Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins is one of the most well-known theories of evolution. It addresses questions like is did the world result from planned and intelligent design or natural evolution? What is engendered the diversity of life on earth? Eighteenth century English philosopher William Paley introduced the watchmaker analogy. He stated that in the same way that the inner workings of a watch lead to the conclusion that a watchmaker designed it with a plan, the presence of the many complex organisms prove the existence of an intelligent creator. This book turns this analogy around by saying that it is not a consciously intelligent process, and that it is a natural progression through selective adaptation of species over millions of years, like a blind watchmaker.
The evolution of the eye is used as an example. The eye began as a simple organ that could detect light, shape, and movement and slowly evolved through a series of small adaptive changes, till it reached the stage of the highly sophisticated mammalian eye. More arguments are also presented in the book to prove that life on earth occurred as a result of natural processes.
The Blind Watchmaker was published in 2006 in paperback by Penguin UK.
Key Features:
This book is considered to be the most popular theory on evolution.
Review
Beautiful … he seizes happy analogies, bright metaphors and shining images to light up his passion and our darkness ― Guardian
Good writing, tight argument and unpulled punches … a satisfying book ― Economist
One of the best science books – one of the best of any books – I have ever read ― Los Angeles Times
About the Author
Richard Dawkins is an author and evolutionary biologist. He studied at Balliol College in Oxford, and graduated with a zoology degree. The publication of his book, The Selfish Gene, brought him universal acclaim. Some of his other books are The God Delusion, The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True, and The Greatest Show On Earth: The Evidence For Evolution.
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