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  • Brief Candle in the Dark

  • My Life in Science
  • By: Richard Dawkins
  • Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
  • Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (86 ratings)
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Brief Candle in the Dark

By: Richard Dawkins
Narrated by: Richard Dawkins
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Summary

In An Appetite for Wonder Richard Dawkins brought us his engaging memoir of the first 35 years of his life from early childhood in Africa to publication of The Selfish Gene in 1976, when he shot to fame as one of the most exciting new scientists of his generation. 

In Brief Candle in the Dark he continues his autobiography, following the threads that have run through the second half of his life so far and homing in on the key individuals, institutions and ideas that inspired and motivated him. He paints a vivid picture, coloured with wit, anecdote and digression, of the 25 postgraduate years he spent teaching at Oxford. He pays affectionate tribute to past colleagues and students, recalling with characteristic wry humour the idiosyncrasies of an establishment steeped in ancient tradition and arcane ritual while also recording his respect for the profound commitment to learning and discovery that lies at its core. 

He invites us to share the life of a travelling scientist, from fieldwork on the Panama Canal to conferences of stratospheric eminence in exotic locations in the company of some of the most prominent - and some of the most eccentric - of the world's scientific luminaries. And he describes his experiences with his many publishers, television producers, interviewers, and partners in debate, not least in the heady period when, after publication of The God Delusion in 2006, he is dubbed the world's most outspoken and controversial atheist. Most important of all, for the first time he reviews with fresh and stimulating insights the evolving narrative of his ideas about science over the course of his highly distinguished career as thinker, teacher, and writer. 

In Brief Candle in the Dark we are invited to enter with him a constantly stimulating world of discovery and to meet a fascinating cast of exceptional characters described by the talented pen of one of the most exceptional of them all.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2015 Random House Audiobooks (P)2015 Random House Audiobooks

What listeners say about Brief Candle in the Dark

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  • DD
  • 15-09-15

Fascinating incites, evolution, science and Oxford

Would you listen to Brief Candle in the Dark again? Why?

Yes

What did you like best about this story?

Nearly all of it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Excellently read by the author and lots of leads to other books I would also like to read.

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5 people found this helpful

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Fantastic read

A collection of fascinating anecdotes beautifully read by the author, I thoroughly enjoyed it. You won't be disappointed.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Grandpa RD

I would never get tired of listen to Richard, a delight to listen to snippets of his life and a layout of what his work. Not deeply personal but I respect his privacy. I appreciate the everything he shared.

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1 person found this helpful

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Science!

What did you like most about Brief Candle in the Dark?

Always nice to hear Dawkins reading his own books.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Brief Candle in the Dark?

The mention of his lampooning in southpark at the end.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

See above

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me happy.

Any additional comments?

A worthy sequel to volume one.

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1 person found this helpful