The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (P.S.)

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Jared Diamond states the theme of his book up-front: "How the human species changed, within a short time, from just another species of big mammal to a world conqueror; and how we acquired the capacity to reverse all that progress overnight." The Third Chimpanzee is, in many ways, a prequel to Diamond's prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel. While Guns examines "the fates of human societies," this work surveys the longer sweep of human evolution, from our origin as just another chimpanzee a few million years ago. Diamond writes:

It's obvious that humans are unlike all animals. It's also obvious that we're a species of big mammal down to the minutest details of our anatomy and our molecules. That contradiction is the most fascinating feature of the human species.

The chapters in The Third Chimpanzee on the oddities of human reproductive biology were later expanded in Why Is Sex Fun? Here, they're linked to Diamond's views of human psychology and history.

Diamond is officially a physiologist at UCLA medical school, but he's also one of the best birdwatchers in the world. The current scientific consensus that "primitive" humans created ecological catastrophes in the Pacific islands, Australia, and the New World owes a great deal to his fieldwork and insight. In Diamond's view, the current global ecological crisis isn't due to modern technology per se, but to basic weaknesses in human nature. But, he says, "I'm cautiously optimistic. If we will learn from our past that I have traced, our own future may yet prove brighter than that of the other two chimpanzees." --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

The Development of an Extraordinary Species

We human beings share 98 percent of our genes with chimpanzees. Yet humans are the dominant species on the planet -- having founded civilizations and religions, developed intricate and diverse forms of communication, learned science, built cities, and created breathtaking works of art -- while chimps remain animals concerned primarily with the basic necessities of survival. What is it about that two percent difference in DNA that has created such a divergence between evolutionary cousins? In this fascinating, provocative, passionate, funny, endlessly entertaining work, renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author and scientist Jared Diamond explores how the extraordinary human animal, in a remarkably short time, developed the capacity to rule the world . . . and the means to irrevocably destroy it.

Customer Reviews:

Tiger by the Tail?.......2007-10-08

There's a lot to this very broad ranging and thoughtful book, some of which, but not all, seems intriguingly fresh and original. Jared Diamond takes off from the recently recognized biological fact that only about 1.6% of the entire human genome separates us from the chimpanzee, making that ape our nearest living relative. Of course, Diamond notes, there is quite an obvious gap between us and our closest relatives but it's a gap, he suggests, which is not nearly as great as we're likely to imagine from surface differences -- not least, perhaps, because a significant portion of the genetic differences between us and chimps is mere genetic "noise" with little or no implications for the creatures built to its blueprint.

For Diamond the obvious implication of this narrow genetic difference obliges us to reconsider ourselves, from the outside looking in, and examine what we are as we would examine any other creature on this planet. We must, he proposes, treat humanity as what it really is: a member of the animal world. Taking his own advice, Diamond proceeds to examine the history and development of man as a visitor from another planet might, as merely one species among many. What Diamond proceeds to describe for us is the appearance and evolution of an unusually successful, exceedingly voracious primate which has the propensity to devour its own environment if left unchecked. Diamond convincingly shows how humans may have developed characteristics which have their roots in, but are still unique and different from, anything found in the rest of the animal world. In the process he points out, repeatedly, how man's historic successes have resulted in loss for our fellow species, over and over again, as one after another is hunted to extinction with the advent of modern man beginning some 50,000 years ago. Nor is this limited to other species as Diamond notes for man has a propensity for hunting and killing his own along with other creatures.

Diamond's greatest concern, in the end, seems to be for the environment which he sees being eaten away everywhere man has appeared (by now roughly the entire planet, given mankind's ubiquitous success in the competitive game of evolution). As a self-described bird-watcher, he takes his lessons from the loss of bird species in New Guinea and other exotic locales where he has applied his skills and interests. He makes some good and fascinating observations along the way including: 1) his points about how our sexual characteristics would have evolved and might have contributed to our further evolution (reflecting the need for mates to bond long term), 2) how geographic factors might have influenced variation in civilizations' technological accomplishments in the course of human societal development (Africa and the Americas exist on a north-south axis, limiting the spread and cross-pollenization of agricultural technology among human groups, while Europe, the Middle East and Asia lie on an east-west axis), 3) how unwise modern governments and scientists may be in sending signals into outer space announcing our presence (since he concludes there's no reason to doubt the operation of evolutionary competition there, too), and 4) how the dynamic of human evolution seems to have placed us on a trajectory of inevitable self-destruction.

Diamond himself notes that in many cases he did not fully develop many of the ideas presented here, reserving that for subsequent books (Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed). His main goal in this one, besides outlining some of these ideas, seems to be to galvanize his readers to embrace his strong concerns for environmentalism. He repeatedly details the destruction of pristine ecological environments which follows on the appearance of man, from the earliest ages, when men may have speedily hunted the great mammals still preserved in the fossil record to extinction, to the era of European exploration only a few centuries ago when Europeans permanently destroyed the ecological systems they found on previously untrod oceanic islands. In the interim, he blames humans for destroying the majority of the creatures that have walked the Earth since man's first appearance and warns of worse to come.

In one interesting passage he recounts how a single development of a particular site for housing resulted in the destruction and loss of many species of small creatures found nowhere else on the planet, inviting us to imagine how many times, and to what devastating effect, this has happened before in our history. But this, certainly, is the flaw in what is an otherwise compelling narrative of human development. It is certainly true that man's presence alters his environment wherever he finds himself and that that alteration is generally permanent, irrevocable and, indeed, terrible for the creatures on the receiving end. Diamond calls on us to adopt a supportive stance toward environmentalism based on this knowledge, even as he has done in his work. But the truth is that humans cannot avoid leaving a footprint wherever we tread and it is certainly true that each and every tiny corner of this earth may, and probably does, harbor various unique species if only on the microscopic level.

His advocacy for environmental awareness is certainly wise and good advice for humankind overall since it is better to preserve and nurture our environment than devour it like locusts. As far as we know, at least for now, there is only one Earth and, thus, one human home so we must attend to it. But it's unrealistic to imagine that man can avoid impacting his environment entirely or sufficiently so as to avoid displacing other species at all. That one development Diamond cites is a useful example but how many other developments, as he rightly notes, have done as much or more around the planet? We can't cease developing the world around us unless we alter our own growth trajectory and aim to diminish rather than enhance our numbers.

But diminishing the number of human beings, besides being against our natural biological imperative (to pass on our genes), intoduces the risks of civilizational breakdown and failure since fewer and fewer members of the various population groups will be called on to support more and more of the aging members of their groups. At the same time, unless all of mankind can be diminished in numbers simultaneously, there will be competition for space and resources which will see larger and more robust population groups impinging on the holdings of the diminishing groups (as we see in Europe today where an aggressive external Muslim population presses on a more inward-looking diminishing native population). This must lead to its own conflicts and disasters. Perhaps a worldwide plague or devastating war would do the trick but to what terrible effect for those living through it? And what about the tangential effects on the environments in which the self-destroying human populations are enduring plague and/or war?

Despite Diamond's important points about the human propensity to eat its own, we are chimps hanging onto an evolutionary tiger by its tail. We cannot let it go without being devoured but suspect that holding on will not be in our own best interests either. Diamond's written a good and important book here with lots of insight and new perspectives worth pondering. But he has no solution for us because, in the end, we are evolution's children. Perhaps we may grow ourselves out of this present quandary. Or perhaps not. Either way, it's certainly worthwhile reading Diamond's take on this.

SWM

Another high quality Diamond.......2007-09-29

The Third Chimpanzee is another contribution by Jared Diamond that forces people to think about man's past as well as what we are doing, and could be doing, for our future. He makes you think.

Better understanding our evolution - and our nature.......2007-09-19

Jared Diamond explains in his awesome style how we are related to the various ape species and why the chimps are our closest cousins (or rather brothers). Based on the differences and similarities between us, do we have the right to consider ourselves so much different from animals, and do we have the right not to grant at least some human rights to our closest relatives...

I'm 98% chimp.......2007-09-12

What species is most closely related to the chimp? If you guessed humans, you're right! Chimps and humans share more than 98% of the same genes. Given this fact, Jared explores human behavior and is somehow able to do this from outside of the human perspective. While we like to think of ourselves as being far above other species, Jared is careful to recognize other less flattering and uniquely human traits such as our addiction to chemical substances and our practice of genocide. The Third Chimpanzee offers a unique and balanced perspective of the human animal and the role we play in the global environment. Read this book to gain a more complete understanding of what it means to be human, where we came from, and where we might be headed.

Wonderful book by Diamond.......2007-07-12

Biologist Jared Diamond's book, originally published in 1992, doesn't have a unifying theme as in his later "Guns, Germs and Steel". Rather, we have different themes tackled in different chapters. Among those themes are the origins of the Indoeuropeans (the mysterious people, also knowns as the Aryans, from whom most Europeans and Indians descend), why Europeans were able to conquer much of the world in the last century (a subject he would later return to in Guns...), why he believes the attempts to overcome aging will fail, his skepticism about the possibility of contacting extraterrestrial civilizations (even if we are able to contact the few aliens that might exist, they might try to conquer us, he claims), the last first contacts between modern civilizations and bands of hunter gatherers still living on the Stone Age, an explanation of sexual selection and the origins of the human races, why the handicap principle bring forward by biologist Amotz Zahavi explain many seeming self-destructive behavior by human beings, an interesting overview of genocide in human history, and so forth. Diamond's environmentalism is quite radical: he believes for example, as some luddites do, that man's fall started when he switched from hunting and gathering to agriculture. Still, this is a wonderful book, enlivened by Diamond's erudition and wonderful writing.

Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man

Average customer rating:

Re-writing the book
Jane Goodall Merits The Nobel Peace Prize !
A bit long, but oh, what a ride....
A Must to Read
A top pick not just for public libraries, but for high school to college collections strong in science biography.

Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man
Dale Peterson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395854059

Book Description

When Louis Leakey first heard about Jane Goodallâ€™s discovery that chimps fashion and use tools, he sent her a telegram: â€œNow we must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human.â€ But when Goodall first presented her discoveries at a scientific conference, she was ridiculed by the powerful chairman, who warned one of his distinguished colleagues not to be misled by her â€œglamour.â€ She was too young, too blond, too pretty to be a serious scientist, and worse yet, she still had virtually no formal scientific training. She had been a secretarial school graduate whom Leakey had sent out to study chimps only when he couldnâ€™t find anyone better qualified to take the job. And he couldnâ€™t tell her what to do once she was in the fieldâ€” nobody couldâ€”because no one before had made such an intensive and long-term study of wild apes. Dale Peterson shows clearly and convincingly how truly remarkable Goodallâ€™s accomplishments were and how unlikely it is that anyone else could have duplicated them. Peterson details not only how Jane Goodall revolutionized the study of primates, our closest relatives, but how she helped set radically new standards and a new intellectual style in the study of animal behavior. And he reveals the very private quest that led to another sharp turn in her life, from scientist to activist.

Customer Reviews:

Re-writing the book.......2007-04-06

Louis Leakey put it best. Jane Goodall's work in Gombe prompted a complete revision in how humans view themselves. The subtitle could well stand as the lead for this book. In this exquisitely detailed biography, Dale Peterson depicts how Jane's personality led to a number of fresh insights about how the other animals live and how science learned new ways to study them. Coming out of a rather obscure and unpromising life, Jane Goodall rose to prominence by unusal methods. She applied a sense of caring, developed through attention to her many pets, to the study of chimpanzees. Lacking any preconceptions about what chimpanzees were "supposed" to do, she was able to learn what they actually did do. To say her approach disturbed many "establishment" researchers is putting it mildly. However, her other major attribute in support of her caring, is persistence.

There's a wonderful irony in the circumstances of Jane's becoming a foremost field primatologist. In an era when women reject being "objectified", it was Louis Leakey's roving eye and philandering habits that propelled Jane into the African bush. Having found evidence of early humans at Olduvai, he wanted some signs of evolutionary links. Chimpanzees, as Darwin had noted a century before, were the most likely indicator. Peterson points out that science was woefully lacking in data on apes. They're elusive and shy. It was Jane Goodall who demonstrated the value of "habituation" - long, enduring and subtle contact with her subjects - that allowed her to see what nobody else had before. Chimpanzees use tools, and they're effective hunters. It was the latter trait, the author notes, that helped Jane and her associates to begin formulating the structure of how chimpanzee society is formed.

Those findings led Jane Goodall to both challenge old, staid thinking about field research and chimpanzee life in particular. More, they resulted in Jane's methods and reports led her to become a major figure in science. Whatever Leakey's carnal ambitions toward Jane, he saw her worth. He propelled her through Cambridge's graduate programme almost by brute force as Peterson describes well. Yet, even that endorsement didn't make up for the work Jane had to produce to earn her degree. By that time, she was writing for National Geographic, producing journal papers and books. Oh, yes. She also got married and had a baby.

The richness of detail may deter a few readers of this book. It shouldn't. Jane Goodall, her diminutive stature and uncomplicated expression belie a powerful individual. Peterson isn't simply filling pages, he's building a picture of that individual. That image cannot be imparted with a few strokes of a broad brush. Jane Goodall, under the author's careful touch, isn't a flashy genius, but a dedicated hard worker who built up her own methods one bit at a time. The edifice is indeed imposing as the work led her on speaking tours, teaching assignments, and negotiations for funding, all while raising her family and running a research programme. It's not a simple life Peterson is relating and its complexity cannot be conveyed in a few words. Goodall is an imposing figure in science and the many details are but a start in doing her justice. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Jane Goodall Merits The Nobel Peace Prize !.......2007-03-06

This comprehensive and compelling biography of Jane Goodall is truly inspiring. For decades Jane Goodall has valiantly and tirelessly traveled the planet imploring the world community to have reverence for the lives of humans and the animal kingdom. She is arguably the foremost advocate on behalf of primates and other endangered species. Her whole life has been dedicated to espousing universal peace and the kinship of all life. The brilliant and compassionate Jane Goodall merits a Nobel Peace Prize. Now !

A bit long, but oh, what a ride...........2007-02-25

I do agree with another reviewer that Jane Goodall, The Woman who redefined Man is a wee bit longish. Okay, at 714 pages plus an index it is a long read. However, I disagree that the attention spent on her early life is the culprit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Peterson lavishes many pages to Goodall's upbringing; her strong and directing mother and her danger loving race car father, her love of competition and her love of detail are overly mundane I feel that they tell us a lot about the person that Goodall eventually becomes. What other person, woman or man in 1960 was willing to chuch everything to study monkeys?

Peterson obviously loves his subject. As a teenager I remember hearing stories about this young and attractive woman who had devoted her life to studying primate behavior. I didn't realize until much later that she had been sent by Leakey. I certainly didn't know until reading this book that Goodall had been trained as a secretary. How the fates have a way of stepping in and changing things....a truth that is delivered to any reader of this book.

Jane Goodall has contributed a huge body of information to the world by her devoted work and study. Reading Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man will impress you and awe you. A truly great read.

A Must to Read.......2007-02-18

Great insight into a legendary woman. She is totally amazing!

A top pick not just for public libraries, but for high school to college collections strong in science biography........2007-02-08

Coverages of Jane Goodall and her work with chimps usually focus on her role as a scientist, her discoveries, and her contributions: now receive a better-rounded survey of her entire life in a title not for the casual reader. JANE GOODALL: THE WOMAN WHO REDEFINED MAN holds some 700 pages packed with insights bout her life, surveying her work, her ability to set radically new standards, and her private journey. Even if you're an avid Goodall fan who has read prior coverages, be prepared to be surprised at the depth here: JANE GOODALL is for any avid enthusiast who has always wanted more and is a top pick not just for public libraries, but for high school to college collections strong in science biography.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

All my kids love this book
Hug is the Greatest
This is a GREAT book....
This is good but not great
we love this author!

Hug

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0763615765
Release Date: 2001-11-12

Amazon.co.uk

How can it be that a book with only one word--hug--repeated throughout, can be so good? The proof is in the pudding (or the wilds of Africa) in Jez Alborough's picture book Hug, a delightful mini odyssey of a baby chimpanzee on the hunt for his mum and a cuddle.

Our little friend wanders through the trees, witnessing many other animals from chameleons to giraffes as they snuggle together. "Hug," he says, happily, at first, but then with growing despair as he sees there are no hugs for him. The story is told purely by the expression on the little chimp's face as his hopes are built up and dashed again until eventually, with a huge smile, he finds his mum and reaps the reward.

Hug is a clever, unusual book that portrays the art of children's illustration at its very best: a story brought to life with the stroke of a brush through facial expressions and body language that children will immediately understand.

Ideal for sharing with small ones, this lovely book is a warm, comforting read that cannot fail to please. (Ages 1 to 4)

Book Description

"Alborough's simplicity results in another gem."
—School Library Journal

Bobo needs a hug. But his friends don't seem to understand. "Hug," he implores, time and again. Time and again his puzzled pals—from the smallest chameleon to the tallest giraffe—shrug and cuddle with their jungle mothers. As the lonely chimp's plea escalates, his friends grow concerned. Can the elephants lead Bobo to his heart's desire? Jez Alborough, the acclaimed author-illustrator of WHERE'S MY TEDDY?, IT'S THE BEAR!, and MY FRIEND BEAR transforms a total of three words—and some of the most tenderly expressive animals ever created—into an endearing tribute to love and belonging.

Customer Reviews:

All my kids love this book.......2007-07-20

I have three kids: 5,3,and1 year(s) old. They all love this book and because there isn't really much text, besides the word "hug" they can all read the story. After reading it to them it always gives us a reason to hug....and don't we all need a little reason to do that more?

Hug is the Greatest.......2007-04-19

Few childrens' books are as tender and entertaining as this one. Just goes to show that all a kid really needs is a hug from someone they love, in this case Mommy.

A monkey is lost in the jungle. As he/she tries to find Mom the reader meets many colorful and fascinating animals. These exotic creatures are a great learning opportunity for younger readers to identify, imitate, even spell the names of each animal. And of course we are treated to a touching reunion with Mom.

A simple story, told with tenderness and sincerity.

This is a GREAT book...........2007-04-11

My now 2 year old niece has had to have this book read to her every since she was about 11 months old. She still loves it to this day!! As a matter of fact she loves all the Jez Alborough books with little "Bobo" in them!! ANd any monkey is "Bobo" and needs a hug!!!

This is good but not great.......2007-04-07

I bought this due to good reviews and great pictures but I have to say, I got bored with it quickly. My daughter just now 3 is just starting to get it.

we love this author!.......2007-02-06

The illustrations are amazing! What's great about this book is that because of the limited use of words, a parent can embellish and vary the story each time it's read. It's also nice that the words are illustrated as opposed to written at the bottom of the page in a typestyle. It is SUCH a special book that conveys a sweet, simple message.

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes

Average customer rating:

An exciting if not compelling Study
DISTURBING BUT USEFUL
Lots about Chimpazee Erections
Fascinating parallels to human behavior
Greatly informs evolutionary psychology

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes
Frans de Waal
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801863368

Amazon.com

The great apes, like humans, can recognize themselves in mirrors. They communicate by sound and gesture, form bands along what can only be called political lines, and sometimes engage in what is very clearly organized warfare. (Less frequently, too, they practice cannibalism.) In Chimpanzee Politics Frans de Waal, a longtime student of simian behavior, analyzes the behavior of a captive tribe of chimpanzees, comparing its actions with those of ape societies in the wild. What he finds is often not pleasant: chimps seem capable of astonishing deviousness and savagery, which has obvious implications for the behavior their human cousins sometimes exhibit.

Book Description

The first edition of Frans de Waal's Chimpanzee Politics was acclaimed not only by primatologists for its scientific achievement but also by a much broader audience of politicians, business leaders, and social psychologists for its remarkable insights into very basic human needs and behaviors. In this revised edition -- featuring a new gallery of color photographs along with a new introduction and epilogue -- de Waal expands and updates his story of the Arnhem colony and its continuing political upheavals. We learn the fate of many memorable chimpanzees and meet the colony's current leaders and their allies. The new edition remains a detailed and thoroughly engrossing account -- of sexual rivalries and coalitions, of actions governed by intelligence rather than instinct -- and it reaffirms the complex bond between humans and their closest living relatives. As we watch the chimpanzees of Arnhem behave in ways we recognize from Machiavelli (and from the nightly news), de Waal reminds us again that the roots of politics are older than humanity.

Customer Reviews:

An exciting if not compelling Study.......2007-10-15

Frans De Waal, a Primatologist of some considerable note, in this exciting report on his most recent research, gives us an insider's view of the social "goings on" within a tribe of Chimps. His research model might be described as a Machiavellian-based political model, one he fashions loosely into a framework for understanding and interpreting the meanings implicit in chimp sexual and political behavior, behavior that De Waal observed in a zoo context and recorded for the better part of seven years.

The author discerns definite hierarchical patterns to Chimp behavior, along lines common across the animal kingdom -- especially as regards to how alpha males dominate and sustain their power at the top of their respective social hierarchies. De Waal shows that unlike larger primates, because of their smallness of size, ruling chimp culture requires (almost as a political imperative) that alpha males build coalitions from among the ranks of secondary males and females if they hope to sustain their dominance at the top of the hierarchy for any length of time.

The author vividly walks us thorough several power struggles in which alpha males are replaced. Each of these replacements or "coups" took place either because the dominant male became too greedy, too relaxed in his caolition-building or leadership, or because another male built sounder more enduring and robust coalitions and used them to move against the incumbent.

Making the necessary Freudian extrapolations, one is likely to see in the deeper outlines of these power struggles a remarkable resemblance to similar dramas witnessed everyday in the human political arena. For instance, it take little imagination to guess that Chimp political and sexual behavior is not only Machiavellian in its basic character, but perhaps also Darwinian in its form -- that is to say it is Darwinian in the Sociobiologist's sense of being instinctively driven well beneath cognition. However, it is probably sounder and safer to speculate that such behavior is being driven at the level of "proto-Chimp culture" and socialization rather than at the level of genes.

In any case, even though it is wise not to read too much into these similarities, I nevertheless believe that in the final analysis it is brain architecture that drives these similarities home. Man does not always want to account for, nor take full responsibility for, the behavioral remnants of his reptilian brain. As a result we live within a self-made delusional bubble made up of layers of self-righteous beliefs and denials, noble ideals and values, all couched in an ideology of self-preservation. This unconscious super-structure is piled atop our reptilian brain masquerading at the conscious level as a much more evolved and complex form of civilized animal than it really is.

I thus share the view of other reviewers that another way to see this is just as another layer super-imposed on top of the more honest chimp model. To the extent this interpretation is valid, it does raise interesting if not frighteningly close similarities about what normally goes disguised as ordinary human sexual and political behavior.

Drawing conclusions about human behavior based on an already human inspired model being applied to chimp political processes, runs dangerously close to introducing a closed theoretical system, in effect a theoretical tautology. It seems clear that the behavior described in this study -- even if viewed only across the rest of the ape family -- shows remarkable variations. To close this circle completely and begin drawing additional conclusions about human based on a single de Waal's study, would be unwarranted, theoretically questionable and slightly more than just a bit irresponsible.

Nevertheless, I put this work in the same class as Wright's "Moral Animal." There are certainly cross-cutting and reinforcing conclusions to be drawn as a result of this research. Five stars

DISTURBING BUT USEFUL.......2006-05-24

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes was a very disturbing book to read. Perhaps this is because of the way Franz de Waal chose to end the book. The story about how Luit finished his reign as "alpha male" was extremely upsetting.

One of the key themes in the book is that so called political behavior is rooted at a level of development that is below cognitive and is as much instinctive as it is learned. Learning about the male chimpanzee's quest for dominance, it makes one wonder how much our behavior is motivated by inherent drives that are not only irrelevant in modern cultures, but are unknowable by those who experience the motivation.

This book has changed the way I look at and understand the word around me.

I strongly recommend this book, but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Lots about Chimpazee Erections.......2006-04-07

De Waal investigates chimpanzee behavior in a zoo, which is at odds with chimpanzee behavior in the wild. The main difference is that the female chimps live together instead of foraging alone, which leads them to participate more in politics than usual. The book is about coalitions, how they're formed, and between whom. The longest part details how leadership changed from chimp to chimp to chimp. There is quite a bit about chimpanzee sex, especially how male chimps thrusts their hips forward and bounce their penises up and down to attract women. There is a nude shot of a chimpanzee penis, but you have to be told what it is. There is a lesbian monkey, and an ape rape, and they go together. A big arrow would have been helpful. The very best part is the postscript which depicts something that is treated fully in another book (de Waal is a salesman as well as a biologist); one of the chimps is murdered when the other chimps bite off his balls. It has some good pictures, it's kind of fun, but I wouldn't buy it.

Fascinating parallels to human behavior.......2006-02-25

The parallels de Waal draws between human and chimp politics are interesting, ironic, and often amusing. They seem so valid--if one can look objectively and without prejudice--that I found myself both fascinated and amused throughout the whole book at the similarities between both chimp and human customs and politics. The difference between us and the chimps is that a thin surface veneer of ideology and beliefs hides the true nature of politics for us, and the sex and the money which are really at the root of it.

There lies the real difference between us and chimps. Beneath the slightly polished surface veneer, and a very thin veneer it is--are the same motivations that drive the chimps. Humans like to pretend to high ideals and noble beliefs and values, but the sad fact is that all too often, despite our more evolved brains, we live down to our lower natures rather than up to our higher consciousness (assuming that even exists, which I'm not convinced it does) and values.

There is a reason for that, which is that our brains still contain those more primitive structures and areas of the brain, such as the limbic system, which still control and drive and motivate and control our behavior on a day to day level, and so we retain that core of "chimp" or paleomammalian behavior despite our supposedly more evolved cerebral cortices.

I've had the opportunity to observe mating rituals by a troop of mandrills (which are related to baboons) and also rhesus macaques, and I noticed many resemblances to de Waal's chimps, except that the mandrills and macaques probably aren't as intelligent or quite as varied in their behavior. But the basic elements of power and sex, which de Waal discusses in regard to the chimps, were still there. One difference was I noticed that many times a female would present to a male mandrill or macaque, and the male would refuse, although the female was obviously receptive. Such refusals seem less common among chimps.

As you may know, chimps are more promiscuous than humans, humans being somewhat more monogamous--but probably not as monogamous as we're all brought up to believe. So perhaps male mandrills and macaques are more choosy than chimps, which is something one associates more with female sexual behavior. Since all mandrill and macaque females pretty much look alike (well, at least to us :-)), I presume this had something to do with the female's place in the social hierarchy.

But getting back to de Waal's book, his research dovetails very well with the neurobiology (which was my field) and there is no better or more interesting writer on the subject. Overall this is a fascinating and well written book on the subject.

Greatly informs evolutionary psychology.......2005-01-22

Chimpanzee Politics tells the story of a colony of chimps in captivity. Frans De Waal observed them for years and soon saw that each chimp had a personality and that there was a definite pattern to their behavior. He shows that they have innate desires and goals and that they act politically to attain them. The astounding thing is that the chimps were seemingly very human in their actions.

This book is very accessible and engaging. From the perspective of evolutionary psychology, De Waal shows an unquestionable chimp nature at work. It is then not much of a leap to suggest that there is a human nature and that, like the chimps, we act predictably and politically in pursuit of our goals.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in human behavior or evolutionary psychology. It is a great piece of popular science writing that is nevertheless very serious.

Jane Goodall (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers)

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Jane Goodall (Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers)
Jo S. Kittinger
Manufacturer: Children's Press (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0516249401

Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are

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Fascinating Similarities
OUR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE
Important book
Our Inner Ape
Excellent!

Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are
Frans De Waal
Manufacturer: Riverhead Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594481962

Amazon.com

Power, sex, violence and kindness: these four broad-spectrum categories encompass much of human behavior, so it's only fitting that they're also the primary subject material for Frans de Waal's (The Ape and The Sushi Master) book Our Inner Ape. The few (but deeply detailed) chapters are a mesmerizing read that spans biology, child psychology, postmodern theorists and fundamental morality, using tales of stern chimps, and sexy bonobos to examine humans' place between them. In the process, he examines why we need to know our place in the world, how our body language communicates feelings, and where the roots of empathy lie in mammalian life.

De Waal's respect for both his readers and his research subjects come shining through in the simple clarity he uses when describing both the endless sex of bonobo apes and the heartrending violence occasionally present in chimp hierarchal structure. By illustrating his points with a mixture of straight-from-research experiences and jokes at the expense of modern politicians, he keeps his ideas compelling for anyone with a basic understanding of evolutionary science without drifting towards the academic drone that could be expected of by a researcher of his experience.

You won't find specific conclusions concerning human nature, but instead a gentle, almost rambling look at two primate species with vastly different social networks and how, perhaps, humanity can learn from each to our benefit. A few of de Waal's lovely duotone photos (My Family Album: 30 Years of Primate Photography grace the end of the book, featuring close-up shots of the folks he's been writing about--chimps like Yeroen, Nikkie and Mama, and bonobo Kuif and adopted daughter Roosje are downright thrilling to see after reading such interesting stories about their lives. Jill Lightner

Book Description

From "one of the world's greatest experts on primate behavior" (Desmond Morris) comes a look at the most provocative aspects of human nature-power, sex, violence, kindness, and morality-through our closest cousins. For nearly twenty years, Frans De Waal has studied both the famously aggressive chimpanzee and the egalitarian, matriarchal bonobo, two species whose DNA is nearly identical to ours. The result is an engrossing narrative that reveals what their behavior can teach us about ourselves.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Similarities.......2007-09-19

Our Inner Ape compares the social behavior of apes to that of humans. It focuses mainly on bonobos and chimpanzees although various monkeys and other apes make brief appearances throughout. This book provides a large number of ape stories, many of which are drawn from Frans de Waal's own experiences as a primatologist, to give an overview of power, sex, violence and kindness in primate communities.

I enjoyed the stories given in this book; I did not realize that apes were either as violent or as compassionate as de Waal portrays them. Many of the parallels that de Waal draws between ape behavior and human behavior were intriguing to me (such as the basic roles of empathy and reciprocity in stabilizing social communities). I found this book to be an instructive read on ape-human similarities; de Waal's presentation of the human as the "bi-polar ape" provides much food for thought. I would recommend this book to others.

OUR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE.......2007-08-14

The great enjoyment of this book lies in its clear uncomplicated language. It gives us the opportunity of reflection on our place on earth. This may be the occasion to put our 'uniqueness' in perspective. Revelations on our biological heritage give us the comfort of knowing about our inherent endless potential for adaption in a rapidly changing physical and social environment. Such thoughts should give us an optimistic outlook into the future.

Important book.......2007-08-09

This book is an important tool in understanding who we are as a species. It is written for the intelligent layman who does not suffer from religious hangups about our evolution. It is written in an engaging style by a serious and important scientist who makes the reader share his love for his chimp, bonobo and human subjects. This book makes me more determined than ever to seek my own sense of "spirituality" by finding more eays to enjoy being a primate, and the more bonobo like the better!

Our Inner Ape.......2007-07-28

A strength of this book is that the author develops concepts which are
unknown by the reading public. For instance, bonobos understand and can
empathize with each others' needs. Coalitions of chimps are key for leaders
to develop allies. Sometimes, death is the ultimate price to reach the
top. The author believes that if chimps had guns and knew how to use them-
they would be violent enough to do so.

The book makes for interesting reading; however, I don't whether or not
the conclusions reached can be mapped to human behavior.

Excellent!.......2007-06-26

This is an excellent book written by a knowledgeable professor. It is very interesting, and clearly shows through his research that we still have a lot of ape in us. It is a book that should not be missed.

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My Life With The Chimpanzees
Excellent autobiography for young people as well as adults.
A Heart-warming Adventure
Boring!
never forgotten!

My Life with the Chimpanzees
Jane Goodall
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671562711

Book Description

From the time she was a girl, Jane Goodall dreamed of a life spent working with animals. Finally she had her wish. When she was twenty-six years old, she ventured into the forests of Africa to observe chimpanzees in the wild. On her expeditions she braved the dangers with leopards and lions in the African bush. And she got to know an amazing group of wild chimpanzees -- intelligent animals whose lives, in work and play and family relationships, bear a surprising resemblance to our own.

Customer Reviews:

My Life With The Chimpanzees.......2007-07-29

This book is a great introduction to Dr. Goodall, physical anthropology, and primatology. Because it is written by Jane, the insight into the lives of the chimpanzees and the environment in general gives us her own personal message of hope and preservation for all creatures and places.

Excellent autobiography for young people as well as adults........2004-03-12

My 8 year old was assigned to do her monthly book report on a biography. She wanted to read about Abraham Lincoln... until she found out she had to dress up as the book's subject! Regrouping with a week to go and a driving vacation looming, I rushed to ...to find a children's biography available in audio download... and stumbled upon this gem. We all listened to the (abridged) audio version on the trip, and I do think that hearing it read by the author added a great deal. My daughter read the unabridged book with fascination when we got home, though I suspect she might have had more difficulty relating to the book had she not heard Jane Goodall speak her own words first. At any rate, the report (outfitted with khakis, a notebook, and a velcro-handed stuffed chimp) was a great success, and my daughter has met a role model of determination, compassion, and wisdom.

A Heart-warming Adventure.......2004-01-22

An excellent book! Reading about the extraordinary life Jane Goodall has led is fascinating in itself. Add to it the personalities of the chimps you get to know as you read the book and the adventures Jane Goodall has experienced, and you have a fascinating read. Other reviews recommend this book to children, I recommend it for adults as well. I am thirty-something years young and cried when I read parts of this. Dr. Goodall's love for these animals really comes through.

Boring!.......2001-11-13

This book was so broing I couldn't even get through the whole thing. She was putting me to sleep!

never forgotten!.......2000-06-08

This is a beautiful book, grasping your atention and holding your hand thru a fantastic journey into Africa, and into the chimpanzes of the Gombe. You will get to meet all of them, and even see how they are like, observing the individual diferences of their behaviour. Parents: please purchase it for your kids! Kids: get your parents to buy it for you! Inspiring! I am now 22, but I must have been 10 when I first read this book (not this edition of course!). I still purchase Jane Goodall's books...and I'm following the dream she helped inspire: to go to a place no one can pronounce to study an animal few people care about...

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Jane Goodall (First Biographies)
Lola M. Schaefer , and Wyatt Schaefer
Manufacturer: Pebble Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0736820833

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Excellent tribute to Goodall's life and work
A Worthy Devotion to an amazing Woman!

Jane Goodall: 40 Years at Gombe
Goodall Inst
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1556709471

Amazon.com

Jane Goodall is the most famous primatologist, possibly the most famous field biologist, of the 20th century. Her chimpanzee research did more to increase human knowledge of the lives of our closest relatives than that of any other scientist. It's in large part due to her example that primatology is the closest thing to a female-dominated science.

But in 1986 Goodall gave up fieldwork for a higher, more pressing calling: rescuing chimpanzees from inhumane conditions in captivity and preserving the species from extinction. Jane Goodall: 40 Years at Gombe is a pictorial tribute to her life, her studies of the chimpanzees, and her unflagging efforts to motivate human beings on their behalf.

"Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference." Goodall began her research by giving the chimpanzees names, by observing them as nonhuman individuals. Her activism is directed toward the human individuals: scientists who use apes in research, Africans who live near wild apes, children in Africa and in the industrialized world who can learn to value other creatures for themselves. Goodall says of this last project that "I think Roots & Shoots is probably the reason I came into the world. Yet I couldn't have done it without all those years with the chimpanzees and an understanding that led to a blurring of the line between 'man' and 'beasts.'" --Mary Ellen Curtin

Book Description

Introduction by Dr. Jane Goodall. On the occasion of Dr. Jane Goodall's fortieth anniversary of groundbreaking research with the chimpanzees of Gombe, the Jane Goodall Institute has joined Stewart, Tabori & Chang in paying homage to the woman hailed by the Christian Science Monitor as "a heroine, in a hero-less time."

In the words of Stephen Jay Gould, "Jane Goodall's work with chimpanzees represents one of the western world's greatest scientific achievements." Set on her path by famed anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey, who believed in her patience and persistent desire to understand animals, Goodall established the Gombe Stream Research Centre. There, her profound scientific discoveries-including the observation of chimpanzees making and using tools-laid the foundation for all future primate studies.

Filled with photographs from the Institute's archives-many never-before published-along with the work of some of the world's top photographers, this beautifully illustrated volume traces the story of Dr. Goodall's work from its singular beginning to the Institute's present-day international activities. It is sure to appeal to Dr. Goodall's millions of admirers the world over, and to serve as a source of inspiration to many more.

Dr. Jane Goodall is one of the world's most recognized scientists, the recipient of numerous awards, the subject of many documentary films, and the author of more than ten books for children and adults, including the best-selling In the Shadow of Man (1971).

Customer Reviews:

Excellent tribute to Goodall's life and work.......2001-05-02

_____I bought this book for my girlfriend, who is a huge fan of Jane Goodall. But I find myself picking it up and reading through it a lot. This book is an excellent read, for the casual animal lover as well as those with a deep interest in primatology.

_____The book covers much of Jane Goodall's life, including biographical info, historical research milestones, and even those special moments that make Goodall the concerned activist she is. It has well-written text and beautiful, high-quality photos. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Jane Goodall, especially those who do not know much about her and would like a starter reference book.

A Worthy Devotion to an amazing Woman!.......2000-07-14

At 14, I admire and sulute Ms. Goodall! Her work and devotion to some the most fascinating of animals is absolutely stunning! I think that over her 40 wonderful at Gombe, she has developed a beautiful relationship with these animals, and you can definetely see and feel their love with this book! Everyone who has ever read her dazzling books or has any knowledge or admiration for Jane's hard and unmistakably hard work will enjoy this timeline of a stunning woman's life in Africa! Enjoy!

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Jane Goodall Stands in a Place Just Right
Engaging, richly detailed life story...
Thought-provoking and inspiring
Reason for Hope : A Spiritual Journey
Reason to Read!

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
Jane Goodall , and Phillip Berman
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0446522252

Amazon.com

Now at the age of 60, she continues to break the mold of scientist by revealing how her research and worldwide conservation institutes spring from her childhood callings and adult spiritual convictions. Reason for Hope is a smoothly written memoir that does not shy away from facing the realities of environmental destruction, animal abuse, and genocide. But Goodall shares her antidote to the poison of despair with specific examples of why she has not lost faith. For instance, she shares her spiritual epiphany during a visit to Auschwitz; her bravery in the face of chimpanzee imprisonment in medical laboratories; and devotes a whole chapter to individuals, corporations, and countries that are doing the right thing. But most of all Goodall provides a beautifully written plea for why everyone can and must find a reason for hope. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

As a young woman, Jane Goodall was best known for her groundbreaking fieldwork with the chimpanzees of Gombe, Africa. Goodall's work has always been controversial, mostly because she broke the mold of research scientist by developing meaningful relationships with her "specimens" and honoring their lives as she would other humans. Now at the age of 60, she continues to break the mold of scientist by revealing how her research and worldwide conservation institutes spring from her childhood callings and adult spiritual convictions. Reason for Hope is a smoothly written memoir that does not shy away from facing the realities of environmental destruction, animal abuse, and genocide. But Goodall shares her antidote to the poison of despair with specific examples of why she has not lost faith. For instance, she shares her spiritual epiphany during a visit to Auschwitz; her bravery in the face of chimpanzee imprisonment in medical laboratories; and devotes a whole chapter to individuals, corporations, and countries that are doing the right thing. But most of all Goodall provides a beautifully written plea for why everyone can and must find a reason for hope. --Gail Hudson

Download Description

Those who know Jane Goodall through her many books, speeches, and National Geographic television specials, know she is obviously no ordinary scientist. She is a genuinely spiritual woman who cares passionately about the preservation and enhancement of life in all its forms.Based upon the many spiritual experiences that have graced and shaped her outlook on life, Dr. Goodall is convinced there is a higher purpose to life, and that this purpose can best be served by a sense of reverence for creation--a commitment to opening our hearts and minds to the spiritual ties that bind us to the Earth.In this book, Dr. Goodall takes us through the pivotal events of her life--her childhood in war-torn England, her relationship with the Leakeys, her groundbreaking work with the chimpanzees of Gombe--and in doing so, touches upon such topics as faith and love, mysticism and science, the origins of good and evil and evolution, and the existence of the soul and of God. She sheds light not only on why millions of people today are hungry for meaning, but on the steps we can take to transform our lives for the better, to rekindle our spirits and reawaken our minds.

Customer Reviews:

Jane Goodall Stands in a Place Just Right.......2007-09-14

I loan this book, give copies as gifts, and read it at least once a year. Dr. Jane Goodall's life, from her days as a young British girl with a love of animals and nature to her present incarnation as a world-renowned conservationist, advocate for threatened and endangered animals - particularly primates - and UN Messenger of Peace, is exemplary. In Dr. Goodall's own words, "We have a choice to use the gift of our lives to make the world a better place." Through this book, we may learn how Dr. Goodall has done just that.

Engaging, richly detailed life story..........2007-07-05

Jane Goodall's "Reason For Hope" is an engaging, richly detailed life story. Raised in England, a lucky break through a friend takes Goodall to Africa for a job as a secretary. There she meets Louis Leakey, who is very impressed with her and helps to shape her career. Although she completes a PhD and spends time on book tours and teaching gigs, Goodall is most at home living amidst the wildlife. In fact, she makes it clear that she is most comfortable alone, observing chimpanzees. She finds her sprirituality there, drawn on a Christian upbringing in the UK. She also marries twice and has a son, and oversees students who visit her compound.

Although this is a traditional memoir, it is also very much about Goodall's faith. Despite many doubts about man's inhumanity to man, Goodall sees in nature (and in humans) several reasons to believe in a creator and in humankind. (She also has a supernatural encounter with a deceased relative.) Much of her spirituality is rooted in reverance for God's creation. Her life is an extraordinary one, but her faith is a common one.

Thought-provoking and inspiring.......2007-05-21

An inspiring book that makes it clear just how influential one person can be in shaping the course of history. I found the book enlightining in a number of ways - from the behavior of chimps to raising children. This book is one I'd recommend to a number of different readers, as there's something for everyone.

Reason for Hope : A Spiritual Journey.......2006-03-01

After a lifetime unraveling the mysteries of wild chimpanzees, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall bares her soul to readers, describing the spiritual underpinnings that have shaped her life, her work, and her outlook for the future.

Goodall has always defied scientific convention. Untrained as a scientist, but noticed by famed anthropologist Louis Leakey as a keen observer and a self-taught naturalist, Goodall was sent into the forests of Tanzania as a young woman to conduct a study of the chimpanzees. With her mother at her side and a cook to accompany them, Goodall began the research that would span her entire career and help reshape the way humans look at and study wild animals.

Reason for Hope chronicles Goodall's early years in war-torn England, the horrors of the Holocaust, and her years observing wild apes. It also records family joys and despairs, unsettling discoveries about our closest living relatives, and, eventually, the turmoil of witnessing nearby war, environmental destruction, and the plight of chimpanzees in medical laboratories.

As the title suggests, the power of this book lies in its optimism. Faced, at times, with more plights than possibilities, Goodall falls back on her own particular brand of faith to make sense of a harsh world. Her final chapters, a call to action, asks readers to join her in taking concrete steps toward making the world a better place for all animals, people included.

Reason to Read!.......2005-12-02

The book is intriguing to say the least. There is no question that this is Jane's own soul searching put onto paper as well as words of wisdom from someone who is nothing short of wise. The book was enjoyable to read and I personally got much out of it. The last chapters of the book are worth reading in themselves. I don't know of many people who show the courage and integrity that Jane Goodall demonstrates. If more people would look up to positive figures such as Goodall, this world would surely be a better place.

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