It was very cool seeing Richard Dawkins in person last night, after reading his books for 15 years. He's surely one of the most brilliant scientific minds on the planet and his talk on "The Purpose of Purpose" held everyone in the sold out Wharton Center mesmerized.
And best of all, we got to meet him!!
We got a lucky break in line, and didn't have to wait long to see him at the book signing table after the event.
I went first and Brian manned the camera to get this picture.
Richard was charming with his polite English manners and he sounded genuinely delighted as I gushed on about how great I think his books are. I said something like this:
"Hi Richard (should I have said "Professor Dawkins?")...I am a big fan of your books. I brought "Blind Watchmaker" for you to sign because it's the first book of yours I read and it really opened my eyes to the wonders of nature. I recommend this book to everyone I know..."
He smiled and thanked me profusely, signed my book and posed with me.
Then Brian came up and presented Dawkins with a big shiny hardcover "God Delusion" and said:
"Love the book....(looking down at it, and realizing that he did buy it and bring it for signing so it was obvious he liked it)...of course".
He said Richard looked at him a bit like he was crazy. Just then the guy behind us in line popped forward and tried to weasel his way in and as Brian says "interrupted my quality time with Dawkins". Brian says all in all he feels like he didn't perform so well and he wants a do-over.
Ahh, but at least we got to meet The Man.
3 comments:
You think your place in line was a "lucky break"? It's just another wedding buffet, man!
Glad you enjoyed the talk and the close encounter with Dawkins but meeting Carter Oosterhouse on the plane was way cooler.
Is the genius the guy on the left or the right??
he's on the far left
Post a Comment