Williams, George C. (George Christopher) 1926-2010

Adaptation and natural selection; a critique of some current evolutionary thought by George C Williams( )

74 editions published between 1966 and 2018 in English and held by 3,104 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Biological evolution is a fact--but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. In 1966, simple Darwinism, which holds that evolution functions primarily at the level of the individual organism, was threatened by opposing concepts such as group selection, a popular idea stating that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. George Williams's famous argument in favor of the Darwinists struck a powerful blow to those in opposing camps. His Adaptation and Natural Selection, now a classic of science literature, is a thorough and convincing ess

Natural selection : domains, levels, and challenges by George C Williams( )

23 editions published between 1992 and 1993 in English and held by 2,024 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

In this work, George C. Williams - one of evolutionary biology's most distinguished scholars - examines the mechanism and meaning of natural selection in evolution. Williams offers his own perspective on modern evolutionary theory, including discussions of the gene as the unit of selection, clade selection and macroevolution, diversity within and among populations, stasis, and other timely and provocative topics. In dealing with the levels-of-selection controversy, he urges a pervasive form of the replicator-vehicle distinction. Natural selection, he argues, takes place in the separate domains of information and matter. Levels-of-selection questions, consequently, require different theoretical devices depending on the domain being discussed. In addressing these topics, Williams presents his synthesis of three decades of research and creative thought which have contributed greatly to evolutionary biology in this century

Why we get sick : the new science of Darwinian medicine by Randolph M Nesse( Book )

18 editions published between 1994 and 1996 in 3 languages and held by 1,079 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

"We can cure hundreds of ailments, but we understand remarkably little about why diseases exist at all. Why do we crave the very things that make us sick? Why, after thousands of generations, hasn't natural selection eliminated cancer, schizophrenia, and other scourges and evolved us into perfect human beings?"--BOOK JACKET. "Such questions are at the heart of the new discipline called Darwinian medicine, which applies the principles of evolutionary biology to the problems of medicine. The result of a unique collaboration between the chief architects of this new science - a groundbreaking Darwinian physician and one of the pioneers of modern evolutionary theory - Why We Get Sick offers a whole new set of scientific questions and suggests new ways of understanding illness."--BOOK JACKET. "Finding evolutionary explanations for why we get sick - infectious agents that evolve faster than we do, environmental novelties, genes that are selected despite the fact that they cause disease, defenses, design compromises, evolutionary legacies - can help us uncover new, more effective methods of treatment. It can help resolve medical quandaries - for example, when is it best to let a fever run its course and when best to bring it down with medication? It offers a new view of disease that changes the relationship between our bodies and ourselves."--BOOK JACKET. "Why We Get Sick takes the first major step toward reconceiving medicine as we approach the twenty-first century. Incorporating an evolutionary perspective into our understanding of illness will revolutionize the art and science of medicine and enable its practitioners to come close to achieving its ancient goals: To cure, sometimes. To help, often. To console, always."--BOOK JACKET

Sex and evolution by George C Williams( Book )

23 editions published between 1974 and 1977 in English and held by 976 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Evolution & ethics : T.H. Huxley's "Evolution and ethics" with new essays on its Victorian and sociobiological context by Thomas Henry Huxley( Book )

21 editions published between 1989 and 2014 in English and held by 952 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

T.H. Huxley (1825-1895) was not only an active protagonist in the religious and scientific upheaval that followed the publication of Darwin's theory of evolution but also a harbinger of the sociobiological debates about the implications of evolution that are now going on. His seminal lecture Evolution and Ethics, reprinted here with its introductory Prolegomena, argues that the human psyche is at war with itself, that humans are alienated in a cosmos that has no special reference to their needs, and that moral societies are of necessity in conflict with the natural conditions of their existence. Seen in the light of current understanding of the mechanisms of evolution, these claims remain as controversial today as they were when Huxley proposed them. In this volume George Williams, one of the best-known evolutionary biologists of our time, asserts that recent biological ideas and data justify a more extreme condemnation of the "cosmic process" than Huxley advocated and more extreme denial that the forces that got us here are capable of maintaining a viable world. James Paradis, an expert in Victorian studies, has written an introduction that sets the celebrated lecture in the context of cultural history, revealing it to be an impressive synthesis of Victorian thinking, as well as a challenge to eighteenth-century assumptions about the harmony of of nature. With Huxley's lecture as a focal point, the three parts of this book unite philosophy and science in a shared quest that recalls their common origins as systems of knowledge. Originally published in 1989. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905

The pony fish's glow : and other clues to plan and purpose in nature by George C Williams( Book )

10 editions published in 1997 in English and Undetermined and held by 672 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

We may regard ourselves as the most advanced species on the planet, but have we really reached our optimum design' Isn't there always room for improvements' Before you answer, let noted evolutionary biologist George C. Williams remind you of both the exquisite adaptations and absurd maladaptations nature has bestowed upon us, the self-proclaimed "pinnacle of evolution."Picking up where Darwin left off, Williams combines philosophical perspective and scientific method to provide a foundation for the answers to some fascinating questions. He explains why our bodies have to deteriorate so disastrously with old age. He gives us logical reasons to explain why we crave foods like sugar and fat that have been proven time and again to be detrimental to our health. And Williams single-handedly deflates our Homo sapiens sapiens ego with such insights as: Our eyesight'it may seem superior, but not when compared to that of the invertebrate squid, whose eye has developed over time to prove more efficient than ours. And wouldn't it make more sense to have a third eye, located on the back of the head' We could have stereoscopic vision in front and rear-vision warning us of danger sneaking up behind. Rear-view mirrors would become a thing of the past. And why stop at three eyes'This fascinating new book is markedly different from all previous work on evolutionary biology. Using the pony fish and its luminescent abdomen as the perfect evolutionary mystery, Williams explores the intricacies of nature's designs. Rather than telling us how or why the pony fish got its light, Williams explains the functional reasons why the pony fish keeps its light. He also explains why our species keeps arbitrary or malfunctioned features like the reproductive and excretory systems' sharing of parts. George C. Williams, one of today's most qualified evolutionary biologists, has written an important, entertaining, and thought-provoking addition to a science that has captivated the world for almost 150 years

Group selection by George C Williams( Book )

13 editions published between 1971 and 2017 in English and Undetermined and held by 413 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

"Living things are constantly engaged in a struggle for existence, and ingenious devices for the purpose of self-preservation can be seen in all types of animal and plant life. However, nature also displays phenomena that are not related to survival or that seem clearly to violate the principle of self-preservation - particularly when organisms interact with one another. Darwin investigated these apparent contradictions and proposed that both mechanisms of self preservation and those of reproduction are explained by a more basic principle of "natural selection"--The reproductive survival of the fittest. George C. Williams in "Group Selection" challenges the adequacy of this process of selection at the individual level. Williams has here collected the work of the chief partisans with opposed viewpoints on the theory of selection at the group level to state their arguments and rebuttals. A minority of modern biologists offer evidence to show that groups of living things are organized to assure their collective survival; they are not merely collections of individuals designed for their own survival and reproduction. In opposition, defenders of the traditional point of view charge that mechanisms of group survival are based on illusion and misinterpretation. Because of the wide range of opinion expressed in "Group Selection", the reader is exposed to all sides of the dispute and encouraged to form his or her own views. In addition, as a source book on current evolutionary issues or for research or reference material, "Group Selection" remains a valuable addition to every personal and institutional library in the biological sciences."--Provided by publisher

Plan and purpose in nature by George C Williams( Book )

12 editions published between 1996 and 2013 in English and Dutch and held by 216 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

This book contrasts the human engineering of such instruments as a camera or a fish-hook with natural instruments such as an eye or a hand, and considers the implications of natural selection for human sexuality, ageing, ethics, racism and disease

Evolution and healing by Randolph M Nesse( Book )

16 editions published between 1994 and 2003 in English and held by 166 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Public lands in New-Hampshire : report of George C. Williams, W.A. Sanborn and John M. Whipple commissioned by his excellency agreeably to a Joint Resolution of the Legislature to make examination of the public lands and report a bill to the legislature. With accompanying bill by New Hampshire( )

3 editions published in 1859 in English and held by 118 WorldCat member libraries worldwide