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George C. Williams.
Adaptation and Natural Selection: a critique of some current evolutionary thought.
Princeton University Press. 1966

Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.

George C. Williams.
Natural Selection: domains, levels, and challenges.
OUP. 1992

In this work, George C. Williams—one of evolutionary biology’s most distinguished scholars—examines the mechanism and meaning of natural selection in evolution. Williams offers his own perspective on modern evolutionary theory, including discussions of the gene as the unit of selection, clade selection and macroevolution, diversity within and among populations, stasis, and other timely and provocative topics. In dealing with the levels-of-selection controversy, he urges a pervasive form of the replicator-vehicle distinction. Natural selection, he argues, takes place in the separate domains of information and matter. Levels-of-selection questions, consequently, require different theoretical devices depending on the domain being discussed. In addressing these topics, Williams presents his synthesis of three decades of research and creative thought which have contributed greatly to evolutionary biology in this century.

Randolph M. Nesse, George C. Williams.
Evolution and Healing: the new science of Darwinian medicine (== Why We Get Sick).
Phoenix. 1994

Most people are aware of the basic Darwinian principles, but now, in a pioneering new examination of evolution and medicine, Dr Nesse and Professor Williams suggest that many aspects of ‘disease’ are actually side effects of the evolutionary process. In fact, the perpetual battle between the human race and its enemies – viruses, bacteria and parasites – is indeed an evolutionary arms race, in which we humans need to use our knowledge of natural selection in order to stay ahead.

Evolution and Healing is a fascinating and totally absorbing account that will not only challenge present-day medical practices, but will change the way everyone thinks about their own bodies in health as well as in disease.