The Meme Machine (Paperback, Revised)

Richard Dawkins coined the term 'meme' in 1976, to refer to a cultural element that is passed on from person to person (or culture to culture) by imitation, or other non-genetic means. An idea such as the popular image of God as an old man with a long white beard could be regarded as a meme - so also could a popular song such as 'Yellow Submarine', or the concept of parliamentary democracy. Although the idea has penetrated popular culture itself (so that the meme concept is itself a meme), Blackmore has now provided the first popular account of what the whole meme idea might tell us about what it means to be human. A little more technical than Dawkins's own popularizations of the ideas of evolution, but still accessible. Review by: Dr Raj Persaud. Editor's note: Dr Raj Persaud is the author of Staying Sane: How to Make Your Mind Work for You. (Kirkus UK)

Humans are extraordinary creatures, with the unique ability among animals to imitate and so copy from one another ideas, habits, skills, behaviours, inventions, songs, and stories. These are all memes, a term first coined by Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his book The Selfish Gene. Memes, like genes, are replicators, and this enthralling book is an investigation of whether this link between genes and memes can lead to important discoveries about the nature of the inner self. Susan Blackmore makes a compelling case for the theory that the inner self is merely an illusion created by the memes for the sake of replication.

General

Imprint:	Oxford Paperbacks
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	March 2000
First published:	May 2000
Authors:	Susan Blackmore
Dimensions:	196 x 129 x 17mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	264
Edition:	Revised
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-286212-9
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Popular science Books > Humanities > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Metaphysics & ontology Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Anthropology > General Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Cognition & cognitive psychology > Learning Books > Philosophy > Topics in philosophy > Metaphysics & ontology
LSN:	0-19-286212-X
Barcode:	9780192862129

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!