Chimpanzees Books

A very readable & enjoyable book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on autism & the origin of language. Fritjof Capra's book "Hidden Connections" referenced this informative & amusing text including the link between brain function involved with hand gesture, signing, & tongue movements that unexpectedly led to the promotion the uptake of speech in autistic.
There are many insights into the shared psychology of humans & other primates. Despite the physiological and genetic similarities of all primates that have made chimps attractive model organisms for research,it was interesting to read about the reluctance of biological scientists to accept the anthropomorphic traits of chimps. There can be little room for a claim to "value-free" objectivity by biomedical researchers who can apparently dismiss the psychological effects of enforced confinement & sensory deprivation, on the effectiveness of anti-viral medications, or a range of other pharmaceuticals. The author has shown considerable bravery & commitment to expanding this area of learning, despite the threats against his personal career by people with vested interests in ignoring or denying the contradictions to their implicit or explicit values.

A must-read for any animal lover. Roger Fouts and the recently deceased chimpanzee Washoe are my heroes.

At age 62, I still look for writers who will change and deepen my sense of our human nature and our place in the natural world. More than writers about religion per se, I think these writers are able to help us advance our moral and spiritual understanding and reconcile our human/animal natures. For some years I've been reading Goodall and others on primates, but Next of Kin was, for me, a pinnacle illumination. Even if you aren't interested in these types of questions, I think this book will move you deeply. If you ARE interested, may I also suggest the recent Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets.Take Me With You When You Go

Although this book was written some time ago, it is exceptionally timely because the relevance of chimp behavior to our own continues to unfold. The devotion the author invests in his charges and the passion he feels about the atrocities visited on chimps both in the laboratory and in the wild drive his story. This abuse is reinforced by the backward and ignorant thinking that stems from bible thumpers who fear the truth about evolution and man's close relationship to apes. Roger Fouts and his wife have provided an invaluable service to our understanding of chimps, and their research related to sign language is truly stunning. They have succeeded in accomplishing their observation and reporting against considerable odds. All these aspects, and the Fouts' fully rounded examination of their subjects make for a gripping and emotional tale well told.

"Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees" is one of the most amazing, heartbreaking, and inspirational books I've ever read. The book is written by Roger Fouts, a primatologist who devoted his life to studying the language patterns of chimpanzees. While in graduate school, Roger was introduced to Washoe, a precocious young chimp who became fluent in American Sign Language. Eventually "Project Washoe" expanded to include many chimpanzees, all who learned to communicate with humans using ASL and demonstrated unique personalities, complex emotions, and astounding intelligence.

I've always been a big animal lover, but reading this book taught me so many things that I never knew before. Anyone who questions an animal's ability to think or feel will get a sharp reality check after reading this book. Chimpanzees are people, too, just as much as human beings are. Unfortunately, the majority if humans in this world don't agree with that logic, and thousands of animals, including chimpanzees, are routinely kidnapped from their natural habitats and bred in captivity for the sole purpose of participating in biomedical research. In many cases, medical laboratories house animals in appalling conditions and literally torture them to death. "Next of Kin" details the horrors that go on behind closed doors at biomedical laboratories, and chronicles the steps Fouts and other animal activists have taken to protect chimpanzees from being treated inhumanely.

I absolutely loved this book. Reading it made me feel close to Washoe and her chimpanzee friends, even though I never met any of them before. (Sadly, Washoe passed away last fall at the age of 42, but I hope to visit members of her family at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute in Washington someday.) Parts of this book are incredibly depressing and difficult to read, but hopefully learning about the terrible ways animals are treated will inspire people to take action. I admire everything that Fouts, his family, and his colleagues have done to protect chimpanzees, who are our next of kin on the great evolutionary scale. I hope other readers get as much out of this book as I did.

I was just looking for a story about animals for entertainment. I didn't expect to learn so much about primates and research and I never expected such a complex weave of animal and human behavior in a novel. The author maintains, like I do, that without understanding animals we won't be motivated to save their way of life, which is important to us in ways we don't normally comprehend. That is to say that when "one of us is chained, none of us are free." And we are animals too, which we often forget. The human side of this story could have only been crafted by a wise, deep thinking author who understands the complicated makeup of humans. The ending was thought provoking, educational and unexpected. The information about the animals was an
in- depth insight someone could have only gained by close personal observation. I came away from this read much richer.

In Dr Dana Armstrong's world, as the director of a sanctuary for chimpanzees in South Carolina, she is doing the best she can for those chimpanzees damaged or exploited by their interaction with humans. Unfortunately, the sanctuary is vandalised, chimpanzees are set free and the resulting publicity threatens to destroy everything that Dana has worked towards. In addition, echoes from Dana's own childhood are threatening to place her career in jeopardy.

In this moving novel, Ms Wesselmann gives life to an engaging cast of characters, include chimpanzees and their carers as well as activists, academics and villains. In confronting her past, Dana also learns to face a different future. This story is both heart warming and heart wrenching. It invites readers to think beyond the fiction. Deftly written, without extraneous verbiage, Ms Wesselmann writes a powerful novel where not everything is as it seems. Family secrets, power struggles, romance are issues in the human and chimpanzee worlds as well. I finished this novel some days ago but will continue to think about the messages and their ramifications for some time to come. And that, for me, is usually the difference between a 4 and 5 star novel.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Debbie Lee Wesselmann provides a spell binding novel which sheds light on the precarious plight of chimpanzees which are raised in captivity and after having served the purpose of humans ... their lives are left in limbo. In a world concerned with saving our planet by going green, decreasing carbon dioxide emissions from gas-guzzling automobiles to keep our air cleaner and prevent global warming from destroying everything - here is another cause which deserves our attention and support with economic resources. The book is written with sensitivity, compassion, and knowledge about the lives of chimpanzees in captivity. It is a superbly written highly original novel which combines adventure, romance, and human interest, maintaining the reader's attention from start to finish.

Essentially, the book is about the scientist, Dr. Dana Armstrong, Director of the South Carolina Primate Project and her attempts to keep afloat the sanctuary which serves as home to chimpanzees who have been discarded after being involuntary participants in scientific experiments at labs or residents at zoos which have closed. The major problem she is facing is how to convince the Unviersity president and a major donor that her facility is a safe place for the animals and is not a threat to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, there was a break-in at the sanctuary and the animals were freed ... someone obtained a key and simply opened up the cages, letting the animals roam about the offices, sanctuary and beyond, into the nearby family neighborhood.

Dana, Andy, the vet for the animals, Mary one of the research associates and graduate students helped round up the missing animals - all except one - the most dangerous, named Benji. Benji had been owned by a cruel animal trainer and had unpredicatable behavior as a result. Dana had to call the local sheriff to help find him and she had to admit Benji could be dangerous. Sadly, when Benji was found - he was dead, having been hit by a car. It caused Dana much grief because it reminded her of Annie, a chimp with whom she was raised as a child. The chimp came into their household as an experiment by her psychologist father, who wanted it treated as a family member. Annie was taken away after an unfortunate incident occurred to Dana ... Annie was supposed to have gone to a lab for experiments but the trail as to what really happened to her led to a dead-end. No one knows whether Annie was alive or dead. No one knows what kind of experiments were performed on Annie. This incident haunted Dana ...

Unexpectedly, a free lance reporter Sam Wendt entered Dana's life. He threw her world upside down. Initially, he asked questions about the experiment led by her father, regarding teaching chimps the use of language. Later, after learning about the break-in and delving deeply into the politics of animal research and competition for funding, Sam became a willing accomplice in her quest to save the chimps and discover who was behind this disastrous event. The author deftly connects a haunting past event in Dana's life to her present predicament, where her qualifications to lead and direct this sanctuary are being seriously questioned ... The reader will learn much about the sad circumstances which surround the lives of these most endearing animals, chimpanzees. Most readers will empathize with their condition and be hooked on this story where the goal is to keep this non-threatening primate sanctuary thriving and maintain the safety of its residents. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

I gave this book four stars because it's not Pulitzer material. But it's an excellent novel. The story unfolds with enough background to allow us to begin immediately to feel involved, and builds on the basic information with just the right amount of well-timed exposition. Each character "unfolds" exceptionally well so that the reader definitely experiences "getting to know" them moments. It's a skill to be able to do that well, and Debbie Lee Wesselmann is a skilled story-teller.

The basics of the story have been outlined well by other reviewers so I won't recap those. What I will say is that the book is one to be savored because the themes the author offers us are worthy of careful consideration. As I savored this book, I realized that it's not just about the "captivity" of the primates... or, rather, it IS about the captivity of ALL of the primates, including the human ones. And the careful reader will be fascinated by how each handles their "imprisonment" and if or how each escapes.

And, in the meantime, reading about ape behavior is fascinating and great fun. And you may also enjoy the irony of learning about how university boards and funding committees can behave.

Good book. I recommend it.

Born to a middle-class academic family, Dana Armstrong might have expected to lead a sedate life. She had loving parents, a younger brother, Zack, and a "sister" - Annie. Interacting with loving care to each other, they seemed the ideal family. But there was a discontinuity - Annie was a chimpanzee. The trio was part of an experiment by Dana's father Reginald. Primate researchers in the 1960s were eager to learn if human-chimp communications could be achieved. Living with a human family continuously instead of in a labatory facility seemed the best opportunity. Wesselmann, in a finely wrought tale of the experiment and its consequences has provided us with a stirring, yet sensitive tale.

She opens with Dana well along in her life. She's gained a PhD in Primatology, following her father's path, and operates a sanctuary for chimps that have been subjected to a range of medical experiments, including being given AIDS. Her South Carolina site seems ideal, isolated, well protected to reduce outsider concerns, and supplied by caring donors. She's on the local university staff, keeping her academic foundation sound. Yet, somebody has gained access to the site, releasing the chimps. In the course of recovering them, one of the chimps is struck by a car and killed. The facility is hardly a secret, but the community rises in protest. It also garners the attention of somebody Dana had been trying to forget - Prof. Richard Lamier. Complicating her circumstances yet further, a new element enters her life in the person of Sam Wendt. Just what she doesn't need now is a critical journalist writing to an already hostile community. But Sam says magic words about her childhood with Annie. He's not to be summarily dismissed.

Wesselmann builds her story and her characters with seemingly effortless grace. It is only as event progress and interaction builds that the power of her prose emerges. The pace is swift and furious - this is not a book easily set aside - but nothing is forced or contrived. Dana is beset by many foils - Lamier emerges with increasing presence from the background, but it's her own brother Zack on whom much of this story hinges. He's a wastrel, an emotional nomad, and a constant pressure on her goodwill and energy. There's a hint that he may have had something to do with releasing the chimps, although motivation seems lacking. The chimp release leads to widespread implications with the future of the sanctuary and Dana's own career hanging over an abyss. She has little but her own resources of strength and cunning to draw on. Can that possibly be enough with all that's arrayed against her?

The author's account goes beyond prose skills. Clearly this work rests on a solid research base. It's easy to believe Wesselmann was at the side of more than one primatologist, likely in a refuge such as the one depicted here. Chimp behaviours - including one young one obviously brought up among humans, who insists on clothes and a potty, are too vividly depicted and explained to be fabricated. Her research points up the underlying importance of the subjects in this tale - can we justify what we do in experimenting on animals. Especially our closest living cousins [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This book made me cry. I read almost a book a day, which is about 350 books a year. Not many of them make me cry, but this one did. Hurt Go Happy is the most touching and emotional book I have ever read. Ginny Rorby's writing allows you to become the character(s), and see everything through their eyes.
Early in the story, we meet Joey Willis, a rambunctious 13 year old who has been deaf for 7 years. She comes across Dr. Charles Mansell and his pet chimpanzee, Sukari. She immediately likes them and they become friends quickly. Joey's mother, on the other hand, is disgusted by the thought of being near a chimp, and thinks that Charlie is a perverse old man. Joey is amazed that anyone could not like Sukari, an adorable, chocolate colored, three and a half year old chimp.
Sukari can speak in sign language and acts like a normal child. She wears diapers and clothes, has temper tantrums and has a time out corner. She is covered in thin, silky brown hair, white on her bottom (hence the name Sukari, which means "sugar bottom") She carries around a doll and loves to be tickled and to have books read to her. Her favorite snack is raisins, which she begs for constantly.
Most of the action in the story takes place in Charlie's home. His house is built onto the side of a mountain. It is surrounded by huge trees and hills and lots of mushrooms. The inside is a mess, due to Sukari's constant temper tantrums and quick changes of ideas for entertainment. Her room is laced with ropes that she can hang on and a platform. Strewn around are various toys and dolls.
While Joey loves spending time with Sukari at Charlie's house, her mother still does not approve. The main conflict in the story is between Joey and her mother. In addition to not wanting her to be friends with Charlie, her mother also refuses to let Joey learn sign language. Joey has always wanted to learn, but her mother won't let her because she wants her to be "normal", and she (her mother) thinks sign language will make her stand out even more than being deaf already does. However, Joey rebels by secretly learning sign language so she can better communicate with Charlie and Sukari.
The main theme of this story is to not give up on your dreams. Joey always dreamed of learning sign language, and being with other deaf people. She had to work through many difficulties, but once her mother saw how dedicated she was, she allowed her to go to a school for the deaf. This success all happened because Joey was focused on what she wanted, and did not give up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone, whether they like to read or not. Hurt Go Happy was a wonderful and moving story that I loved, and I'm sure that you will, too.

This is the best book I've ever read about a chimp or a monkey. It was beautiful and full of meaning. A wonderful book.

I am an elementary school librarian and have been reading this exceptional book to two fifth-grade classes over the course of about 6 weeks.

Every week they came into the library, eager to continue the story again. First, we'd review what happened the week before, then I would read for about 30 minutes. When we came upon any new ASL words, we would look them up and learn them together. When I finally had to stop reading after the 30 minutes was up, I'd get "Don't stop" groans and then applause!!!

This is such a great read-aloud book! We had some really insightful discussions and we learned SO much! We laughed and we cried (Oh, boy, it's hard to read when you're crying!). None of us will ever forget Sukari and Joey. There are now 60 young people (and three "old" ones!) that will never look at a chimp or any other primate the same again.

Ms. Rorby, THANK YOU for this book! Can't wait to get "Dolphin Sky!"

Thirteen year old Joanne "Joey" Willis has been deaf since the age of six. Her mother Ruth wants her to function in the hearing world by reading lips and adapting to school life with special sound monitors, but despite Ruth's efforts, Joey struggles to fit in and feels isolated from her classmates as well as her family.

Things change when Joey meets Dr. Charles Mansell (Charlie) and his baby chimpanzee Sukari who both speak American Sign Language. Charlie begins to teach Joey ASL, opening up a whole new world of communication for her - against her mother's wishes. Sukari and Joey form a unique bond but when Charlie's situation changes, it is up to Joey to speak up for Sukari and protect the life of her new found friend.

Hurt Go Happy is a captivating and believable novel, with details based on true events. The characters are richly drawn and ready to pull readers in from the very first chapter. Ginny Rorby expertly describes problems involving the culture clash between deaf and hearing people and also weaves several other serious issues into her story, including: animal rights, teen friendships, fitting in at school, family conflicts, homelessness, and abuse. Highly emotional and overwhelmingly powerful, Hurt Go Happy is an amazingly well written book.

As an eighth-grade English teacher, I read young adult novels in hopes of finding a piece of writing that I can offer to my students -- one that they will enjoy, learn from, find easily, and connect to whatever else I am teaching at the time. I will admit that I don't read as many books as I should, but I do a lot of research on the prospective books in advance by reading reviews from others (thanks, Amazon!), so I can use my limited reading time wisely.

HURT GO HAPPY came to me as one of Florida's 2008-2009 Sunshine State recommended texts for students in grades 6 through 8. Researching these fifteen titles to find the couple of diamonds among them requires the use of feedback from Amazon reviewers, and this book came with glowing recommendations.

I was worried by the description that this book would be one of those formulaic, teen adventures, in this case with a deaf girl trying to save a chimpanzee -- NOT what I would call a genre I was giving much hope to. Luckily, these other reviews dispelled that dread, giving me hope that there was something more to this interestingly titled piece.

As an English and Drama teacher, I have to admit that my favorite part of what I teach is the subject of Theme (not as in "essay," or "recurring motif," but "the lessons, morals and wisdom a story has to offer"). I embrace books that come to their themes honestly, creatively and passionately. The greatest works offer themes that sink so deep into our minds, hearts and souls that we cannot remove these lessons from ourselves, no matter how hard we try. You don't have to read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD more than once to feel that the power of its lessons will NEVER leave you; you only have to think about this type of book years afterward, and you can still feel the impression it has left on you without even trying. These are books we love and consider our favorites.

I didn't think that this book would be anywhere nearly as successful as it turns out to be. Its multiple themes (primary and secondary) are all, oxymoronically, both bold and subtle. However, it is the major theme of HURT GO HAPPY that stays and drives the entire work: We must live up to our responsibilities -- to each other, to our world, to ourselves. This theme shows up in HURT GO HAPPY in each of the key relationships in the story, as well as in some of the minor ones. Some characters have lived up to their responsibilities and others have not. A strong writer will show you both sides of the coin, as it were. Author Ginny Rorby has wisely allowed us to see how our actions (and inactions) affect us and others, sometimes in an intensely painful way (both emotionally and physically). Great authors tend to not shy away from the ugly side of life, and Rorby has written a book that has a tremendous number of layers to it (both beautiful and ugly).

Deeply, deeply felt, HURT GO HAPPY is powerful, and surprised me greatly. The relationship with Joey and her mother seems very one-dimensional at first, but drives the theme in a devastatingly real way as it proves to be very much three-dimensional. Joey's mother Ruth spends her life avoiding her past and, apparently, the future, as well. Her denial for Joey to live in the world in which Joey actually exists (deaf, friendless, and wanting) is painful for us, and when Joey tries to break out of this awful reality, Ruth insists that that cannot be. We begin to see Ruth as selfish, and she is, but as Ginny Rorby develops this magnificent tale of a young girl finding that her responsibilities are to be the driving force of her life, we get to see Ruth as a hurt, wounded creature who has failed in her own life. A small, but beautifully poignant moment in the middle of the book started me on the path to getting excited about HURT GO HAPPY. The rest of the book only heightened that initial excitement.

Joey is a magnificent protagonist, one of my favorites of the past few years, who has to fight to be heard (yeah, I guess that pun is intended). Her observations and reactions to life are pieces of gold for teachers like me. Metaphorically speaking, this is a treasure trove as well -- a trove of metaphors, that is. Rorby has developed wonderfully subtle metaphors as well as bold metaphors that should shake a student's understanding of what finely crafted writing is -- so much so that any student should be able to truly understand and appreciate that the best writing requires great thought, constant planning and driving passion.

Perhaps I fell in love with this book when the meaning of the odd title revealed itself late in the text. It made wonderful, heartfelt sense on a very basic level, but it really sank into that part deep within my heart, soul and mind when I understood that it was the PERFECT title because, metaphorically, it dealt not only with Sukari the chimpanzee, but far more importantly, it spoke of Joey and Ruth and of their failures of the past. At that point, this became the book I was looking for. I can't imagine that any other book I read in the next year will be able to compare.

You MUST read this book.

(And as a side-note, I will be using this book as a companion piece to THE MIRACLE WORKER -- not only because of the subject of deafness, but because I teach THE MIRACLE WORKER to explore metaphor and deeper meanings. I can't wait!)

Jane Goodall needs no introduction, she cares for nature, earth and all the creatures on it. Some critize her seemingly unorthodox methods and her supposed "cult of personality." However, reading this book made me fascinated by our closest living relatives and how they are really so similiar to ourselves. It made me remember that we too are animals, but we are intelligent and the dominaters of the earth. But with that role, we have to protect the voiceless. Both scientific and thoughtful, the narrative of this book is good for any science class, home library or bedside stand. The most interesting parts for me were the chapters about alpha-male battles, the emotions of chimpanzees and the conclusion which discusses how we must be stewards of the earth.

I am going to read the rest of this amazing woman's books.

Jane is amazing!

*****/***** for Through a Window

To anyone old enough to remember the first field reports from a brash girl named Jane, who chose to live alone with a troop of chimps in Tanzania, way back in the 60s, it has to be a little boggling to realize that she has kept at it for 47 years (as of this writing). Oh, sure, we've seen the TV specials and the magazine stories, and some of us may have read her account of the first decade, IN THE SHADOW OF MAN. But, we do have our lives to attend to, and Goodall's ongoing work easily fades into the background noise. In our long struggle to understand the locus of humanity in nature, there is surely no work more crucial than this. Goodall's discoveries about our closest genetic cousins have uncontestably shown us our place. We are not much different than chimps, merely more so. A young woman, too naive in the ways of science to "know" that animals don't have personalities, saw them clearly. Her honest reporting, championed by her mentor Louis Leakey, overturned a system that harkened back to Descartes (who, we must remember, kicked his dogs often to demonstrate that their mechanical reaction bore no likeness to human pain). After Goodall, animals are "its" no more, they are "whos." THROUGH A WINDOW, is the story of the evolution of one girl's dream into a research center, with dozens of assistants, who have tracked and documented a chimpanzee society through the years. It is the report of political change, as different chimp leaders come to prominence, of family loyalty and discord, and of the look in chimpanzee eyes searching our own for ... understanding? It is equally a reminder that her happiest times remain the hours she steals to spend a day alone with the friends she knows so well: the aging matriarch who was a chimp babe in arms in 1960, and her grandson now moving toward dominance of the troop; older siblings teaching youngsters to fashion tools to 'fish' for termites; the deposed leader racked out in a leafy hammock - remembering his glory days? Coupled with work done by others, partly inspired by Goodall - such as the teaching of American Sign Language to captive chimps, who in turn, TEACH THEIR OWN CHILDREN TO SIGN, manipulating their babies hands into words while pointing at objects - the idea that anyone presumes to defend vivisecting these fellow earthlings is incomprehensible. There is far more going on in chimpanzee heads than was, for instance, in the severely mentally handicapped humans I houseparented years ago. Our staff spent years trying to teach some of our clients a single hand sign, and when they did occasionally manage it, it was seldom clear if there was understanding attached. Chimps create their own sentences, even invent combinations to describe novel experiences. Yet no one (these days, at least) suggests it is ethical to give AIDs to developmentally disabled children to see what happens, or to lock them in isolation chambers where they slowly go mad. It is no wonder that Goodall's work in the late 90s began to focus more and more on ending all captive experiments on the creatures she knows so well. (See my review of her later work, BRUTAL KINSHIP, Aperture Foundation, 199, which focuses on that effort.) THROUGH A WINDOW is an inspiring look at the joy, satisfaction, heartbreak and struggle of one scientist who has changed our world.

Ever since reading Jane Goodall's book "Reason For Hope" (which is another highly-recommended one on my list), I have called her "Our Lady of Hope"; she truly has paved the way for a brighter future in her study of the animals and plants. And with her optimism and positive outlook, how could I not be floored by her work?

This book takes you on an emotional roller-coaster; tenderness (Flo's natural mothering instincts and her care for her children and her daughter, Fifi, imitating her mother), sadness (Flo's death and her son, Flint, pining away before dying; the short, tragic life of the unfortunate, long-suffering Gilka), horror (Passion and Pom savagely killing and eating their own community's newborns; the brutal warfare in the mid-70s), and amazement (at how very much like humans that animals are).

This book is simply a gem. And the images are marvelous: sometimes grim, sometimes tender, but seldom dull.

When I picked up this book it was because I randomly chose it from a pile of recommendations a friend gave me. I had no desire to read it, and the only reason I actually went through with it was that a) I would have to give the book back someday and b) she always recommends good-to-decent books. And despite the obvious reputation that Goodall has, I still had no desire to read it. Having recently picked up (and put down) Rachel Carson's The Edge of the Sea, I was in no mind to read another nature-based book. That gives you a good indication of my mindset going into this.

I'm glad I was wrong. I enjoyed this book much more than I would have imagined - it's a fascinating read. I say that having had virtually no prior interest in chimpanzee's nor Jane Goodall. I doubt I would have read this book on my own, since there are a million books begging to be read every time I open my eyes. Sometimes you need to go where you don't necessarily want in order to find a jewel.

The title of this book refers to the window that Goodall gets when she observes the chimps over the years. Through this window she gets an idea of how we, humans, have evolved from where we were to where we are. It gives her a glimpse of the similarities - sometimes uncanny - between chimps and humans. This window often leads to observations you can never expect. Goodall's observations and her way with words fully draw you into the narrative.

Goodall writes anecdotally, attempting to illustrate her point with examples of behavior she observes in the field. These instances make the book much easier to read than a pure scientific approach. Through the text you grow to like (and dislike) some of the chimps in the narrative, as well as easily finding yourself drawn into the various elements of (nearly human) chimp behavior.

The thing I find most surprising is that the stories which transpire between the "actors" are just as dramatic as a work of fiction. They say that fact is stranger than fiction. I don't know if I agree, but it can undoubtedly be interesting. It's certainly a surprise how similar the chimps are to us - or maybe it's not, which I guess is one of the points of the book.

If I have to take on the other POV, which I usually force myself to do in an effort to be fair, I suppose I have to say that despite all she has seen, she does at times force the issue that chimps are better than people. One thing I worried about was that Goodall would constantly laud how amazing the animals are and how we humans could learn from them. For the most part, she doesn't do this. From time to time she seems to be on the verge, but she balances it out with fair observations on both sides of the fence.

In all, it is a riveting book that is well-balanced and, to be sure, well researched. Goodall's years of experience no doubt come through with this book, and her ease behind the keyboard is surprising. I did not find this clunky in the normal vein of science texts at all. In fact, it was a smooth read, almost to a word. Granted, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the subject matter discussed in Through A Window is sure to entertain most people who pick it up. Excellent book and highly recommended.

Jane Goodall's contributions to our knowledge of chimpanzees has been remarkable. Because she first arrived in Africa completely untrained as an observer of animal behavior, she was able to bring a humanist's instincts to her work; her natural ability to see details and connections, as well as her affection for her subjects, culminated in published results that rocked the scientific community. THROUGH A WINDOW picks up her observations where IN THE SHADOW OF MAN left off. Here, she follows the lives mostly of the children of the original group. She has organized her chapters by theme: Mothers and Daughters, Sons and Mothers, War, Power, Love, and more. Within these chapters, she explores the specific lives of the Gombe chimps and their relationships with their relatives and group members. By tackling specific topics of behavior, she is able to fully integrate the range of her experiences, from first observations to those made thirty years later. As Goodall is quick to point out, what she assumed at first did not necessarily prove to hold fast over time.

No less fascinating than IN THE SHADOW OF MAN, this book is extraordinary for its insight into chimpanzee personalities, relationships, and culture. If you have never before read Goodall's books, you will be surprised by the strong echoes of human behavior in these wild and highly individual chimpanzees. Goodall has made enormous contributions to our understanding of non-human primates, and should be widely read.

PRIMAL TEARS - Novel by Kelpie Wilson, Frog/NSB '05 rev. micheal sunanda

PT is the most deeply touching ecological fiction thriller I've ever read. Its shocking in some ways about sex, human evolution, fertility, tree saving hippies, science saviors of overpopulation, greed & normal religious fears of primal nature in humans. It peals multi-layers of the characters mind & souls in many conflicts explained from inside out. So we can identify with whoever you choose connecting - African apes threatened with extinction. Reading it exposes a 1/2 ape & 1/2 human hybrid female in `evolution' gone haywire?

It reminds me of Ecotopia - E. Callenbach; Kin of Ata are Waiting for You - D. Bryant; Woman on the Edge of Time' by M. Piercy; Amazon by B.Walker, "& "Fifth Sacred Thing" - Starhawk - all hot dramas with feminist heroines. PT story spans 20 or so years of `Sage' the female fetus growing up into adulthood mostly among humans, with hippy family raising her in a rural commune like community in SW Oregon hilly valley.

Sages mom an x-biology teacher gets an experimental Bonobo ape implant & has a hybrid by mistakes. Then the real struggles begin. There's many political & religious conflicts thru Sages odyssey of growing mature. Kelpie give deep characters of strong women & men along Sages struggle to blend & balance her human needs, spirit & animal instincts. Emotions surge in every scene of reactions exposing mostly secret human passions & goals in cult wars.

Sage runs from humans & rescued by super rich 'Gates like' man in Seattle striving to save Sage for his research. Feminist attitudes, feelings & fears flash in every chapter. Sage become a scientific curiosity, dancing rock music star, & missionary to Congo amid local wars. As she goes to Africa to meet the dwindling Bonobo's in the bush. We read of many men's reactions to her, their aims & control games. Like the heroine in Amazon Sage becomes a hero & pawn to meet, show, help & teach women needing a natural spiritual awakening. Neo-con Christian fear & hatred surface to even kill her.

Kelpie's characters have such vivid depth of values & needs. Its sexually shocking to our civilized puritan morality, like Ophra's radical interviews also do. It raises issues of women & parents having implants, natural birth & bonding that 100s of hippies are experiencing at home parenting. Sages long solo camping in the mountains is graced by her spirit merging with Mother natures majesty Wow!

Many debates & arguments surge in "Primal Tears", like a superich man wants to harvest pheromones from Sage to make a contraceptive to stem the `population bomb' stressing Mother earth. She enjoys living like animal in the wilderness more than the humans stuck in their habits in the cities.

Sage gets to stay in his vast estate with apes in mini habitat she deeply enjoys. Her family, friends & lovers want her to help raise humans awareness for saving & loving animals, protect nature & reduce population for humans survival in ecological disasters now threatening us. Where's Kelpie next book?

I ordered this book because I like Kelpie Wilson's writing for Truthout. When I read it I found myself disappointed; not because of the subject matter but because of the story line. Kelpie has this girl "over the top" and she didn't have to do that; the story would have been more interesting toned down a bit.

Primal Tears takes one to the threshold of believing in the possibility that humankind could feel a kinship with all creatures of the earth, while it exposes the very real disconnect between humans and the natural world that exists in our world today.

The story's heroine, Sage, a hybrid human-bonobo ape is an especially endearing and believable character. She represents more than the mythical hybrids of the past because one can assume that, with today's technology, a like creature could be a real possibility.

Sage's quest to save the endangered wild bonobos is limited by corporate greed, war and ignorance. Like all endangered species, bonobo survival depends on the choices made by humankind to limit population growth and protect natural resources before we, too, become an endangered species.

Kelpie Wilson weaves well-researched fact with fiction into an entertaining and memorable story that leaves one wanting a sequel.

For my nickel, the best sf shifts the reader's perspective out of the ordinary just enough so that the human condition can be seen more clearly. Kelpie Wilson accomplishes this with gusto and vision in Primal Tears. Other reviewers here have already given synposes, so let me stick with why you should read PRIMAL TEARS: it's provocative, clever, fast-paced and memorable. It changes the way you see yourself and our world. I read it over a summer weekend, and now find I keep thinking back to it, remembering connections made, powerful images, new ways to think about what it means to be the animal that calls itself human. And PRIMAL TEARS' scope is large: it's not simply a book about chimps--it's about all of us. It's graceful, quirky, and satisfying enough to share a bookshelf with Sherri Tepper's THE FAMILY TREE and Keri Hulme's THE BONE PEOPLE. Kelpie Wilson is a rip-roaring storyteller who weaves her narrative threads together in cinematic style. I can't wait for the movie--will someone out there please turn it into one?

What a great book! I loved it. First of all, I found it to be totally enthralling. I finished it the day I started it, even though there were about a thousand things I had planned for the day and needed to get done. The phrase "I couldn't put it down" is a cliche, but in this case literally true. And as I read, I felt drawn deeper and deeper into a primal sense of hope. Not a naive hope, not wishful thinking, but a sense of the immensity of human evolution and the profundity of out interconnectedness with all of life. Thanks, Kelpie. I hope everyone on our dear and endangered Earth reads this book.

Very colorful pictures and beautifully written. The story is great. One of his favorite books and favorite authors.

This is my favorite childrens' book. The illustrations are happy and colorful and the story is something all kids should hear. I buy this book 5 at a time and give them for birthday presents. This book belongs in every child's book collection.

Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees' THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPYTOWN tells of Chutney the traveler who plants a tree in the gloomy town of Drabsville - a tree which leads to his fellow chimps renewed fun. The rhyme lends to read-aloud at either the parent/child or school library level and provides an inspirational story of hope.

It is a tricky thing to try to teach kids that authority is not always right and sometimes you have to stand up to it. This book strikes a perfect balance, with the main character being punished for doing something beautiful and for the common good but technically against the rules. When he ultimately wins out (with the help of some young chimps), rather than punishing the person who jailed him, he teaches him the error of his ways. A very thoughtful book, but one that won't be over the heads of the intended audience.

Drabtown is a boring, dreary place filled with sad chimpanzees. The town has no color, no parks, and no trees. That is until one day Chutney the traveling chimp comes back with a seed! He plants that seed and sees that it brings happiness. The mayor finds out and puts him in jail! Will this be the end of happiness in the town? Read to find out how it ends?

You read this book and discover your true nature and how you fit in this world. Never have I felt that close to nature...

No more discussion about the abuses of chimpanzees in abstract terms. Peterson goes out to find out what specifically happens to specific chimpanzees and tracks their lives usually to their grim end. Dr. Goodall, the world's foremost expert on free chimapanzees contrasts Peterson with her insightful understanding which over thirty years of intimate knowledge of these great apes has given her. Sharing more than 98% of our genes with the chimpanzee and all of the cognitive and emotional similarities that go along with that, we need to rethink how we treat our closest living relative.

This brilliant, understated book exposes a terrible injustice in the United States, corporate medicine's aggressive attempts to undermine the Endangered Species Act and CITES for their personal gain. Like so many embattled exploiters, they have responded to criticism and revelations with mud-slinging campaigns and lies, such as NIMH's estimate that they needed 200-300 chimpanezees a year to continue research vital to human health. At the same time, NIMH had access to more than 100 chimps, and was only able to find uses for 25 of them.

Goodall has taken the productive path: honesty without invective or confrontation. This has allowed her to accomplish small but significant changes, but they are far too small and far too trivial. It would be nice if Dr. Robert Gallo would agree to be locked into a 5x5x7 cage, with a grate at the bottom so he would not find himself smeared with all his feces, but nothing to protect him from the blowflies his stench would draw. Welcome to medical research.

Human beings have a history of declaring those it would exploit to be "lesser creations": Jews, Negros, Indians, Gypsies, the harmless primates we have nearly exterminated. When the "lesser creations" are human, they can speak out to protest, and they are heard. Someone else must speak for the chimpanzees mutilated in research labs, the orangutans brutalized to entertain Las Vegas drunks, the gorillas slaughtered so their children can be confined in zoos.

The next time you see *The Tempest,* imagine Caliban turning on Prospero, with his complacent human superiority, and speaking the extraordinary and powerful words of Shylock: "Hath not a beast eyes? Pricked do we not bleed?" Animals are bleeding to make your mascara safe. Read this book, look long at the orphaned chimp huddled in one of the photos, and then look in the mirror.

No more discussion about the abuses of chimpanzees in abstract terms. Peterson goes out to find what specifically happens to specific chimpanzees and tracks their lives usually to their grim end. Dr. Goodall, the world's foremost expert on free chimapanzees contrasts Peterson with her insightful understanding which over thirty years of intimate knowledge of these great apes has given her. Sharing more than 98% of our genes with the chimpanzee and all of the cognitive and emotional similarities that go along with that, we need to rethink how we treat our closest living relative.

Certainly the most influencial book I've ever read - it led to my pursuing a degree, becoming a vegan, and an animal rights activist. And a better person. The tales of misery endured by these brethren of our are a very difficult read for those who have the capacity to care selflessly about all life, but gives the reader a very genuine sencse of what they suffer at the hands of humans who would do anything to make money and enhance their careers. Visions of Caliban is a very sobering experience, and it's very difficult at points to read beyond a couple of pages, because the reality of what these horribly unfortunate beings is truly sadenning. If everyone read this book, chimpanzee research would come to a very sudden conclusion. Read this Book!

This is one of those great little novels from a few decades back that you just can't believe is so little known. Being a primate myself, I loved the premise that a chimpanzee woman falls in love with a human man and, in her own subjective experience, becomes his wife when he takes her from Africa back to England. Not an easy premise to pull off, but I was delighted by it. The story could end us seeming just comical, but in fact it's touching Another reminder that there's still worlds to learn about what goes on in the minds and hearts of our kindred species.Take Me With You When You Go

If this is not a lost treasure, I don't know what is. "His Monkey Wife" is exceptionally unique and delightful to read. I found myself identifying with and empathising with Emily (the "chimp") and rooting for her throughout.

when you read this book. Thirty or so pages into the novel I found that I was hurrying through the description to get at the plot and getting frustrated. Then I became captivated with the language (a la Jane Austin) and I started the book over - slower this time. Emily the chimp is a dear and a terrific role model for "women" the world over. I was rooting for her all the way!

It's good to see this offbeat little classic back in print. John Collier is perhaps better known for his short stories, but this first novel was an exquisitely funny satire. It tells the story of Emily, a chimpanzee who pines for a certain Englishman, Mr. Fatigay, while he teaches school in Africa. When Fatigay returns to England, he takes the friendly chimp with him as a companion, for he realizes that she is clever... though he has no idea that the silent chimp is able to read and to recite literature in her head, nor that she loves him. Emily is handed over to Mr. Fatigay's human girlfriend in England, who will tolerate no rival of any sort and treats her new servant shabbily. Still, Emily finds time to dress up and sneak out to London and the British Museum Reading room (where she is taken for a fascinating woman of mystery!) among other absurd adventures. Though the book is lighthearted, we do feel for its protagonist and her hidden love. Collier has a keen eye for the petty foibles of humankind, and of course the big joke is that the chimp is more intelligent and sensitive than any human here. The premise is somewhat outrageous, but the good writing allows us to suspend disbelief and go along for a ride filled with subtle giggles and wicked belly laughs.

I must say that despite my qualms about some of the author's "politics," not to mention his barely-simmering-below-the-surface rage toward "modern, independent" women, I'm still so taken with the prose style and the very loveable character of Emily that I've read 180 pp and am almost sad to be coming to the end.
And to be fair, Collier manages to skewer the entire leisure class- though he does reserve his sharpest barbs for the women.

What a wonderful, delightful book! I picked it up not knowing much about chimps, but the thought of raising one along with your own child was an amusing and amazing premise. The book never fails to be loving, interesting, and educational all at once. The author loved his little chimp just as he loved his wife and child, and his expressions of love and knowledge about the various animals (mostly chimpanzees) he talks about in this book are lovely. Man can often be very cruel and foolish and stupid, whereas it seems animals are just themselves. They can survive in all sorts of man-made zoos and such, with nary a complaint. Sophie, the chimp in this book, was a special and loving little creature who will grab your heart. Thank you to Vince Smith for sharing your deepest heart with us.

A Chimp in the Family is the true story of an ecologist and conservationist who took an infant chimpanzee into his home when she was abandoned by her mother. Six months later, his son was born. A Chimp in the Family is the unique account of rearing two babies side by side as one's own kin. Offering heartfelt tales of struggling with infant care and the milestones of early childhood, A Chimp in the Family also offers the unique difficulties in attempting to persuade a hand-reared chimpanzee to socialize with others of its kind. Happiness and heartbreak blend in A Chimp in the Family, which details social and emotional bonds between humans and animals from an intensely personal point of view.

This is a profoundly touching book. You will feel a lot of very strong emotions of all kinds reading it, and the end is devastating. Smith does a great job showing us the great spirit and soul of Sophie. My wife and I felt his loss keenly, and had tears. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book. Highly recommended.

this book proved far better than many similar works about raising baby animals. it is well written and not excessively sentimental or anthropomorphic, though the author does discuss the close relationship between chimps and humans, genetically and behaviorally.

be prepared: it has an unhappy ending.

definitely worth a read.

As an elementary librarian, I am sure that my students will enjoy this book. Anderson's illustrations are simple, yet elaborately drawn with texture and line; showing great emotion in her characters. This book illustrates a good compare and contrast lesson for young students while sparking discussions on a variety of other topics. Loved it!

I received this book as a gift this year and it is a very informative. The underlying theme of animal and zoo life from a child's point view is present throughout the book. The author clearly shows the striking similarities (hand and tool use, social skills, habits etc.) between humans and chimpanzees with beautiful and detailed illustrations of family life as well as zoo and jungle habitats. This is a fun and cute read for young preschoolers who visit the zoo and want to learn about those wonderful chimpanzees!

Very thankful my daughter received this book as a gift for her third birthday. It immediately become her favorite book. In an attempt to preserve it, the dust cover was removed and placed next to her 'special' monkey purchased at the zoo. Would love to add another book written by the author to our collection.

This is a book review from the AZAD (Assoc. of Zoo and Aquarium Docents) June 2007 issue of Symbiosis: As an early childhood educator, I find this book to be a valuable teaching tool. It has all of the qualities of a great children's book: colorful pictures, easy to read text and an engaging story. As a zoo docent, I find that this book gives a realistic portrayal of a day in the life of a zoo chimpanzee [as seen] through the eyes of a young girl. It's a must-have for anyone who deals with young primates! - a Detroit Zoo docent.

note from Dawn - the system would not accept this review in the Editorial Reviews section, so I am placing it here. Also, I didn't ask the reviewer for permission to post her name on Amazon, so that is why I am not including it here.