Signed First Editions of Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins FRS FRSL (b. 1941) is a famous, and sometimes controversial, British evolutionary biologist and author. An emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, he was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. In recent years, he has used his role as a public voice for science to criticize religion and all unscientific beliefs.  But he originally established his scientific reputation on the basis of his first two books, The Selfish Gene, and The Extended Phenotype, both published before he became such a public personality.

The Selfish Gene (1976) builds upon the principal theory of George C. Williams's Adaptation and Natural Selection (1966). In it, Dawkins uses the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centered view of evolution (as opposed to the views focused on the organism and the group), popularizing ideas developed during the 1960s by W. D. Hamilton and others. From the gene-centered view, it follows that the more two individuals are genetically related, the more sense (at the level of the genes) it makes for them to behave cooperatively with each other. Dawkins later said he "can readily see that [the book's title] might give an inadequate impression of its contents", and in retrospect thinks he should have called the book The Immortal Gene.  In 2017, a poll to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Royal Society science book prize listed The Selfish Gene as the most influential science book of all time.

In The Extended Phenotype (1982), essentially a sequel to The Selfish Gene, Dawkins introduced a biological concept of the same name, which presented the idea is that phenotype should not be limited to biological processes such as protein biosynthesis or tissue growth, but extended to include all effects that a gene has on its environment, inside or outside the body of the individual organism.  This second book was aimed at professional biologists, and represents Dawkins’ principal contribution to evolutionary theory.

As his first two books, they were both initially published in relatively small numbers.  Even though The Selfish Gene has since sold over a million copies world-wide, first editions are uncommon, especially “true firsts”, (i.e. UK firsts).  First editions in good condition with dust jackets are even less common, particularly The Extended Phenotype, which was published for a smaller, more technical audience.  Of course, signed copies are rarer still.

We are therefore pleased to offer excellent, signed copies of both of Dawkins first two books, in their original UK first editions.

The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1976, xi, contents, 224 pp, First UK edition. Very good+ in black cloth with gilt titles on the spine.  Covers are clean and undamaged and gilt is bright and clean.  The text has occasional light yellow highlighting and six pages where a reader made ink marginal markings to mark particular paragraphs (see photos at the bottom of this page).  (These books were, after all, ground-breaking works, which were eagerly read by students and fellow scholars.)  But otherwise, no marks or damage to text.  The unclipped dust jacket is near fine, with just very slight edge wear and sunning, and is now in a protective jacket cover.  Signed by Dawkins on the title page.

$1,250

The Extended Phenotype, The Gene as the Unit of Selection, W. H. Freeman and Company, Oxford and San Francisco (this copy printed in Suffolk, UK), 1982, viii, contents, 307 pp. First UK edition. Near fine in green cloth with silver titles on the spine and front cover. Covers and titles are clean and bright, with just the slightest bumping at the top of the spine.  The text is also clean and unmarked, with the sole exception of a previous owner’s name stamp at the top of the ffep.  The unclipped dust jacket is also near fine, with a tiny chip at the top front corner and extremely slight shelf wear, and is now in a protective jacket cover. Signed by Dawkins in blue ink on the title page.

$1,800

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