The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection - Reviews

Reviews

Henry Bennett gave an account of the writing and reception of Fisher's Genetical Theory.

Sewall Wright, who had many disagreements with Fisher, reviewed the book and wrote that it was "certain to take rank as one of the major contributions to the theory of evolution". J.B.S. Haldane described it as "brilliant". Reginald Punnett was negative, however.'

The Genetical Theory was largely overlooked for 40 years, and in particular the fundamental theorem was misunderstood. The work had a great effect on W.D. Hamilton, who discovered it as an undergraduate at Cambridge and noted on the rear cover of the 1999 variorum edition:

This is a book which, as a student, I weighed as of equal importance to the entire rest of my undergraduate Cambridge BA course and, through the time I spent on it, I think it notched down my degree. Most chapters took me weeks, some months.

...And little modified even by molecular genetics, Fisher's logic and ideas still underpin most of the ever broadening paths by which Darwinism continues its invasion of human thought.

Unlike in 1958, natural selection has become part of the syllabus of our intellectual life and the topic is certainly included in every decent course in biology.

For a book that I rate only second in importance in evolution theory to Darwin's Origin (this as joined with its supplement Of Man), and also rate as undoubtedly one of the greatest books of the twentieth century the appearance of a variorum edition is a major event...

By the time of my ultimate graduation, will I have understood all that is true in this book and will I get a First? I doubt it. In some ways some of us have overtaken Fisher; in many, however, this brilliant, daring man is still far in front.

The publication of the variorum edition in 1999 led to renewed interest in the work and reviews by Laurence Cook ("This is perhaps the most important book on evolutionary genetics ever written"), Brian Charlesworth, Jim Crow and A.W.F. Edwards