Before reading The Selfish Gene, the term evolution was an abstraction. My understanding only went so far as "slow adaptation over unimaginably long periods of time." I thought that was all there was to it. Wrong. It is a beautiful, yet difficult, science. More intricate and far-reaching than I could have imagined. Dawkins explores subjects ranging from mantis' sexual cannibalism to war tactics. And the subtle 'up yours' to religion were delightful. It's quite the liberating read. But as I said, not always easy. An occasional triple-check was necessary, and I would certainly benefit from reading it again, and then some. The fact that it is not easy is not a bad thing though. The amalgamation of knowledge is the life's work of many scholars, so it's quite normal to not to get it instantly.