The Great Apes - Hardcover

Lindsey, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1567997341 ISBN 13: 9781567997347

Publisher: Metro Books, 1999

Synopsis

Striking full-color photographs and authoritative information provide a detailed study of the life cycles, habitats, intelligence, and behavior of the great apes--chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans--accompanied by biographical sketches of the scientists who have pioneered in their study.

About this title

Review:

The four great apes--gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo (pygmy chimpanzee), and orangutan--are human beings' closest relatives. This lavishly illustrated book is a superb guide to all four species. The chapters are organized by topic--ecology, social life, mind, and conservation--and do an exceptional job of comparing the species to each other, not just to humans. You end up with a good feeling for the characters of the different apes and how they differ in environment and personality, from the quiet gorillas to the sensual bonobos. For instance, orangutans in the wild are solitary, so among primatologists they have a reputation for being less socially intelligent than the others. But zookeepers know them as the animal Houdinis, leading tool users and escape artists.

The Great Apes includes many sidebar biographies of both human primatologists and famous individual apes. Ham (the space chimp), Kanzi the bonobo, and matriarch Flo of Gombe Stream Reserve get equal time with Diane Fossey, Frans de Waal, and Jane Goodall herself. Altogether, it's the best single-volume guide to our next of kin. --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Library Journal:

YA-An excellent introduction to the four nonhuman Hominidae families. Based on years of scientific observation and research, much of which was done with Jane Goodall, this book provides information on chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gorillas. Similarities and differences among the species are noted. The author also discusses various conservation problems and suggests solutions and ways readers can become involved in those efforts. Addresses of related organizations are given. The large, outstanding photographs grab the attention of browsers, but research information can easily be found through the detailed index. Boxed inserts provide additional background material or information on significant individuals in these fields, such as Jane Goodall; Ham, the first chimp in space; Binti, a gorilla that rescued a boy who fell at the zoo; and Flo, one of the first chimps studied by Goodall. The inclusion of the nonhuman reinforces the similarities between these great apes and humans and heightens interest.
Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Metro Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1567997341
• ISBN 13: 9781567997347
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144