A Devil's Chaplain : Selected Writings - Hardcover
A reviewer wrote of The Selfish Gene that it was 'rich with metaphor, passionate arguments, wry humour, colourful examples and unexpected connections'.
This intriguing selection of Richard Dawkins large output of articles, lectures, individual chapters and reviews demonstrates the breadth of his interests, the sheer quality of his writing and the challenging nature of his trenchantly held views. Whether writing on the many aspects of evolution or on science in general - the importance of science, the poetry of science, the fact that science is inspiring (or ought to be) - he is often provocative, sometimes outrageous, never less than highly influential.
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Review:
Richard Dawkins has an opinion on everything biological, it seems, and in A Devil's Chaplain, everything is biological. Dawkins weighs in on topics as diverse as ape rights, jury trials, religion, and education, all examined through the lens of natural selection and evolution. Although many of these essays have been published elsewhere, this book is something of a greatest-hits compilation, reprinting many of Dawkins' most famous recent compositions. They are well worth re-reading. His 1998 review of Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Fashionable Nonsense is as bracing an indictment of academic obscurantism as the book it covered, although the review reveals some of Dawkins' personal biases as well. Several essays are devoted to skillfully debunking religion and mysticism, and these are likely to raise the hackles of even casual believers. Science, and more specifically evolutionary science, underlies each essay, giving readers a glimpse into the last several years' debates about the minutiae of natural selection. In one moving piece, Dawkins reflects on his late rival Stephen Jay Gould's magnum opus, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, and clarifies what it was the two Darwinist heavyweights actually disagreed about. While the collection showcases Dawkins' brilliance and intellectual sparkle, it brings up as many questions as it answers. As an ever-ardent champion of science, honest discourse, and rational debate, Dawkins will obviously relish the challenge of answering them. --Therese Littleton
About the Author:
Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist renowned throughout the world. He was educated at Oxford and taught zoology before becoming the first holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, in 1995. His previous books rank among the most influential intellectual works of our time., They include The Selfish Gene (1976), River Out of Eden (1995), and Unweaving the Rainbow (1999).
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- PublisherWeidenfeld & Nicolson
- Publication date2003
- ISBN 10 0297829734
- ISBN 13 9780297829737
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages320
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A Devil's Chaplain. Selected Essays. First edition
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London. Weidenfeld and Nicholson/Orion Publishing Group
(2003)
ISBN 10: 0297829734
ISBN 13: 9780297829737
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. 1st Edition. London. Weidenfeld and Nicholson. 2003. First Edition. No edition remarks assumed to be first printing. Hard Cover. Medium 8vo. 6.5 x 9.3 inches (16.5cm x 23.4cm) approx. 250ps. Edited by Latha Menon. Black boards with silver titles to the spine. Book and jacket are both in as new condition. Dust jacket designed by Ghost. Loosely laid in newspaper review of the book which is not dated but assumed to be 2003. A few diagrams in the text. This intriguing selection of Richard Dawkins large output of articles, lectures, individual chapters and reviews demonstrates the breadth of his interests, the sheer quality of his writing and the challenging nature of his trenchantly held views. The dust jacket will be covered with a new inert archival protective sleeve which is removable. Please contact us if you would like any more information or additional photographs. Postage price quoted outside the UK are for a book up to 1kg using UPS. Book(s) above this weight may incur a surcharge. For books sent within the UK, there will be no extra charge for books up to 2kg and are sent by Royal Mail. Postage quoted in the UK is the actual cost (£3.35). All books are sent in protective packing and custom book box. If your book is intended as a gift, please let us know and we will gift wrap it free of charge with a card and any message. Seller Inventory # 2304FEB006
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A Devil's Chaplain : Selected Writings
Published by
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
(2003)
ISBN 10: 0297829734
ISBN 13: 9780297829737
New
Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
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Book Description hardcover. Condition: New. Hardcover and dust jacket. Good binding and cover. Clean, unmarked pages. Seller Inventory # 2304100104
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