Unweaving the Rainbow - Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

The renowned biologist and thinker Richard Dawkins presents his most expansive work yet: a comprehensive look at evolution, ranging from the latest developments in the field to his own provocative views. Loosely based on the form of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, Dawkins's Tale takes us modern humans back through four billion years of life on our planet. As the pilgrimage progresses, we join with other organisms at the forty "rendezvous points" where we find a common ancestor. The band of pilgrims swells into a vast crowd as we join first with other primates, then with other mammals, and so on back to the first primordial organism.Dawkins's brilliant, inventive approach allows us to view the connections between ourselves and all other life in a bracingly novel way. It also lets him shed bright new light on the most compelling aspects of evolutionary history and theory: sexual selection, speciation, convergent evolution, extinction, genetics, plate tectonics, geographical dispersal, and more. The Ancestor's Tale is at once a far-reaching survey of the latest, best thinking on biology and a fascinating history of life on Earth. Here Dawkins shows us how remarkable we are, how astonishing our history, and how intimate our relationship with the rest of the living world.

Il était une fois nos ancêtres: Une histoire de l'évolution

The God Delusion  caused a sensation when it was published in 2006. Within weeks it became the most hotly debated topic, with Dawkins himself branded as either saint or sinner for presenting his hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types.   His argument could hardly be more topical. While Europe is becoming increasingly secularized, the rise of religious fundamentalism, whether in the Middle East or Middle America, is dramatically and dangerously dividing opinion around the world. In America, and elsewhere, a vigorous dispute between ''intelligent design'' and Darwinism is seriously undermining and restricting the teaching of science. In many countries religious dogma from medieval times still serves to abuse basic human rights such as women''s and gay rights. And all from a belief in a God whose existence lacks evidence of any kind.  Dawkins attacks God in all his forms. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children.   The God Delusion  is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject.

THE GOD DELUSION - 10TH ANNIVERSARY

The extraordinary history of British science, with commentary from Britain's greatest living scientists: Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins and James Dyson

 We may only be a small island, but we are far from small-minded. Over the last 500 years, the way we live has been steadily transformed by the inventions of British scientists, and their landmark discoveries have revealed the astonishing beauty of the universe.

 Genius of Britain is the story of the flashes of inspiration experienced by generations of British scientists as they realised they were about to change the world. Every one of the characters that make up this rich tradition has a unique and very human story. The relationships between them range from lifelong collaboration to bitter rivalry. Some had vast fortunes, whilst others overcame poverty and a lack of education to become towering figures in the history of science. The impact of this small cast of characters is remarkable. Vaccination, inoculation and the discovery of Penicillin saved the lives of millions. The electric motor, the telephone and the personal computer created the technological age, and the theories of the Big Bang, Evolution and Gravity have shed light on some of the deepest mysteries of our existence.

 Genius of Britain intertwines the personal reflections of three of today's greatest British scientists with Robert Uhlig's compelling narrative. The result is a journey of scientific inspiration that does justice to Britain's exceptional contribution to science.

Genius of Britain (Text Only)

A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.

Pour en finir avec Dieu

Il était une fois nos ancêtres: une histoire de l’évolution

In this hugely entertaining sequel to the New York Times bestselling memoir An Appetite for Wonder, Richard Dawkins delves deeply into his intellectual life spent kick-starting new conversations about science, culture, and religion and writing yet another of the most audacious and widely read books of the twentieth century-The God Delusion. Called "one of the best nonfiction writers alive today" (Stephen Pinker) and a "prize-fighter" (Nature), Richard Dawkins cheerfully, mischievously, looks back on a lifetime of tireless intellectual adventure and engagement. Exploring the halls of intellectual inquiry and stardom he encountered after the publication of his seminal work, The Selfish Gene; affectionately lampooning the world of academia, publishing, and television; and studding the pages with funny stories about the great men and women he's known, Dawkins offers a candid look at the events and ideas that encouraged him to shift his attention to the intersection of culture, religion, and science. He also invites the reader to look more closely at the brilliant succession of ten influential books that grew naturally out of his busy life, highlighting the ideas that connect them and excavating their origins. On the publication of his tenth book, the smash hit, The God Delusion, a "resounding trumpet blast for truth" (Matt Ridley), Richard Dawkins was catapulted from mere intellectual stardom into a circle of celebrity thinkers dubbed, "The New Atheists"-including Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. Throughout A Brief Candle in the Dark, Dawkins shares with us his infectious sense of wonder at the natural world, his enjoyment of the absurdities of human interaction, and his bracing awareness of life's brevity: all of which have made a deep imprint on our culture.

Brief Candle in the Dark - My Life in Science

Nourri d'anecdotes sur les abeilles, les orchidées, les organes de la vision et les ancêtres de l'homme, ce livre répond à de multiples questions sur l'évolution des espèces.

Qu'est-ce que l'evolution ?

Un ouvrage majeur qui célèbre les merveilles de l'évolution. 
Par l'auteur des best-sellers  Pour en finir avec Dieu, Il était une fois nos ancêtres et Le Gène égoïste.
Alors que vient d'être commémoré le bicentenaire de la naissance de Darwin, Richard Dawkins rassemble ici " les données probantes montrant que la théorie de l'évolution est vraie ". Son nouvel ouvrage célèbre " la force, la simplicité et la beauté étonnantes " de l'évolution ; dans plusieurs chapitres, " Les chiens, les vaches et les choux ", " Chaînon manquant, qu'entendez-vous par manquant ? ", " L'arche des continents ", l'auteur, professeur d'Oxford et extraordinaire vulgarisateur, nous montre que les biologistes (spécialistes de l'évolution) travaillent à la manière de " détectives qui arrivent sur les lieux après un crime ". Ce dont ils disposent, et en cela ils n'ont nullement besoin d'avoir été des témoins oculaires, " ce sont les traces qui restent " (fossiles, gènes...). Des traces qui leur permettent de reconstituer l'histoire grâce à une véritable déduction scientifique, à la force imparable. 
Nous sommes presque sûrs aujourd'hui que nous descendons tous, avec toutes les créatures vivantes, d'un même ancêtre. Darwin lui-même a pu se sentir choqué par cette révélation que la nature, au fil de l'évolution, montre une indifférence totale aux souffrances et à la disparition de ceux qui n'étaient pas les plus aptes. Mais si l'on voit les coucous éjecter d'autres petits oiseaux pour prendre leur place, des mantes religieuses manger le mâle pour avoir une meilleure descendance, etc., il n'est pas question pour autant d'en tirer une morale dévoyée. " Dites que vos enfants sont des animaux et ils se conduiront comme tels ! " insiste Dawkins. 
Ce qu'il faut garder en mémoire, à l'inverse, c'est à quel point l'évolution a permis d'obtenir un monde d'une complexité, d'une élégance rares, pour tout dire merveilleux. D'où le titre du livre.

Unweaving the Rainbow - Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder

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