Our Inner Ape: The Best and Worst of Human Nature

Our Inner Ape: The Best and Worst of Human Nature

by Fransde Waal (Author)

Synopsis

We have long attributed man's violent, aggressive, competitive nature to his animal ancestry. But what if we are just as given to cooperation, empathy, and morality by virtue of our genes? From a scientist and writer whom E.O. Wilson has called 'the world authority on primate social behavior' comes a lively look at the most provocative aspects of human nature - power, sex, violence, kindness, and morality - through our two closest cousins in the ape family. For nearly 20 years, Frans de Waal has worked with both the famously aggressive chimpanzee and the lesser-known egalitarian, erotic, matriarchal bonobo, two species whose DNA is nearly identical to that of humans. He brings these apes to life on every page, revealing their personalities, relationships, and power struggles, creating an engrossing narrative that explores what their behaviour can teach us about ourselves and each other.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 300
Publisher: Granta Books
Published: 07 Nov 2005

ISBN 10: 1862077959
ISBN 13: 9781862077959

Author Bio
Frans de Waal, Ph.D. is a biologist and ethologist. His 5 previous books, translated into 14 languages, include The Ape and the Sushi Master, a New York Times Notable Book, and Peacemaking Among Primates. His research has been funded by NATO, the Guggenheim Foundation, and The National Geographic Society.