I don’t know why I keep torturing myself by reading Dawkins. I’m a believer in Jesus with a serious love and respect for the sciences. Dawkins would assume that my faith in God undermines my ability to think rationally about biology.

River Out of Eden, as the name might suggest, is a look at Darwinism with a polemical eye toward religion. It’s a short book with five chapters. He examines the following topics:

• DNA, with its combination of four letters, is essentially digital which allows it to copy itself without degeneration.
• Our ultimate ancestors are found in Africa.
• Natural selection is the most elegant way to explain every aspect of life.
• DNA is not concerned with good or evil; all that matters is self-preservation.
• A number of thresholds have been passed in self-replication (life).

Each of these topics are fascinating. Dawkins makes his case with his trademark wit and wisdom. Unfortunately, each argument is framed with pot-shots at the foolishness of religion. He’s managed to write an incisive book that’s almost impossible to read by anyone who disagrees with his view of religion (unless they have very thick skin).

Dawkins, Richard. River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life. Basic Books, 1995.