Revolutionary Biology: The New, Gene-centered View of Life

There is a revolution underway in biology. It is based on a new perception of bodies and genes, in which the former are the end product of the latter within the continuum of evolution. This work explains what this approach has to offer, and then applies its insights to human beings. It is a manifesto and educated layman’s guide to this ongoing evolution. It’s purpose is to demystify the basic concepts of the genetic revolution and take the reader on a tour of the principles that underlie this turn in scientific thought. The key concept is that genes, not species, not groups, and not even individuals, are the apple of evolution’s eye. The result has been a biological paradigm shift that is making itself felt in the social sciences as well. The text not only draws on a wealth of biological evidence, but on literature, philosophy, and the familiar details of everyday life to communicate the essentials of this influential aopproach to the study of the human species.