An Appetite for Wonder

The Making of a Scientist

De: Richard Dawkins

Narrado por: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward

In his first memoir, Richard Dawkins shares a rare view into his early life, his intellectual awakening at Oxford, and his path to writing The Selfish Gene. He paints a vivid picture of his idyllic childhood in colonial Africa, and later at boarding school, where he began his career as a skeptic.

Arriving at Oxford in 1959, Dawkins began to study zoology and was introduced to some of the university's legendary mentors as well as its tutorial system. It's to this unique educational system that Dawkins credits his awakening. In 1973, provoked by the dominance of group selection theory and inspired by the work of William Hamilton, Robert Trivers, and John Maynard Smith, he began to write a book he called, jokingly, "my bestseller." It was, of course, The Selfish Gene.

This is an intimate memoir of the childhood and intellectual development of the evolutionary biologist and world-famous atheist and how he came to write what is widely held to be one of the most important books of the twentieth century.

The Making of a Scientist

What made the experience of listening to An Appetite for Wonder the most enjoyable?

It is a true pleasure to hear Dawkin's story in his own voice.

Have you listened to any of Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is not their first co-narration, and I hope it won't be their last. Their performance is on top of the line.

The Memoir of a Genius

Dawkins from boy to young man, grad student to professor, science author to prolific and ardent spokesperson of disbelief. This book is the memoir of one of the greatest evolutionary biologists and an interesting character indeed. Very little science can be found inside, but you will get the full story of how Richard Dawkins came to be who he is today.

This is not exactly fascinating stuff unless you're a Dawkins fan, so I'd advise you to keep that in mind. If you are a Dawkins fan, it's a worthwhile read.

Fascinating Read

I've been a Dawkins fan for a long time, it was great to find out about the first 20 odd years of his life

Average

nothing really special or intriguing, was kind of hard to stay interested in it. Its just the first part of the story of his life.

A good told story

Objectively the life of Richard wasn't that intersting but he made it intersting. Discussing some of his early work and the relationships he had formed, Dawkins made the listening of his life story a good use of time.