Writing: An Expression

As we continue to enter the world that Dawkins proposes, I found that the way he introduces new ideas is very direct. There are many authors who include these very wordy introductions for a simple idea. A few paragraphs later they do it again. This process goes on and on, and unless it is what you are looking for, it can be tiring. Dawkins on the other hand simply states, “This chapter is mostly about the much-misunderstood topic of aggression” (66). This is a great example of a direct, to the point introduction. It is giving the reader the option of deciding if he wants to read the chapter quickly. He does not have to read for ten minutes and then decide that it is not what he is looking for. Since this is a science book the importance of this choice is even greater. Most people who read science books do it to inform themselves and you would like to know weather to read the book or not. This way of writing is not only included in the introductions to main ideas but in the main ideas themselves.

Something else that is great about the way Dawkins writes is how he answers the reader’s questions. It is as if he knew what the reader would think of and then simply answer it: “All they can do is set it up beforehand; then the survival machine is on its own, and the genes can only sit passively inside” (52). As I was reading this passage in my mind, the question of why this happened immediately came up. To my surprise the next paragraph was dedicated to answering my question. This ability that can be seen in the author is one that I have seen in few. Even though I do not agree with what is being stated as I mentioned in Purpose: True Or False, I greatly admire the way he is able to express himself. The connections he is able to make in the readers mind have captivated me.