The Blind Watchmaker

Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

By: Richard Dawkins

Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward

Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

The Blind Watchmaker, knowledgably narrated by author Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward, is as prescient and timely a book as ever. The watchmaker belongs to the 18th-century theologian William Paley, who argued that just as a watch is too complicated and functional to have sprung into existence by accident, so too must all living things, with their far greater complexity, be purposefully designed. Charles Darwin's brilliant discovery challenged the creationist arguments; but only Richard Dawkins could have written this elegant riposte. Natural selection - the unconscious, automatic, blind, yet essentially nonrandom process Darwin discovered - is the blind watchmaker in nature.

©1986, 1987, 1996 Richard Dawkins (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As readable and vigorous a defense of Darwinism as has been published since 1859. ( The Economist)

"The best general account of evolution I have read in recent years." (E. O. Wilson, Professor in Entomology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University)

“Dawkins’s explanation of the evolutionary process continues to be timely and revelatory…This dual reading is an interesting model for a scientific text. It helps to clarify and emphasize points… this is a commendable production, and an excellent primer on how evolution works.” ( AudoFile)

Brilliant exposition of Darwinism.

Though his examples are somewhat dated in the sense that newer discoveries have allowed for fresher examples, they are none the less still revealing and accesible helping to flesh out the explanation of not only how Darwinism makes sense of biological data but is so far the only method man has thought of that can explain the emergence of complexity.

Great advocacy, no cigar

While I loved the book and got a firm handle on what Darwinism is all about, the idea that throwing random mutations against a wall of material circumstance can account for our world, is a thesis I can easily resist.
It reminds me of Knuth’s example of how to build a random number generator using random algorithms. (Super colosal random number generator. Viol 2 Alf K, intro)
Things are not that clear or well behaved!

Come on Richard, You're better than this

Really? You switch between You and Lalla just to prove what? It's confusing, that's a), b) it takes the focus away, for a good part of the book and c) what is it? Some kind of LGBTi SJW Woman Equality BS? You're an evolutionary biologist ffs, not Karen.

1.5 speed

Rough at first until I put it on 1.5
Then excellent

Apparently I need 15 words to leave a review
Why doesn’t the world favor brevity?

A great update for Darwin's Origin of Species.

Dawkins dose an excellent job explaining some of the more complex ideas and arguments of evolution. This book gives modern answers to modern questions that did not exist in Darwin's time.

A true Dawkins

If you like nuanced and precise reasoning this book is s perfect match. Add to this Dawkins beautiful and well modulated performance, you have full house. I have one absolutely minor complaint. The chapter about punctuated equilibrium would have benefitted from a rewrite. His conflict with Gould and Eldredge is probably the source of the tension I sensed in that chapter.

Natural selection in a goldilock zone

Excellent narration. When the literate and illiterate go down a spiral created by perpetrators and fueled by blindness, happened in the past, happening now, and will do so in the future. It will adapt changing names, postulates, and axioms.

Great Dawkins book for a college grad

Start the kids out with a Dawkins book that's a little easier to digest, like "Greatest Show on Earth" or "Magic of Reality". Since I believe that EVERY human being should read Dawkins' work, I think it's only fair that I classify WHO should read this one. If you're a logical adult, with a decent education, then this is a must have for your library.

If you are not familiar with Dawkins, then I cannot be clear enough about whether or not you should read this book. IF you are interested in Evolution AT ALL....even a little tiny bit...then READ THIS BOOK! It is the bible of evolution!

Always wonderful

Richard Dawkins is always wonderful with his explanation of evolution and his way with words it is a joy to read

Nothing less than brilliant

This book is nothing less than an entrance to the magical history of life and its origins.