Core reading:
Darwin, C. Origin of Species: Oxford World Edition*
Watson, J. D., Double Helix: Penguin Books*
Dawkins, R. (1995). River out of Eden. New York:Basic Books *
Darwin, C. On Natural Selection :Penguin Books, Great Ideas.
This is a very much abbreviated version of the Origin containing just the key chapters on the Struggle for Existence; Natural Selection. Excellent for readers in a hurry!
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Extended Reading:
Carroll, S. Endless forms most beautiful : New York: Norton
Darwin, D. The Descent of Man : Gibbson Square Press, students edition.
Hamilton, W. The Narrow Roads of Gene Land.
Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish gene. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
30 Years old and still one of the most important books in biology.
Dawkins, R. (1986). The Blind Watchmaker. Harrow: Longman
Dawkins, R.(1982). The Extended Phenotype. Oxford: W H. Freeman.
Dawkins, R. (1996). Climbing Mount Improbable. NewYork: Norton.
Dawkins, R. (2005). The Ancestor's Tale. Phoenix Paperback
I read the tales again and again, my favourite being Mixotrich's tale.
Dennett, D.(1995). Darwin's Dangerous Idea. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
Like Dawkins, Dennett is an astonishingly accomplished writer. Oh for an ounce of their talent!.
Ridley, M. (1993). The Red Queen. London:Penguin.
A fantastic book in which you will find yourself saying 'ah, so thats the reason'
Cairns-Smith, A.G. (1985). Seven Clues of the Origin of Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
A well regarded text, in print.
Mayr, E (2004) What Makes Biology Unique? Cambridge University Press: Cambridge
RidleyM, (1997). The Origins of Virtue. London:Penguin.
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Anthropology & The New Synthesis:
If you are interested in questions like 'Is there such a thing as race?', 'What is the evidence for the origin of man in Africa'; Why did African peoples never domesticate the Zebra'? Who colonised the polynesian Islands'? What does it mean to be human? The collapse of major civilisation, why? Then you need not look further than the following excellent books.
R. Leakey, The Origin of Humankind (London, Weidenfield & Nicolson, 1994)
B. Sykes, The Seven Daughters of Eve (Corgi Edition, 2002)
B. Sykes, Adams Curse (Norton Paperback,2003)
B. Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything (Black Swan Edition, 2004) perhaps one of the most popular books
J. Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel (Vantage 1998). This book has a web site
J Daimond, Collapse, How societies choose to fail or survive. (Penguin 2005). Already controversial !
J Daimond, The Third Chimpanzee ( HarperCollins 1992). What it is to be human!
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Reflections on Science:
R.Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow ( Penguin Press, 1998)
R.Dawkins, A Devil's Chaplain (New York, Houghton Mifflin Company 2003)' The joy of living dangerously should be read by all teachers'.
Medicine & Disease:
R. Weinberg, One Renegade Cell (Science Masters Series, 1998) Still an astonishing read particularly if read in conjunction with the autobiography of Lance Armstrong the American cyclist and former cancer patient.
Easy reading science:
P. Atkins, Periodic Kingdom ( Science Masters Series ) Excellent background reading for young biologists
Other reading:
Dirk Dreaulans, The Red Queen (Science fiction/ Novel in the great tradition)
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