The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is one of the most important science books of the 20th century. When I read it in 2024, I wished that I had read it earlier. I opened the book looking for the origins of the concept of the meme, but I got much more than what I hoped to get. Not only did I learn about the meme (and that we’re gene machines), but I also learned to play the game of life a little better. (Trust me when I say that you’ll even gain an understanding of dating strategies and tactics by reading this book.) Most of all, I was happy to discover that, scientifically (or statistically) speaking, nice guys can finish first. And that’s good news, isn’t it?

Here are some of my favorite quotes from The Selfish Gene:

We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn against our creators.

– Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

The only kind of entity that has to exist in order for life to arise, anywhere in the universe, is the immortal replicator.

– Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

… even with selfish genes at the helm, nice guys can finish first.

– Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene

When we die there are two things we can leave behind us: genes and memes.

– Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene