The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins' masterpiece

This book is a re-cover edition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the publication of 『The Extended Phenotype』. The format and design of the pages have been changed to match the previously published 40th anniversary edition of 『The Selfish Gene』, improving readability.
These two books are Richard Dawkins's representative works and masterpieces that fully embody his achievements as a scientist.
In particular, the author has cited "Extended Phenotypes" as his best work.
Dawkins showed his academic pride and affection by saying in the chapter “The Long Arm of the Gene” of “The Selfish Gene,” “In fact, I would recommend that you put this book down right now and read “The Extended Phenotype.”


In this book, Richard Dawkins clearly refutes the misconception that his ideas are genetic determinism.
The author argues that one reason genes are so often dismissed as a source of determinism is the confusion caused by the familiar claim that acquired traits are inherited.
Furthermore, it emphasizes that although genes passed down through generations appear at first glance to be unchanging and fixed, the phenotypic effects that genes exert on the body are by no means unchanging or fixed in nature.
Rather, it depends largely on how we were raised, what we ate, what education we received, and what other genes we possess.


Additionally, the author corrects our common misconceptions about genetics through several interesting thought experiments, such as the selection of mud used in termite mound construction and its genetic effects, and the effect of parasitic flukes on snail shells.
In addition, the book explains extended phenotypes with abundant examples and logical basis.
This clearly demonstrates how genes expand their phenotypes to influence the world, influencing not only the individual containing them but also cells and other species.
If Richard Dawkins presented a revolutionary perspective to the world with his previous work, The Selfish Gene, The Extended Phenotype is a complete work that adds depth to the author's perspective and clearly shows what he ultimately wanted to say.

Computers and electronic 'chips' are more than capable of creating such myths because computer technology is advancing literally in the blink of an eye.
I even saw an elderly man who had been told by a reliable source that the 'chip' was taking away human functions, not only to 'drive a tractor' but also to 'make a woman pregnant'.
As we will see, genes are perhaps the source of even more serious myths than computers.
--- p.35

The world is automatically filled with germline replicators whose active phenotypic effects guarantee their successful reproduction.
These phenotypic effects are what we see as adaptations that aid survival.
If we ask who adapted to ensure their survival, the fundamental answer is neither the group nor the individual, but the replicator itself.
I previously summarized the characteristics of successful replicators as “longevity, fecundity, and fidelity”—slogans reminiscent of the French Revolution.
--- p.153

Just as every gene is the center of a sphere of influence that spreads throughout the world, every phenotypic trait is the convergence of the influences of countless genes, both within and outside the individual's body. The entire biosphere, the entire animal and plant world, seemingly related to the BBC theorem, intersects with an intricate network of genetic spheres of influence and a web of phenotypic power.
I seem to hear the following television commentary:
“Imagine shrinking down to the size of a mitochondrion and placing it outside the nuclear envelope in a human zygote, in a convenient location for observation.
We see millions of messenger RNA molecules streaming into the cytoplasm with the mission of phenotypic expression.
Now let's get into the leg buds that grow in the chick embryo as cells grow.
“Feel the chemical derivatives floating down the axial slope at a gentle slope!”

--- pp.394~395