Selfish Gene

Originally posted: 6 March 2007

Finally finished reading the last pages of the critically acclaimed and most life-changing book I have ever read...

Ok, so I have made such sweeping statements about books that I read before. But this one really takes the cake. Another recent book which really challenged my perspective was Thomas Friedman's "The Earth is Flat: Brief History of the 21st Century", but it only really changed my perspective about the near future, aka employment prospects and not in the nice way. (In fact, I felt more depressed after reading it) For me, what Richard Dawkins (incidentally the author of the Selfish Gene) made me feel better about myself; for one thing it's a good conversation starter with the biologists.

Born into a predominately secular society, where religion (or superstition) is completely removed from schools; I never really understood why the hell would people want their children to be taught nonsense about a crazy ass god, virgin births and the superiority of a certain desert race. But they did ask some fundamental questions that I never asked until my first ever bible ed class: "meaning of life", "life after death" and in this context the ultimate question: "where did we come from?"

Never taken into the Christian faith; probably due to my experiences in primary school (prep for you elitist bastards) forced to join their discussions and later, received punishment for not believing the ultimate and undying truth that is written in the bible...but that's another story.

Then what started as a stubborn rebellion against authority turned to into a crusade when I made the mistake of going to a little high school called Bishops. I was almost certain that all forms of religion was BS before I started; by the time I finished there...it was just pure agony whenever someone asks me "Have you been saved?" *INSERT HERE* The most horrible threat I have ever made and multiply that by infinity and take it to another dimension of infinity and you'll get my general drift.

But the above mentioned questions has barely been answered; theology (whether Western or Eastern) fails hopelessly to even begin to explain it. I knew that supposedly, the origin of life could be potentially explained by evolution; but had many reservations about a theory that I know so little about.

This is where the book is so liberating for me; actually reading it and with the turning of each page I felt liberated. Previously I was only certain that there probably isn't a god, at least not one that is written by the three derivatives of the Abrahamic religions; I merely disagreed with them, but never actually had an alternative that I truly belief in.

But here is the thing, almost everyone (myself included) thought that they understood Darwinism and Theory of Evolution; but are actually surprised when they are presented with the orthodox theory and it's simple mechanism.

Read the book, it's beautifully written in such a way that even an idiot like me could understand it and feel the implications of such a theory. At least, it's infinitely better written than this note. If you're agnostic, atheist, or someone who couldn't give a damn then read it. For you religious folks...well since you managed to read this far then you should also read it, it just might change you. The book has been in print for over 30years, it started out as radical science to now being fairly orthodox views (I stand to be corrected) and that shows for something.