Our Inner Ape: The Best and Worst of Human Nature
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.25 (934 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1862077959 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 300 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
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. 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. Power, sex, violence and kindness: these fou
This is an audacious book, an engrossing discourse that proposes thought-provoking and sometimes shocking connections among chimps, bonobos, and those most paradoxical of apes, human beings.. As genetically similar to man as the chimpanzee, the bonobo has a temperament and a lifestyle vastly different from those of its genetic cousin. We have a common ancestor, scientists tell us, so it’s natural that we act alike. After all, we share them with another primate: the lesser-known bonobo. In Our Inner Ape, Frans de Waal, one of the world’s great primatologists and a renowned expert on social behavior in apes, presents the provocative idea that our noblest qualitiesgenerosity, kindness, altruismare as much a part of our nature as are our baser instincts. It’s plain that our finest qualities run deeper in our DNA than experts have previously thought.Frans de Waal has spent the last two decades studying our closest primate relations, and his observations of each species in Our Inner Ape encompass the spectrum of human behavior. Visit the author's Web site at ourinnerapeIt’s no secret that humans and apes share a host of traits, from the tribal communities we form to our irrepressible curiosity. Where chimps are aggressive, territorial, and hierarchical, bonobos are gentle, loving, and erotic (sex for bonobos is as much about pleasure and social bonding as
The Inner Human of Apes This is a wonderful synopsis of Frans de Waal's decades of research on chimpanzee and bonobo societies and what it tells us about human evolution. Like Jared Diamond's The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (P.S.), Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are attempts to answer some of the big questions about humanity and human evolution. Like Diamond's books, this one will change your conception of human evolution and what it means to be human.In some ways, this book should really be called "The Inner Human of Apes," since the book focuses on the apes more than on humans. Since mo. Another solid effort I really enjoy De Waal's books. They are all well written with a very entertaining and easy to read style. He knows his subjects thoroughly and has the unique ability to convey that knowledge in such a way that is accessible to everyone. He doesn't talk down to his audience, but is able to put the information in a context that is easy to understand. Many times those who reach the top of their respective fields end up only being able to speak in a language that only other academics can understand.I have been interested in evolutionary biology for some time now and have read quite a bit on the topic, but I continually find myself comin. "OUR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE" according to Rudolf Muller. 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.