07.02.10
The Selfless Gene – a review
I was very disappointed by this book and would have stopped reading after the first chapter if not for my commitment to Thomas Nelson Publishers to write a review. I found the book so tedious that it has taken me far too long to read it.
The cover notes for The Selfless Gene describe it as “a reasoned dialogue between faith and scientific study and a reconciliation of what are popularly seen as two opposing worldviews.” I found the book lacking on both fronts.
Charles Foster states in his preface that he is angry at both Darwinists and creationists, Further, he is angry with proponents of Intelligent Design. He cites Richard Dawkins as an example of the former and the Kentucky Creation Museum as an example of the later. In his arguments against the Biblical creation story, he cites discrepancies in Genesis 1 and 2, yet I could not find the creation order he cites in any of the several versions of the Bible I checked. He makes other statement which makes one wonder how he views Scripture. His references to “the compilers” betrays a view that seems to deny Scripture as inspired or as the revelation of God.
Rather than creating dialogue, reading this book became a chore I had to complete. I was tempted to skip to the last chapter to see if there was a neat summary that would help me complete my task. Alas, there was not. I cannot recommend this book.