We are created by our genes. We animals exist to preserve them, serving merely as machines that ensure their survival. The world of the selfish gene is a world of brutal competition, ruthless exploitation, and deception. But what about the acts of altruism observed in nature: bees committing suicide when they sting an enemy to protect the hive, or birds risking their lives to warn their flock of an approaching hawk? Does this contradict the fundamental law of gene selfishness? Absolutely not! Dawkins shows that the selfish gene is also a cunning gene. And he cherishes the hope that the Homo sapiens species—alone on the entire globe—has the power to rebel against the intentions of the selfish gene. The translation has been verified against the 2006 anniversary English edition.