Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science

Richard Dawkins' Memoirs #2

by Richard Dawkins

In this hugely entertaining sequel to the New York Times bestselling memoir An Appetite for Wonder, Richard Dawkins delves deeply into his intellectual life spent kick-starting new conversations about science, culture, and religion and writing yet another of the most audacious and widely read books of the twentieth century—The God Delusion.

Called “one of the best nonfiction writers alive today” (Stephen Pinker) and a “prize-fighter” (Nature), Richard Dawkins cheerfully, mischievously, looks back on a lifetime of tireless intellectual adventure and engagement. Exploring the halls of intellectual inquiry and stardom he encountered after the publication of his seminal work, The Selfish Gene; affectionately lampooning the world of academia, publishing, and television; and studding the pages with funny stories about the great men and women he’s known, Dawkins offers a candid look at the events and ideas that encouraged him to shift his attention to the intersection of culture, religion, and science. He also invites the reader to look more closely at the brilliant succession of ten influential books that grew naturally out of his busy life, highlighting the ideas that connect them and excavating their origins.

On the publication of his tenth book, the smash hit, The God Delusion, a “resounding trumpet blast for truth” (Matt Ridley), Richard Dawkins was catapulted from mere intellectual stardom into a circle of celebrity thinkers dubbed, “The New Atheists”—including Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett.

Throughout A Brief Candle in the Dark, Dawkins shares with us his infectious sense of wonder at the natural world, his enjoyment of the absurdities of human interaction, and his bracing awareness of life’s brevity: all of which have made a deep imprint on our culture.

Genres: Science, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography, Biology

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[David Rubenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this book is autobiographical. Richard Dawkins collects anecdotes from his professional life. He has led a fascinating life, and has become friends with a number of wonderfully intelligent and interesting people. I guess I am a bit jealous of his experiences! Some people think that Dawkins comes off as being arrogant, but I totally disagree. To me, he comes across as a good person, often humble, who admits mistakes yet recognizes his value to science and to society. I find his writing to be inspiring.

Dawkins has written a number of books about evolution, and some have become classics. If you are unfamiliar with his books, you may not appreciate many of the references in this book. And, in some of the later chapters he dives into evolution science, which can become rather technical.

[Troy Blackford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fabulous and far more gripping follow up to 'An Appetite for Wonder,' this book chronicles the great biologist's life from the publication of 'The Selfish Gene' on, and it's a very variegated and intriguing life indeed. Sectioned out into themes, it gets better and better as it goes on, and is certainly of interest to anyone who is familiar with the man's work.

[Will Ansbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather better-constructed book than An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist, his autobiography of the first half of his life. In this, he drops the chronological approach and it’s more thematic. It starts as it ends, with a 70th birthday party in his honour, and in between covers his research, public speaking, media presentations, encounters with a diverse range of humanity, and of course his writing.

It’s great to read vicariously about a life so rich in experience that he is able to rub shoulders with other world-class scientists, philosophers, Nobel prize-winners and royalty. There is nothing in the way of self-promotion or name-dropping about all this, in fact Dawkins writes about himself and his interactions with others in an amusing and self-deprecating way. Quite the opposite of how he has been maligned as an extremist by so many religious groups. Yes, in his books he can be iconoclastic and a little tiresome when preaching to the converted, but it’s clear from what he says here that he’s more disappointed than angry when the reaction to his arguments is emotional rather than rational.

As I said, he’s written this thematically rather than chronologically. Thus there are entertaining chapters on his interactions with the media, his publishing ventures (which of course he is most famous for) and his scientific research – again as in the first book, there are several rather endearing vignettes of some quite mundane work with insect life.

If I had one criticism it would be that rather than describe his life around his writing – how he managed it, what he was thinking, etc - he tends to summarize the main themes of each of his books as though he were reviewing them himself. While it is rather nice to have summaries of the books that I haven’t (yet) read, I read this one to know more about Dawkins, and I didn’t really get that. On the other hand, outside their work, does it really matter that much whether a scientist’s private life is a mess or not?

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading his earlier autobiography, An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist, I wasn't in a rush to read this one, but I'm glad I did. I liked it more since he covers his adult life in roughly chronological order teaching, writing, & lecturing touching on the many wonderful people he's met. Many are quite famous, others are unknown, but his remarks about them were usually quite nice & interesting. He's a lot like my father-in-law, another man I respected immensely. He rarely has anything bad to say about anyone even when they've clashed. Dawkins is always generous with praise where it is due unlike another science book I read recently where the author (Reich) took all the credit for everything. Unlike him, Dawkins seems quite pleased when his students have outpaced him in one respect or another & he often makes much of those who have corrected his mistakes or taken his initial work further. He seems positively delighted when they've outstripped him & that's no mean feat.

One of the best bonuses was learning more about his second wife, Lalla Ward, who often alternates narration in Dawkins' audio editions of his books. I hadn't realized she was a leading lady in Dr. Who or that she was so talented in other arts. (She painted a tie for Dawkins & the Queen thought the animal was ugly, although the artwork was good.)

Dawkins also mentions most of his books & what they cover. It's worth getting a text version of this book for the picture section at the end, but I really enjoyed Dawkins' narration of the audiobook edition. It was very much like a conversation with the great man. Highly recommended.

[Sharon A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel this book helped me understand Dawkins considerably more than I did previously. It also deepened my appreciation for him and his life's work - in zoology, evolutionary biology, religion, philosophy, and science in society.

There is no sign of him being mean-spirited, and I have not seen that from him in his daily life either. I may not always agree with him but he presses me with his arguments to examine why I do not. In that way, he is a great teacher.

His emotions are simple, direct, and natural, while his intellect is deep and thought is complex. I do not think he will be remembered by history as a bully or strident or insulting (none of which do I think he is); he will be memorialized and regarded for pushing us to think and for challenging society on some topics (and certain people and bad ideas) that REALLY needed to be challenged.

Other than some long quotes from other sources, and poems that I could do without, this was a good read for those who know Richard Dawkins' work.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawkins second book on his life this one features the later part of his life and goes into his writing books and his lectures. Great writing by one of the best science writers and teachers of how the real world works. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to know how a scientist thinks and explains evolution to the general public.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book. The worst part is the illustrations weren't there. I'll have to get the final version just for those. Richard Dawkins is a renowned biologist, atheist, and lecturer. This book is funny, informative, digressive, and both educational and entertaining. It's hard to summarize it otherwise. Some of it is biographical - I didn't know he was married to a former Doctor's Companion and it was fun learning about Oxford pedagogical techniques. I loved his descriptions of scientists he knew and worked with, especially the other Simonyi lecturers. It's a good read.

[Ria Bella · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap Book ever written
BOOOO DAWKINS

[Jeff Koeppen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sequel to Dawkins' first autobiography An Appetite for Wonder I've read some of his books and have seen him speak twice, and after reading this two autobiographies I feel like I know him better. Like I said in the review of An Appetite for Wonder, I wish I would've know some of this information when I met him in person. Oh well.

Brief Candle in the Dark held my interest from start to finish. It was full of great science, consistently funny, and always fascinating. This second book starts up where the first left off - right after the publication of The Selfish Gene in 1976 but the events are not in chronological order but are organized by subject. For example, he devotes chapters to his lectures, debates, TV experiences, scientific studies, encounters with other notables of science and society, and other themes.

I was surprised to hear him lightheartedly chat about the time he was lampooned on South Park, considering how that all went down! He has spent time with innumerable big names in the scientific community Some of my favorites: he heaps admiration on to the brilliant planetary scientist Carolyn Porco and her stellar career (who appeared with him at the Dallas event I attended), talks about time spent with Neil Armstrong, and recounts the time spent with the famous paleoanthropologist Richard Leaky, which contains probably the most funny story in the whole book. He also gives a touching tribute to his friend, the great Christopher Hitchens.

To my delight he spends more time in this second installment skewering religion, particularly creationism. He is constantly being attacked by creationists. And when your best selling book is titled The God Delusion religious leaders are going to come after you and challenges to debate arrive fast and furious. One of the funniest anecdotes in this part of the book relates to a lecture with a Q&A he gave in Virginia in which nearby Liberty University (Jerry Fallwell's religious fundamental institution) sent a bunch of students to riddle Dawkins with questions about biblical "facts", fossil dating methods, evolution, etc., and one mentioned that Liberty possessed a three thousand year old dinosaur fossil and what did he think of that? He replied, “leave and go to a proper university”! Another enjoyable rebuttal of religious fundamentalism is his reading from and passionately rebutting a Jehovah Witness pamphlet which portents to explain how the world came about supernaturally rather than from a natural means. Dawkins states, "Creationists have lost ignominiously lost the argument, and deception is their last resort".

Dawkins didn't like debating theologians as he felt it gave them and their beliefs perceived equal footing with science upon the stage. He did some debates, though, and one memorable exchange went like this:

Jesuit Father George Coyne: "God is not an explanation, if I were seeking for a God of explanation I probably would be an atheist".

Richard Dawkins: "That's exactly why I am and atheist. If an all-powerful creator God is really there, how could he not be an explanation for things. Or if he's not the explanation for anything, what exactly does he do with his time to make him worth worshipping?"

He also talks a lot about his intellectual life and does a deep dive in to a few of his research projects. I didn't find these parts of the book as enjoyable as his personal anecdotes but the science was always fascinating and it was interesting to hear him talk about his thought processes and theories.

I listened to him narrate this on Audible. I think that's the way to experience this Richard is a great speaker. Admirers of him will enjoy his anecdotes and appreciate learning what makes this great scientist tick.

[MOHSIN · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap Book to Learn something.

[عماد العتيلي · Rating 3 out of 5]

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This book was better than An Appetite For Wonder, but I think it is just as boring!
I enjoy Dawkins on Youtube more than I enjoy his books! I found nothing special in his memoirs, they were just a collection of stories - most of them funny stories - that happened with him. honestly, I got bored reading them most of the time!


‫ ‬
That doesn't mean I didn't highlight many inspiring lines. I think even the worst books must have some wise quotes in them that are worth highlighting.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is one of the world most crap-est book very written and i have ever read this books contain nothing but Dawking fairtales and jokes..I hate this book Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science ,This book is not a book because it sucks

[denudatio_pulpae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Druga część wspomnień Richarda Dawkinsa jest jeszcze ciekawsza niż pierwsza. Znajdziemy tu wspaniały opis bogatego środowiska naukowego, w jakim autor się obraca. Niesamowite, z jak wieloma wielkimi naukowcami miał styczność i możliwość dyskusji. Kolejny raz poczułam też pewną dozę zazdrości, ponieważ postanowiłam porzucić karierę naukową dla walki w okopach (co czasami, w tych gorszych momentach, odczuwam jako błąd mojego życia – a lektura tego typu tylko pogłębia moje wyrzuty sumienia). Można więc spokojnie przyjąć, że „Światełko w mroku” było dla mnie lekturą poruszającą i na pewno nie pozostawiła mnie bez refleksji.

Doceniam też, że Dawkins zauważył wysiłek, jaki musieliśmy włożyć w naszą medyczną edukację:
„Jako wykładowca i tutor zawsze współczułem studentom zmuszanym do zapamiętywania olbrzymiej ilości faktów i zastanawiałem się, jak to żmudne zadanie im ułatwić. Najgorzej chyba mają studenci medycyny, ale niestety moja ulubiona pedagogiczna sztuczka, którą nazywam „darwinowskim inżynierem”, nie na wiele zdałaby się badaczom tego onieśmielającego kłębowiska faktów, jakim jest ludzka anatomia”.

Wiadomości miał z pierwszej ręki – jego córka studiowała medycynę. Zaznaczę też przy okazji, że nie wiem jak jest obecnie, ale ja uczyłam się anatomii w pełnym wymiarze, tak jak studenci wydziału lekarskiego. I było to najgorsze doświadczenie mojego życia :D

Wracając do książki - fascynujące jest dla mnie podejście autora do samej nauki:
„Cóż – pożytków z nauki nikt negować nie może (chyba najczęściej przytaczany przykład to nieprzywierająca patelnia jako efekt programu kosmicznego; skądinąd mit), ale ja za Carlem Saganem namawiałem moich słuchaczy do zwracania uwagi na drugi koniec tego spektrum: nauka jako poezja i wizja, a nie tylko „nieprzywierające patelnie”. Już wcześniej zresztą gdzieś mówiłem, że „koncentrowanie się wyłącznie na użyteczności nauki to trochę tak, jak chwalenie muzyki za to, że daje skrzypkom świetną sposobność do ćwiczenia mięśni ramion”.

Chyba mogę powiedzieć, że chociaż jestem raczej team „nieprzywierające patelnie”, to właśnie podejście Richarda Dawkinsa pozwoliło mi na zmianę optyki. Jego pasja i zaangażowanie udzielały mi się podczas lektury jego książek, za co jestem bardzo wdzięczna.

Ciekawa była również anegdota związana z determinizmem genetycznym:
„To samo mogę powiedzieć o źródłach mojej wiedzy o współczesnej psychologii poznawczej. I o historii ludzkiej przemocy. Ze Stevem Pinkerem łączy mnie też to, że obaj należymy do tej niezbyt licznej grupy naukowców (wspólnie z Jimem Watsonem i Carigiem Venterem), których genom został w całości zsekwencjonowany. Z profilu genetycznego Steve’a wynika, że powinien być nieprzeciętnie inteligentny (co raczej nie jest zaskakujące), ale też, co zabawne – wystarczy sprawdzić w Internecie, jak wygląda – kompletnie łysy. Płynie stąd cenna lekcja, na co chciałbym zwrócić uwagę – otóż w większości przypadków konkretny gen jedynie w minimalnym stopniu zwiększa statystyczne prawdopodobieństwo posiadania (lub nieposiadania) określonej cechy, jego działanie jest bowiem zależne od całego mnóstwa innych czynników oraz od interakcji z innymi genami”.

Taka mała dygresja – bardzo często spotykam się z podobnym problemem w swojej pracy, ponieważ moi pacjenci uparcie nie chcą (lub nie potrafią) dopuścić do siebie myśli, że choroba próchnicowa po pierwsze – nie jest obowiązkowa, po drugie – jest chorobą wieloczynnikową, której jednym składowych jest oczywiście podatność zęba (która częściowo jest uwarunkowana genetycznie), ale jednak potrzebuje do rozwoju bakterii, substratu i czasu, kiedy bakterie będą mogły wytworzyć kwas uszkadzający powierzchnię szkliwa. Na nic często zdają się moje tłumaczenia, kiedy opiekun mojego małego pacjenta jest przekonany, że skoro jego rodzice mieli próchnicę, on miał, to i jego dziecko mieć musi. To prawie jak anegdota znana mi ze studiów – jak wygląda otyłość genetyczna? Gruby ojciec, gruba matka, grube dziecko i… gruby pies :) W uproszczeniu – owszem, możemy odziedziczyć pewną skłonność do danej choroby, ale nie oznacza to, że tak po prostu na nią zachorujemy (pomijając przypadki typu pląsawica Huntingtona – choroba dziedziczona w sposób autosomalny dominujący).

Podsumowując – cieszę się, że mogłam bliżej poznać autora oraz środowisko, w jakim się obraca. Było to dla mnie ciekawe i budujące doświadczenie, chociaż, jak wspomniałam na początku, podszyte nutką zazdrości :)
7/10

[Moshe Mikanovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a memoir than a biography, Dawkins has a way to make me feel right about changes I have made in my life. Even when I don't fully understand the intricate logic or scientific deductions, Dawkins is a pleasure to listen to. Reading his own book, as much posh or old-world-Oxford/British-intellectually as Dawkins might sound, he does his best to explain himself in a plain way. This book has a lot of many different small stories from his experience in the academia, lecturing, public media etc. Splendid!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Dr Dawkins FRS, etc.

Remember how I said, "Fewer biology lessons" in the first volume of your autobiography? If only you had listened. You retain the superb command of language and wit that marked An Appetite For Wonder, and the eccentric stories of scientists - especially of the Oxbridge species - remain appreciated.

But the long, long final chapter that sums up your chief theories and publications is a little dense for the space allotted and, dare I say in all humility, for the purposes of this book. Which is the endearing, intimate, entertaining, and almost inspiring story of your life.

But I'd certainly recommend Volume I and the first two-thirds of Volume II to fellow readers.

Yours, etc.

[Salmonxt · Rating 2 out of 5]

worst book

[mybookishrants · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was encouraging to hear him humility and how he worked with so many great minds to produce the science and literature I've come to know.

[Jeff Chay · Rating 4 out of 5]

By turns jovial and poignant, yet always witty and amusing, permeated with a boundless enthusiasm for reason and science. An illuminating portrait of a great man.

[DrosoPHila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Name-checking The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan, this is in two parts. Part 1 consists of fairly orthodox memoirs. A lot of thanks and quite rambly in places; a few funny stories (not necessarily his own), and some debasing public schoolboy-level innuendo describing his wife "Lalla reclining in a punt while I poled her romantically up the Cherwell". Really!?!

The second part is really an extended post-script to the author's books. This part won't make a large amount of sense unless you have read most of his books already and reasonably well remember their contents. I would include in this the somewhat technical Extended Phenotype . Dawkins even encourages prioritising such reading over this volume, and I would tend to agree.

At university my professors generally thought that Dawkins had a sense of self-importance greater than his actual worth. I don't think this criticism is fair. In my view, Dawkins is always humble and he always praises his colleagues where credit is due. I do however pointedly think many readers ascribe more importance to him than he should be credited for, and for which he would probably be embarrassed to receive. It is as though his fans read his books yet singularly fail to comprehend the historical origins of the concepts presented therein, despite their being very clearly presented with great scientific names attached. So, fans, when Dawkins praises John Maynard Smith, Bill Hamilton, Alan Grafen, Robert Trivers, etc please take note. Dawkins has been very fortunate to work in an environment so richly populated by great minds.

[Todd Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief Candle in the Dark is the red-hot, scandal-filled memoir from the UK’s hottest atheist. From the sex behaviors of wasps to a raunchy prowl through scientific conferences, Dawkins leaves nothing to the imagination in this revealing tell-all filled with juicy gossip and sizzling behind-the-scenes biological action. The book has it all: sex, wasps, Darwin, conferences, education, sex, secrets, neckties, atheism, sex, scientific colleagues, phenotypes, speciation, academic debates and, of course, sex.

Sorry, got a little carried away there. But seriously, you can’t have evolution without S.E.X.!!

Actually the book is Richard Dawkins’ memoir of covering the period from 1976 and the publishing of The Selfish Gene until the present (his life leading up to 1976 is covered in his 2013 memoir An Appetite for Wonder). Dawkins roughly organizes the book chronologically and roughly again by topic, although he frequently digresses onto subjects tangential to that on hand and of course interjects information relating to Darwin and evolution because he is presumably unable to help himself. The controversy that has surrounded him at times never seems to penetrate his dry, English reserve and one is left with the impression of a man with a passion for science, intelligence and discovery of the truths of the world, wherever they may lie.

Dawkins also recaps what he believes to be his most significant contributions to the field of biology. These mainly involve thought experiments such as: Mt. Improbable, the selfish gene, memes and the extended phenotype which encourage individuals to approach the field with an entirely new mindset.

Overall the book is good, though not riveting. If you’re wondering what the life of an extremely successful science communicator is like, this book is a good place to start. It makes me wistful for the academic life I never had and rather made me wish I had stuck it out through a PhD.

[J.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s always fascinating to read a memoir by a great scientific mind. This book, although plagued by some digressions (recognized at the outset by the author) is no exception, and it gives a tour (a deluxe, limo tour) of the thinking behind a life devoted to Biology and to argue philosophical positions in world which complains a bit too loudly about those who have no faith.

Whether you agree or not with Dawkins’ strong stand against organized religion, he has produced some of the best science books for the layman on the late 20th Century. More opinionated and less romantic than Carl Sagan, his work nevertheless dug deep into the area where science and philosophy intermix (I still remember the day I bought The Selfish Gene, a book like no other on his time). Here, we get to learn about Dawkins’ personal life, the enviable lot of some of the smartest people in the world he’s met in his professional journey. We also glance behind the curtains to see what made his writings so influential. This memoir component is the best of this book—plus an odd fascination with poetry I didn’t expect from him.

The part that’s less easy to go through and gives the reader some “reading pains” is the excessive detail—and the frustrating lack of it, when trying to understand the bulk—one finds about each and every one of his books. For those works I haven’t read, the experience is confusing; for those I did, I wanted to go through them again, to see what I’ve missed. I also cared very little about the books’ many editions and their differences.

Other than containing some technical material that might’ve been best if left out, this is a worth-reading and unusual memoir, an inner look to and by an influential scientist that calls attention to some of the great debates in science and culture.

[Steven Wetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had me captivated from cover to cover....

The second installment of Richard Dawkins autobiography, this captivating reminiscence of his life from around the time of his publication of The Selfish Gene keeps you wanting to read more from beginning to end. Mostly a recollection of past projects, from scientific experiments, television documentaries, debates, parties, etc. Also some fond memories of past and present associations in the scientific, literary, film and academic communities. This book truly gives you an idea of who and what inspired and or influenced Dr. Dawkins throughout the latter half of his life. Certain passages really made me feel as if I had actually experienced some of those spectacular moments in his life that he was describing. He has lead an exciting and productive life. The world is a better place because of his contributions and we as a society should be inspired and truly grateful for those contributions and his eagerness to share them.

[Jason Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume of Dawkins' memoirs tells of his work in science, his life as an Oxford scholar and his wider career as a writer, broadcaster and public figure. The Prof seems a bit more affably revealing in this volume, telling us a little about his marriages and his daughter, as well his unconcealed irritation with the sometimes obtuse claims of his American counterpart Stephen Jay Gould.

There are lots of pleasing academic anecdotes and appealing picture sections; but the long closing section reviewing the themes of his books mostly feels like a retread of old ground.

Discussion of some of the non-scientific controversies in which he's also been embroiled could have been interesting: the twitter storms; the little media furore over the closure of his web forum; or his later legal spat with that site's manager, to whom Dawkins had once dedicated a book.

It's a breezy, lively, interesting, though safe, autobiography.

[Mikko Muilu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Richard's way of talking, writing and thinking. This is a book about his life and about all the people that have had an effect on him. If you know only about his work as an atheist and judge him because of his tweets, this book might be just for you. He has lived astonishing life and thank ... him .. he's still working and carrying on his career. I've read all his books, most of them several times, and finally I got this "backstage" view of the processes behind them. I think I have to revisit those older books, now that I know what he was thinking and going through during the writing process.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting life he's led, dedicated to science and reason. Covers the second half of his life, mid-thirties on. So positive about all the people he's met along the way, with some very specific exceptions, which seems to reflect his general outlook on life. He comes across as very secure and confident about his role in advancing science and the "new atheism" movement, but not overblown or egotistical. Very readable, although I did scan a little of the more intense descriptions of his research towards the end.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of this book took the form of what I'd imagine having Dawkins as my tutor at Oxford would be like: educational and full of amazing stories about the coolest places and people in the scientific world. But he also spends an exhausting amount of time later in the book talking about his computer programs and I just can't get excited about that part of his life at all. It's ultimately what kept me from giving this book 5 stars.

[George · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having depleted most of my interest in, fascination for, and excitement over the mating/burrowing/birthing practices of female 'digger' wasps, and/or of evolutionarily stable strategies; my own 'brief candle' gutters—and I have gleefully abandoned this book after reading its first 17%. —No recommendation.

[Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't normally comment on books which I've abandoned but, seeing as how I made it to 60%, I feel justified in doing so this time.

Mildly interesting at times, this failed however to hold my attention. A blend of anecdote, name-dropping and science none of which somehow stimulated me sufficiently to keep me going until the end.

[Caroline Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Putting aside my distaste for Richard Dawkins, the book was engaging, well written, and more personal than his previous memoir. His writing ages well, and there's a reason that he's called one of the best nonfiction writers of our time.

[Matthew McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Richard Dawkins read this amazing work himself on my phone as I delivered pizzas. As well as being incredibly charming and totally brilliant he has the most beautiful voice. I love this man.