Richard Dawkins

The Profile

English evolutionary biologist and author, former Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford, known for The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion.

Born 26 March 1941 in Nairobi. Educated at the University of Oxford. Prominent populariser of evolutionary biology; author of The Selfish Gene (1976), The God Delusion (2006) and other popular-science books. Held the Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford.

The available review praises Dawkins' influence and clear, engaging writing but criticizes The God Delusion as ultimately more an attack on religious institutions than a substantive philosophical refutation of God. The reviewer found the book stimulating at first but of limited lasting impact, rating it 2/5.