The View from Mount Improbable

by Richard Dawkins

Inspired by the intricate wonders of the natural world, leading science writer Richard Dawkins argues that evolution is the only known possible theory that could solve the mystery of our existence. In this extract from Climbing Mount Improbable, published by Penguin in 1997, Dawkins considers the human eye, revealing how the slow but remorseless process of natural selection has led to incredible complexity and diversity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Biology, Evolution

57 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

Reviews

[Ape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horay! Having just registered some of my TBRs in the hope of getting some of them read and off the mountain, I thought I would get on and read this slim little book I've had waiting for about a year.

It's an excerpt from Dawkin's book Climbing Mount Improbable (which I haven't read). This is looking at the evolution of the eye, and the different kinds of eyes that have evolved independantly - nature's many different responses to the same problems. Mind-boggling really, to be honest, to start considering how the world around us, to the tiniest little aspects, came to be.

2016 note - from my 2007 bookcrossing journal.

[Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

در واقع چکیده‌ای از کتاب «صعود از کوه نامحتمل» هست در ۷۹ صفحه.
داوکینز در این کتاب فرآیند تکامل رو به رشته کوههایی تشبیه کرده که طی اون جانداران از پایین کوه با تغییر شکل تدریجی به قله کوه تکامل می رسند(تمرکز این کتاب روی بررسی روند تکامل چشم جاندارانه).

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually just an extract from Dawkins‘ 1997 release Climbing Mount Improbable, and it’s all about how eyes evolved and how intelligent design just doesn’t cut it as an explanation. Worth reading, I’d say.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excerpt from Dawkins Climbing Mount Improbable, specifically related to the evolution of the eye. It is published here as a Penguin 70.

I found this fascinating, and well presented. It discussed the varied types of eye, and the evolutionary developments happening side by side. It describes in detail the way the eye as a whole, and the various parts of the eye operate, and the differences in the eyes of lesser evolved animals and more evolved. At the end it veers briefly into genes and chromosomes and kind of went over my head, but apart from that few pages, it was a fantastic 50 pages of anatomical science.

This surprised me by being my top two of the Penguin 70s I have read.

Most will know the source book is angled in arguing that evolution rules out creation, there is little of that in the excerpt that addresses the sky-wizard. More, this book just outlines the science of the eye. The creationist arguments must take place elsewhere in the source book.

Great read. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Steve Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If creationists want to attack Darwinian evolution, they always seem to turn to the eye as the example of “proof” that the theory is flawed and that there must be a designer and a creator: God. This extract from the Richard Dawkins book Climbing Mount Improbable looks at the forty different ways (possibly as high as sixty) that eyes have evolved. Creationists also cite Darwin’s own doubt about his theory explaining how the eye formed; which they always quote out of context. Darwin did indeed say that: “The eye, to this day, gives me a cold shudder,” this is the quote always listed in creationist literature; they fail to continue the sentence, which finishes: “but when I think of the fine gradations, my reason tells me I ought to conquer the cold shudder.” I have only read one other book by Professor Dawkins that deals with evolution, The Blind Watchmaker, but Climbing Mount Improbable and The Selfish Gene have joined my want to read list.

[Regina Cattus · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's only fifty pages long, but it goes into incredible detail. I've never thought about eyes so hard before. Dawkins not only goes into the biology of it, but the physics, and to a degree the philosophy. But putting it that way doesn't do it justice. For a book that's inevitably packed with niche terminology, it's impressively accessible to the casual reader (i.e. me), though I did have to re-read some pages to make sure I understood it completely, and it is almost certainly easier to read with a reasonable grasp of GCSE-level physics and genetics behind you. It probably took me about 40mins total to read it, and it's not exactly something practical to know, but if you're looking for a short, intelligent read this could well be it. Or you could always read the full book if you'd rather...

[Malzee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great essay / chapter / excerpt. Holy moly, does this guy love eyes! And evolution! Wow. I love this because I learned many things, but he also is such a great storyteller. The structure is logical, interesting, fluid. His manner is engaging. Even his asides are so well executed—answering side questions as soon as they arise in the reader and yet not distracting from the otherwise linear presentation. Admittedly, the content did begin to get a little too into the weeds at some point where it started going over (or through) my head, but even that he managed well, providing a bonus to those who’d be into it, without losing me so entirely that he couldn’t rein me back in and finish strong. This intertwining of science and philosophy is a bit beautiful. And the idea of ectopic eye genes joining the entire animal kingdom is pretty cool. #book6 #pocketpenguins #penguin70s

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short piece. Dawkins makes his familiar point that intelligent design is not a logical conclusion just because something is complex or difficult to grasp. He uses the evolution of the eye as a vehicle to promote the fantasticalness of natural selection.

[John Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copious information about the paths to the various peaks on the hypothetical massif of Mount Improbable. Truly generous in its diversity.

[Piet van Dongen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good writer! This makes we want to read more by him.

[Ollie Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting excerpt, perhaps this would have been better as part of the larger book. Creationists eat your heart out

[Coenraad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The well-known apologist for evolution, Richard Dawkins, describes the possible way in which different eyes have evolved in the animal kingdom. He writes engagingly, drawing the reader into his argument. My favourite snippet in this excerpt of a book-length esssay on evolution is the way in which he criticises the nomenclature of geneticists when naming particular genes! Not light holiday reading, but an interesting demonstration of how evolution explains the world.

Richard Dawkins is bekend vir sy geskrifte oor evolusie. In hierdie uittreksel uit 'n veel langer werk oor die onderwerp verduidelik hy hoe verskillende soorte oë werk en deur evolusie ontwikkel het. Hy skryf verhelderend en meesleurend, hoewel sy onderwerp ingewikkeld bly. Nie vakansieleeswerk nie, maar tog 'n lonende insig in hoe evolusie die wêreld verduidelik.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Dawkins is a man driven by a passionate love of nature, and it shows. I think he is also driven by hatred and intolerance (I think he might even hate me), but we'll leave that aside for now. I learned a lot about eyes from this short little chapter. Eyes are fascinating. I have been looking at pictures of eyes on the internet because of Richard Dawkins.
He writes in a clear conversational tone, but I didn't like the 'Mount Improbable' allegory - and he relies on this image far too heavily to communicate his point.

[Roelof Kotvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little gem reads like an "Evolution Theory for Dummies". Dawkins takes the reader on a trip around the animal kingdom, explaining in great detail and with an inescapable logic, the ways in which animal eyes have developed. Several techniques of forming images, some simple, some complex, are described. The author points out the remarkable similarities between the eyes of completely different species and the distinctions between the eyes of animals that are clearly related, all of which help to support the thesis this booklet set out to prove: Darwin knew what he was doing.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice explanation of evolution of the eyes but the style somewhat hampered by the brevity of the format.