>Hi,
>
>>No I haven't. What is the essence of the book, and what Dawkins series are you referring to?
>
>Matt Ridley's a biologist. "The origins of virtue" attempts to explain collaborative behaviour in terms of the evolutionary benefit to the individual (actually the individuals DNA -see below)
>
>Richard Dawkins is also a biologist

Oh I know who Dawkins IS (1st saw him on the Christmas Lectures a few years back - my favourite "kids'" programme :-)

>with a string of books exploring evolution from the 'point of view' of DNA. In order of writing (and all worth reading):
>The Selfish Gene
>The Extended Phenotype
>The Blind Watchmaker
>River out of Eden

So this is what you mean by his series, i.e. all his books?

>
>Although a serious biologist all these titles probably fall into the category of 'Popular Science' - i.e readable/understandable by the layman.

I'm a little less "lay" than most so I'm surfe I'd understand

Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll get one in my Xmas stocking :-)

Cheers

Terry