The Selfish Gene by RIchard Dawkins. Chapter by Chapter Overview of the book.

Chapter 1 - Why are people? Darwin made it possible for us to give a sensible answer to the curious child whose question heads this chapter. ['Why are people?'] We no longer have to resort to superstition when faced with the deep problems; Is there meaning to life? What are we for? What is Man? The argument of this book is that we, and all other animals, are machines created by our genes. This brings …

…if he read this book would scarcely recognize his own theory in it, though I hope he would like the way I put it. Yet, in spite of all this, there is something, some essence of Darwinism, which is present in the head of every individual who understands the theory. The meme of Darwin's theory is therefore the essential basis of the idea which is held in common by all brains who understand the theory.