The Extended Phenotype

After borrowing and completing The Selfish Gene(1976) from a friend a few years ago, this sequel is considered by Richard Dawkins to be his best written book. So I was always reminded to eventually start on it, which turned out to be deeper in it's concept than I thought.

Where as his first book introduced to us the perception and behaviour of genes, this one goes much further in detailed arguments for what the title itself represents. A phenotype is summarized as the composite of an organism's observable characteristics, such as a spider's web.

The Extended Phenotype argues how genes are affected by all effects of their environment, so that individual organisms are morphologically shaped differently amongst other fields of biology. Phenotypes are not limited to predictable outcomes depending on proteins and tissue growth.

Dawkins is asking for a new perspective of observing organisms, molecules, genes and cells here, and he goes in great depths to argue about many topics surrounding those, while cleaning up any confusion and mis-interpretations people might have had on his previous published works, including five arguments surrounding the term "Survival of the fittest" and in particular the word "fittest" or "fitness".

It was originally meant to be read for professional biologists and anyone supporting Neo-Darwinism. Being a fan myself of Richard for quite a few years already thanks to his debates being uploaded online, which mainly are against religious people, I discovered his earlier reputation of a well respected biologist soon after and before I knew it I finished reading The Selfish Gene.

Although I was only educated in basic terms about biology back in high school, I continue to be impressed by myself to have the will to read through some of the most important books of history out there, including this large topic of science.

The Extended Phenotype is a very detailed look about phenotypic phenomenon which are basically categorized into 3 types commonly, and it certainly let my brain run wild at certain moments of imagination and rational thoughts.

But you might be surprised of it's potential to give a new perception of the micro universe that resides in every human inside their bodies, and of course the natural environment that even humans experience daily.

Perhaps The Extended Phenotype is also a symbolic book connecting biology with societies and cultures.

Rating: **(out of 4)