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The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Oxford Landmark Science) Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition

by Richard Dawkins (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 373 ratings
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In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins crystallized the gene's eye view of evolution developed by W.D. Hamilton and others. The book provoked widespread and heated debate. Written in part as a response, The Extended Phenotype gave a deeper clarification of the central concept of the gene as the unit of selection; but it did much more besides. In it, Dawkins extended the gene's eye view to argue that the genes that sit within an organism have an
influence that reaches out beyond the visible traits in that body - the phenotype - to the wider environment, which can include other individuals. So, for instance, the genes of the beaver drive it to gather twigs to produce the substantial physical structure of a dam; and the genes of the cuckoo chick produce effects that
manipulate the behaviour of the host bird, making it nurture the intruder as one of its own. This notion of the extended phenotype has proved to be highly influential in the way we understand evolution and the natural world. It represents a key scientific contribution to evolutionary biology, and it continues to play an important role in research in the life sciences.

The Extended Phenotype is a conceptually deep book that forms important reading for biologists and students. But Dawkins' clear exposition is accessible to all who are prepared to put in a little effort.

Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-0198788911
  2. Edition
    Reprint
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    OUP Oxford
  5. Publication date
    September 14, 2016
  6. Part of series
    Oxford Landmark Science
  7. Language
    English
  8. File size
    769 KB
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Extended Phenotype is a sequel to The Selfish Gene ... he writes so clearly it could be understood by anyone prepared to make the effort" --John Maynard Smith, LRB "This entertaining and thought-provoking book is an excellent illustration of why the study of evolution is in such an exciting ferment these days." --Science

About the Author

Professor Richard Dawkins is one of the most influential science writers and communicators of our generation. He was the first holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he held from 1995 until 2008, and is Emeritus Fellow of New College, Oxford. His bestselling books include The Selfish Gene (1976), The Extended Phenotype (1982) and its sequel The Blind Watchmaker (1986), River Out of Eden (1995), Climbing Mount Improbable (1996), Unweaving the Rainbow (1998), A Devil's Chaplain (2004), The Ancestor's Tale (2004), and The God Delusion (2007). He has won many literary and scientific awards, including the 1987 Royal Society of Literature Award, the 1990 Michael Faraday Award of the Royal Society, the 1994 Nakayama Prize for Human Science, the 1997 International Cosmos Prize, and the Nierenberg Prize for Science in the Public Interest in 2009.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01K2BLPN2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford; Reprint edition (September 14, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 14, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 769 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 485 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 373 ratings

About the author

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Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

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Richard Dawkins taught zoology at the University of California at Berkeley and at Oxford University and is now the Charles Simonyi Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford, a position he has held since 1995. Among his previous books are The Ancestor's Tale, The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Climbing Mount Improbable, Unweaving the Rainbow, and A Devil's Chaplain. Dawkins lives in Oxford with his wife, the actress and artist Lalla Ward.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
373 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Clyde Desmond Macalister
5.0 out of 5 stars A Highly Satisfactory Expansion upon the Principles Espoused in "The Selfish Gene"
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018
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Dawkins beyond succeeds in pursuing the task implied by the title of the book and the topic of his first best seller: beginning with the gene-centered view of evolution as his main, first principle, he infers the "extended" phenotypic effects of genes outside the strict confines of particular vehicles (cells, organisms, groups, etc.) -- the cliché example being dams constructed by beavers.

Reading some of the other reviews of the book, it seems to strike many readers as difficult reading. I don't, on the whole, accept this claim. To be sure, the primary audience was intended to be professional biologists, but general audiences were not excluded as a possible readership as well. Most of the explanation is pretty intuitive, and even the comparatively more esoteric, specialized language can be easily deciphered by any non-biologist with the glossary provided in the back. I don't claim expertise on biology and especially genetics, but Dawkins does not fail to reach out to people like me. If I can do it so can you.

Dawkins's theoretical paradigm in this work, much like in _The Selfish Gene_, integrates heavily the thought and contributions of all the most important scientists of the modern synthesis, including William Hamilton, E.O. Wilson, George Williams, Robert Trivers, Ronald Fisher, and others. Moreover, he addresses the few, minor details where these men have erred. He also confronts assailants of gene-centered theory, especially Richard Lewontin and Stephen Jay Gould, and performs particularly well in his rebuttal of the strawman claim that proponents of the theory posit genetic determinism. One has no shortage of empirical evidence Dawkins cites for his theoretical claims to admire, either, including the examples snails, shrimps, various parasites, cuckoos, the prokaryotic origins of eukaryotic life, and many others. I can identify no noteworthy defects in this book whatsoever, empirically or theoretically.
12 people found this helpful
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mandes r. kates
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2023
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My first thought after finishing The Extended Phenotype was, "That's obvious." Of course it wasn't obvious before reading the book. My second thought was, "All Dawkins did was change the definition of phenotype." But that is no mean feat and I suspect the definition has stuck. Finally, one of the best, and funniest, parts of the book was the glossary.
2 people found this helpful
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Joshua
4.0 out of 5 stars A bit unnecessary, but still good
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2022
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I loved The Selfish Gene and I was excited to read this. It is a great book, don't get me wrong, but he spends too much time addressing arguments he's had with other people. The first few chapters were a drag to get through, but it got better eventually. I understand he's concerned about the debates he has with colleagues and he wants to make sure we all understand he exact point of view and the reasons why he wants to defend them, but at some point it becomes a bit much. Still a good book and worth the read.
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Nick
5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn’t include Afterword
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2020
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I bought this book for a graduate class and it’s a great book so far. I thought I was buying the newer version of the book with the Dennett afterword, but I think that was my mistake. A classmate uploaded the 4-page afterword so the rest of the class has access to it when we get to that point, but this edition does not have the afterword. Again, this was not the seller’s fault, but anyone who needs that part of the book should find it elsewhere.
2 people found this helpful
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John H Young
5.0 out of 5 stars “The Extended Phenotype” builds on and rounds out “The Selfish Gene.”
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2019
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“The Extended Phenotype” is a more difficult read for the non-scientist that “The Selfish Gene” but it is “manageable” with some re-reading of key passages. Although the “extended reach” of the gene is introduced in “The Selfish Gene,” the focus is on the gene itself. In “The Extended Phenotype” the focus is on the full range of impacts that genes have on their “vehicles” and beyond. Particularly engaging are the thought experiments devised by Richard Dawkins to present his case and the examples he provides from the natural world.
2 people found this helpful
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Zhantore Akylbekov
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential sequel.
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2021
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Beautifully written. The author is an example of scientific literature.
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Bubba
4.0 out of 5 stars A tough read for a non-biologist
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2020
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I'm about halfway through this. It is a good sequel to 'The Selfish Gene' but is written towards a more professional audience. Other reviewers go into fine detail on that. My degrees are in chemical engineering and computer science and a good bit of the jargon is over my head. Richard provides a glossary at the back of the book which is helpful but not complete enough. I'll continue to work through it as I find the topic fascinating.
3 people found this helpful
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the ow
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017
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Not an easy reading, but worth the effort
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Canadian_buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book and paper quality is also very good!
Reviewed in India on May 7, 2024
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Whenever I buy a book online, my only worry is the paper quality. There are so many bad products out there but this book is excellent ... and the paper quality is also very good.
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Snickas
5.0 out of 5 stars Must know for intellectuals of all scientific fields.
Reviewed in Germany on May 16, 2023
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Great Read.
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Lena
5.0 out of 5 stars Todo bien
Reviewed in Spain on May 12, 2022
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Todo bien
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BM
5.0 out of 5 stars For professional biologists
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2021
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I bought nearly all Richard Dawkin's books. This is the latest one I have bought. I like all his books. Richard clearly states that this one is written for professional biologists (therefore I read it and didn't have a clue!) But he does have a glossary at the back of the book 'to make it more widely accessible' so I will give it 5 stars because it would be unfair to demote the book because I couldn't make head nor tail of it. I'd bet a biologist would find it an excellent read.
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BM
5.0 out of 5 stars For professional biologists
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2021
I bought nearly all Richard Dawkin's books. This is the latest one I have bought. I like all his books. Richard clearly states that this one is written for professional biologists (therefore I read it and didn't have a clue!) But he does have a glossary at the back of the book 'to make it more widely accessible' so I will give it 5 stars because it would be unfair to demote the book because I couldn't make head nor tail of it. I'd bet a biologist would find it an excellent read.
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sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!
Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2018
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If you want to read this book, which you should since it's excellent, then you should start with The Selfish Gene considering that it preceeds The Extended Phenotype. This one is a little harder to read and for the good reason that it has specialy been written for professional biologists, althought you don't need to be one in order to appreciate the quality of knowledge that Richard Dawkins has to share. To be fair, I have no background whatsoever in biology and my mother language is french, but still I was able to grasp most of the informations in this book and I think that everyone who has the heart to try and who likes to learn and aquire new knowledge will enjoy the read! On the plus side at the end of the book there's a glossary to explain in more details a few technical terms and other biology jargon that most people aren't familiar with. Once you've read The Selfish Gene and this book, you will never see the animals/plants kingdom the same way.
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