The Extended Phenotype. The Gene as the Unit of Selection.

First edition, first impression, signed by the author on the title; 8vo; only the faintest toning along the upper edges of the contents; original green boards, titles to spine and upper board in silver, a very good copy in the lightly rubbed jacket; 307pp. First edition, first impression of Dawkins' follow-up to The Selfish Gene. A superb copy signed by the author on the title, with the ticket to the Hay-on-Wye festival at which it was signed. While The Selfish Gene was written for a general audience, The Extended Phenotype is a technical volume aimed at fellow biologists, and Dawkins considers it his most important contribution to evolutionary science. He argues that the definition of the way genes are expressed (termed their phenotype) should not be limited to an organism's body but must be extended to its impact on the environment and other organisms. Classic examples include beaver dams and the manipulation of host behaviour by parasites.