理查德•道金斯（Richard Dawkins），1941年3月26日生，英國皇傢科學院院士，牛津大學教授，著名科普作傢，生物學傢。2001年當選為英國皇傢學會院士。2005年英國《前景》雜誌會同美國《外交政策》雜誌網絡調查，評選齣在世的全球100名最有影響力的公共知識分子之一。他是英國最重要的科學作傢，幾乎每本書都是暢銷書，並經常在各大媒體引起轟動。他的暢銷書中，於1976年齣版的《自私的基因》為最重要的代錶作，他的基因觀念，顛覆瞭我們對自身的幻覺，深刻影響瞭整整一個時代。

With this tremendous follow-up to his blockbuster The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins takesadvocates of intelligent design by the scruff of the neck and unfolds the evidence for evolution with characteristicpanache.In 2008, a gallup poll showed that 44% of Americans polled believed God had created man in his present form within the last 10,000 years. In a PewForum poll in the same year, 42% of those polled believed that all life on earth has existed in its present form since the beginning of time. In this environment, inwhichCreationism is being taught in schools and educators are being asked to ''teach the controversy'' behind evolution, a delightfully exasperated Dawkins has decided totell us how it all really works. In visceral, crystalline prose, Dawkins sets up each creationist objection to evolutionand takes it to task,bit by bitdestroying the idea that the natural worldneeded an intelligent designer.But this is more than an argument.Thisis a thrilling tourinto our distant past and into the interstices of all life on earth. Taking us through the case for evolution step-by-step, Dawkins looks at DNA, selective breeding, anatomical similarity, molecular family trees, geography, fossils vestiges and imperfections, the stages of human evolution, and theformula for a strong scientific theory -- tearing down the Intelligent Design theory in the process. This will be the last word in the evolution debate, and it will add the legions of God Delusion readersto the already science-hungry audience who bought the latest Steven Pinkeror devoured Bill Bryson’s The History of Nearly Everything. The God Delusion stimulated, even set the terms of, one of the world’s most vigorous public debates: the question of God’sexistence. The Greatest Show on Earth will provide readers with the tools to join this vital debate effectively.And Dawkins’ infectious passion for the world’s beauty will convert all but the most doctrinaire creationists.