788":804,"_790":1001,"_770":1181},"20.0",{"_788":804,"_790":816,"_770":1181},{"_788":804,"_790":1005,"_770":819},{"_788":804,"_790":818,"_770":1007},{"_788":821,"_790":822,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":344,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":724,"_770":823},{"_788":821,"_790":826,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":1013,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":828,"_770":740},{"_788":821,"_790":830,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":1017,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":833,"_770":831},{"_788":821,"_790":835,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":1021,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":838,"_770":836},{"_788":821,"_790":840,"_770":841},{"_788":821,"_790":843,"_770":841},{"_788":821,"_790":845,"_770":849},{"_788":821,"_790":1027,"_770":849},{"_788":821,"_790":848,"_770":849},{"_755":1203},[1204],{"_758":109,"_759":-5,"_123":1205,"_203":1206,"_761":1210,"_767":1211,"_17":1131,"_771":1213,"_773":1214},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/44402297012421",{"_1034":1207,"_1036":1037,"_123":1208,"_941":1134,"_1039":1209},"On the Origin of Species Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/36932375118021",1259,{"_763":764,"_765":1181},[1212],{"_744":745,"_770":1131},"9781509827695",{"_775":1215},[1216,1219],{"_778":1217},{"_780":109,"_126":1218},{"_744":341},{"_778":1220},{"_780":109,"_126":1221},{"_744":722},{"_123":1223,"_17":1224,"_735":1225,"_752":1226,"_785":1228,"_753":1286},"gid://shopify/Product/8354562343109","Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak & Why","origin-of-language-how-we-learned-to-speak-why",{"_941":1227},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-1-76163-436-9.jpg?v=1750291937",[1229,1230,1232,1233,-5,1235,1237,1238,1240,1242,1244,-5,1246,1248,1249,1250,-5,-5,1251,1253,1255,-5,1257,-5,1258,1259,-5,1260,-5,1262,-5,1264,1265,-5,1267,1269,-5,1271,1273,-5,1275,1277,-5,1279,1281,-5,1282,1284,-5,1285],{"_788":789,"_790":17,"_770":1224},{"_788":789,"_790":792,"_770":1231},"BEEKMAN MADELEINE",{"_788":789,"_790":795,"_770":796},{"_788":789,"_790":798,"_770":1234},"SCRIBN",{"_788":789,"_790":801,"_770":1236},"HEDS",{"_788":957,"_790":958,"_770":808},{"_788":957,"_790":17,"_770":1239},"The Origin of Language",{"_788":957,"_790":962,"_770":1241},"How We Learned to Speak and Why",{"_788":957,"_790":792,"_770":1243},"Madeleine Beekman",{"_788":957,"_790":967,"_770":1245},"The Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney makes a radical, compelling new account of the origin of human language. It wasn't hunting or fighting or simply being smart that gave us language: it was caring for our kids.

Could the first words spoken by Homo sapiens have been 'hey, hold the baby!'? Madeleine Beekman, a visionary evolutionary biologist walks readers along a path through deep time that our forebears trod toward creating human language, populating the planet, and understanding the universe. Human accomplishments, all rooted in language, didn't come from supposedly male dominated activities like hunting or making war, their origin lies in a culture of caring, of looking after the weakest among us, our relatively helpless children.

Random 'mistakes' made in the evolution of our DNA and chromosomes over the last hundreds of thousands of years made us have babies more prematurely than other hominids like Neanderthals and Denisovans (thanks narrow hips!). Caring for uniquely vulnerable babies required an entirely new, higher level of cooperation between adults or our species would perish. Darwin and other players in the history of science are on stage alongside the author as she builds her case.

This childcare problem led to the development of human language and in turn all our accomplishments. Even the large language model of intelligence ChatGPT makes an appearance. The argument overturns other explanations of the origin of language, civilisation and our species' planetary dominance by greats such as Chomsky, Pinker, and Harari among many others. The verdict in this investigation is that culture of caring, not violence, has always been the secret of our success.

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Arrogant Ape: & A New Way To See Humanitiy

by Christine Webb