The Blind Watchmaker as the most important popular science book since "The Blind Watchmaker", "and in effect a sequel [to it]." The Blind Watchmaker The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design is a 1986 book by Richard Dawkins, in which the author presents an explanation of, and argument for, the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. He also presents arguments to refute certain criticisms made on his first book, "The Selfish Gene". (Both books espouse the gene-centric view of evolution.) An unabridged audiobook edition was released in 2011, narrated by Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward.
The Selfish Gene and Natural Selection" (1966), which argued that altruism is not based upon group benefit "per se", but is a result of selection that occurs "at the level of the gene mediated by the phenotype" and any selection at the group level occurred only under rare circumstances. This approach was developed further during the 1960s by W. D. Hamilton and others who opposed group selection and selection aimed directly at benefit to the individual organism: Despite the principle of 'survival of the fittest' the ultimate criterion which determines whether [a gene] "G" will spread is not whether the behavior is to