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Subjects:  1. General   2. Individual Photographer   3. Photo Techniques   4. Photoessays & Documentaries   5. Photography   6. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals   7. Photography / General   

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Customer Reviews (23)

Bigfoot! : The True Story of Apes in America
For the hardcore researcher or the week end Bigfoot fan, this book is certainly the motherload! In my 40 some years of collecting books about cryptids, no one has come along quite like Loren Coleman. His style of writing is clear and even laced with a sense of humor on occasion. Mr. Coleman is second to none in how he gathers data and archives it into the wonderful books he writes. This one is no different in that it is the Bigfoot Bible.

While a few of the case studies have been written about before, Mr. Coleman has a much more vivid and easy moving style than ever before seen in their coverage. It's also interesting to see reports previously not addressed anywhere. It feels like he is actually talking with the reader rather than at them. There are only so many Bigfoot cases to cover and Mr. Coleman doesn't invent new ones in an attempt to be sensational. For those who want new pretend Bigfoot stories, I would suggest the National Enquirer or the internet.

Those who have never read Mr. Coleman's works will find this book to be the perfect jumping in point. A lifetime of passion and research shine through and there is a little bit of that magic feeling on every page: that feeling that brings out the awe of childhood. This book is perfectly orchestrated by Mr. Coleman in it's balance of hard facts and the presentation of a truly great sense of wonder. If given a choice of only one book on Bigfoot, this is clearly the hands down one I'd pick.

BIGFOOT -- the "latest" from one of the BEST!
Loren Coleman is, without a doubt, one of the BEST and most respected researchers/writers in the field of CRYPTOZOOLOGY
today! His "latest" work, BIGFOOT! (The True Story of Apes
in America) is among his very best and provides readers with
an overview of the chosen subject that brings us right up to
yesterday's newspaper (or pretty close to it). Coleman's book
is FUN to read (he has not lost his sense of humor about all of
this) and balances solid INFORMATION with a lively, entertaining
writing style. BOTH the general reader AND the Bigfoot
"expert" will find this to be a useful, readable, and FUN book!
NO doubt, there are some in the "Bigfoot community" who will
"snipe" at Mr. Coleman. Some will take issue with some of his
conclusions and some will criticize for spending too much time
on one subject and not enough on another etc. & etc. . . . BUT
overall it really is hard to find any significant fault with this
volume. Coleman has spent decades in research on this subject
and it shows in the comfortable manner in which he handles his
subject. Further, his tremendous skills as a writer are
abundantly evident in that we (the readers) ENJOY our reading
(and are NOT burdened with jargon and scientific mumbo jumbo).
BIGFOOT! is a FUN book to read and will provide ALL with
an EXCELLENT account of the current state of bigfoot research!
THANK YOU Loren Coleman your contributions to this field of
study are sincerely appreciated.

Profile of author
Look in the July 2004 issue of FHM - For Him Magazine for the Reporter profile of the guy that wrote this book, in a story called "I Track Bigfoot" on p. 30. Fun insights. Great book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Physical   2. Apes & Monkeys   3. Controversial Knowledge   4. Nature   5. Nature/Ecology   6. New Age / Parapsychology   7. Unexplained Phenomena   8. Nature / Apes & Monkeys   

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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   4. Children: Grades 1-2   5. Classics   6. Humorous Stories   7. Juvenile Fiction   8. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   

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Customer Reviews (2)

george is wonderful
George is good to read after an exasperating day with your toddler or preschooler. It reminds you that it could be worse, you could REALLY have a monkey to care for, and your monkeys don't really mean to get into mischief, they are just very very curiouus.

Just as good as the original stories
To date my daughter has been reading the "Curious George" books that belonged to my husband when he was a child. I was a little skeptical that the newly written stories would capture the same spirit as those written more than 30 years ago. However, my daughter absolutely loved it especially as both the storyline and the illustrations were more detailed than usual and made it fun for her to point out different things and extend into a discussion with us about beaches, lifesaving etc. Like her other "George" books she has reread this one over and over. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Beaches   3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   4. Children: Kindergarten   5. Fiction   6. General   7. Humorous Stories   8. Juvenile Fiction   9. Monkeys   10. Nature & the Natural World - General   11. Sports & Recreation - General   12. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   13. Picture Book   14. Ages 4 - 8   15. Grades PreK - 3   

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Customer Reviews (11)

Compelling observations
Frans de Waal is one of the most prominent primatologists writing about non-human primates today. Unlike Jane Goodall, who studies chimpanzees in the wild, de Waal observes captive chimp behavior at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Georgia. Although de Waal's strength lies in his ability to find echoes of human behavior in chimpanzee interactions (a stance that is still controversial in some circles), he is careful not to read absolutes into his observations. He is keenly aware that the species are not identical, only closely related.

CHIMPANZEE POLITICS begins by introducing the highly individualized personalities of the chimpanzees de Waal studied, and then progresses to specific examples of political behavior: power plays, diplomacy, perks at the various levels of the hierarchy, and the traits that give rise to this complicated chimpanzee social structure. Photographs, both black-and-white and color, serve to further document de Waal's observations. Although many people have made much of how this work illuminates human behavior, it is ultimately about chimps, not people.

This book was written for the layman, and its ease of reading makes it accessible to a wide range of readers. Highly readable and insightful, CHIMPANZEE POLITICS would make a strong addition to the libraries of those interested in the nature of primates, both human and non-human.

a survival guide for corporate america
excellent book. de waal's thesis, as i understand it, is finding and exposing analogies to human behavior among other animals in order to better understand human behavior (a thesis he extends in _good natured_ to show that our "animal" behaviors are also behaviors of kindness and compassion) _chimpanzee politics_ reads like a novel as it follows chronicles the group dynamics of a chimpanzee colony over several years; and in those group dynamics we see enough sex, scheming, and politics to fuel a soap opera or election campaign. the mirror that de waal holds up to us through this book is at once funny, fascinating, and humbling. if one reason you read novels is to appreciate the universality of the human condition (that is, that you like to live vicariously in other times or places to experience conditions as other humans do), then get this book and prepare yourself to appreciate just how universal much of our condition really is. you might be surprised at just how easily you vicariously experience life as chimpanzees do.

Recommended for lovers of nature and politics (human) alike
DeWaal deftly narrates three changes in leadership among the colony of chimps in a zoo in the Netherlands (not Yerkes in GA, as another reviewer claims). Unlike many animals, chimpanzees can not dominate one another by use of brute force. No chimp is so strong that a coalition of two other males (or a coalition of females) can not successfully challenge his dominate position. This means that the dominate (male) chimp can only remain dominate if he succedes in coalition building.

Each of the "coups" DeWaal describes took place either because the dominate male became too greedy, or because another male built a stronger coalition. Similarly, the dominant make needs the cooperation (or at least neutrality) of most of the (more numerous, but weaker individually) females of the colony.

The comparison to human politics is right on the money. While chimpanzee politics does not have the veneer of ideology that covers the nitty gritty of human politics, I strongly suspect that the type of favors, distribution of goodies, and raw sex that DeWaal describes as the "currency" of chimpanzee politics is much closer to the way human politicians actually operate than most of us would like to admit.

If a Martian were to observe the functioning of the U.S. Sentate--without being able to understand a word anyone says, but with the ability to observe every transaction, day and night, over a period of sereral years, I suspect that the Martian's description of our politics would read very similarly to that of DeWaal's. Of course, for all we know, chimps too have a "language" which permits them to cover what appears to us to be raw politics with "political platforms".

One final note--the chimp need for coalitions to maintain primacy has obvious conotations for international relations in our world, where ideology plays less of a role, and coalitions have, at least since the end of WWII, been the key to maintaining a stable heirarchy of nations. Is the US now in danger of becoming the over confident "alpha" male that DeWaals describes? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural   2. Apes & Monkeys   3. General   4. Life Sciences - Biology - General   5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Primatology   6. Nature / Field Guide Books   7. Science   8. Science/Mathematics   

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Customer Reviews (1)

The Story of the Mind¿s Big Bang
"A Brief History of the Mind" is a breezy, readable account of the evolution of modern humans from ancient African primates, starting around 7 million years ago. There have been some interesting new insights in the field during the past few years, and the story is well worth retelling. Indeed, what makes humans so different from other animals is that we would consider telling "our story" at all.

The core of the book is the chain of events that could have created our modern minds from those of our ancestor apes. It stresses the concept of humans getting an evolutionary "free ride" from fortuitous changes. For example, the author offers the controversial suggestion that the increased cortical connections that eventually enabled our higher thinking abilities originally benefited pre-humans by helping them coordinate the complicated body movements used in hunting herd animals. Those with more neural connections had a better chance of bringing home lunch. Intelligent thought was simply a happy later by-product.

Anthropologists usually look backwards, but this History takes a quick peek at the future. Modern minds are far more than the hardware of cortex and neurons. Human infants start busily "softwiring" language and other skills into their brains as soon as they are born. William Calvin considers this new stage of evolution - one that we actually have some control over - and comes up with some surprising, and disturbing, predictions for our postmodern future. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brain   2. Cognitive Psychology   3. Cognitive neuroscience   4. Evolution   5. Evolutionary psychology   6. Human evolution   7. Life Sciences - Evolution - Human   8. Life Sciences - Human Anatomy & Physiology   9. Psychology   10. Science   

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Customer Reviews (75)

Plenty to chew on - just hard to swallow
There are books that everyone 'knows' but hardly anybody reads any more. Reading these classics can be quite illuminating; they are not what you think. For example, do you really know how Dracula was killed? Or why The Virginian said "Smile when you call me that"? Read the originals; you'll be surprised.

"Tarzan of the Apes", the first of 23 Tarzan adventures by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is full of surprises. The Tarzan of this book is not the Johnny Weissmuller or Ron Ely that you might know. He is not raised by gorillas (as I had thought) but by mythical 'anthropoids', a sort of missing link between man and gorilla, with rudimentary speech and a social structure that includes ritual and dance. This is a science fiction tale, a sort of "Lost World" meets "Jungle Book". Tarzan befriends and converses with (and kills and eats) a variety of beasts.

There are aspects of the story that modern readers will find as hard to swallow as some of Tarzan's raw meat dinners. For example, this jungle is populated with lions, hyenas and elephants, creatures that in reality never go near rain forests. We are also asked to believe that Tarzan teaches himself to read and write from books that he finds.

Many modern readers will also find the racialism difficult to take. He boasts of being "Tarzan, killer of beasts and many black men". Coming on a village deep in the jungle, he immediately readies his bow and poisoned arrows. When his European companion admonishes him that it is wrong to kill humans, the hero protests "But these are black men". (Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe that scene was included in the Disney version). This is a 1914 American novel, with all the prejudices intact.

It's quite well written; Burroughs is very readable. The plotting is a strange mixture of ingenuity and clumsiness. There is a very clever device that involves Jane thinking there are two ape-men, one an admirer, the other her rescuer. But the plot also requires three separate mutinies, two of which just happen to involve cousins, to take place off the same remote African beach. This is beyond coincidence.

So is this genre classic still worth reading? I think so, for the same reason "Dracula" and "The Virginian" are still worth reading; this is the book that started it all.

The fantastic romance of White Skin of the Apes
Listed in Cawthorn's and Moorcock's "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books".

The Weissmuller movies didn't get him right. The TV series haven't got him right. And the Disney movie CERTAINLY won't get him right. Burrough's original narration of the story of Tarzan is a mix of bloodthirsty savagery and unrestrained suspension of disbelief that few would attempt to capture these days.

The Tarzan series is unique among his author's body of work. Where the Barsoom, Pellucidar and Caspak series concern modern men travelling to exotic lands and falling in love with native women, this time around it is a modern woman who comes to the wilderness and steals the heart of the savage protagonist, who must now step up to her civilized ways.

The tale is laced with bloody scenes of man-against-man and man-against-beast rampage. The great apes among which Tarzan grows are a cannibal species, who eat the prisioners of raids against other simian clans. The king ape kills Tarzan's father in a moment where he is caught off guard, mourning the recent death of his wife. When Tarzan first encounters men (an African tribe), he hunts and kills one of them to steal his arrows (killing being the way of the jungle, since Tarzan knows nothing of human behavior). Also, these men turn out to be cannibals too. And when the white men finally arrive, they raid their village and kill almost every one in an attempt to rescue a captured comrade.

After growing wild among beasts, Tarzan (whose name menas White Skin) realizes that he is different from his ape family. And through a series of inventions of his own (like making a rope) and fortunate coincides (like the use of a found hunting knife), he steps up the evolutionary ladder by himself. The moment he learns to read and write from illustrated primers and a dictionary is among the most improbable in the whole book. But if we have kept up with it until now, allowing ourselves to accept that a human child can be raised by apes, then his ascension to superiority isn't that hard to embrace.

Tarzan turns out to be the primeveal lovesick nerd. After the first time he sees Jane Porter (the first white woman he ever casts his eyes on), his heart is all for her. He writes her a love letter, which smacks of the most pityful puppy love ("I want you. I am yours. You are mine... When you see this you will know that it is for you and that Tarzan of the Apes loves you"). Yet our hero is true and noble, and he holds the upper hand in his homeland. The girl can't do anything but be carried away by her primeveal pretender.

I recommend you get this edition I'm reviewing, the one by Penguin. Besides the introduction which gives a valuable background to the place of Tarzan among popular literature and some details on the life of Edgar Rice Burroughs, it contains a series of notes that signal where he took some liberties with his story's setting (like placing American plants in the African jungle).

The English is a little bit archaic, the characterization tends to cartoon and stereotype, but the story is powerful and nothing captures the beauty of the original like the original itself. Read Tarzan of the Apes, and meet again for the first time an archetypical hero of timeless charm.

The Tarzan Legend Begins
I felt it would be a good idea to review the original TARZAN OF THE APES by Edgar Rice Burroughs as many are only familiar with how the character has been mishandled for the past seventy or so years. In his original form Tarzan was far from the monosyllabic simpleton as he was so often later portrayed. Instead, Tarzan was a man of aristocratic bearing who wielded great strength of both body and will, spoke several languages fluently, and easily mixed with British society.

Although Tarzan first appeared in TARZAN OF THE APES, the plot and some of Tarzan's characteristics were showcased in an earlier Burroughs work called THE MONSTER MEN. But it was the infant heir to a British title that rocketed Burroughs's fame. Tarzan begins as an infant shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. The rest of his family quickly dies but a local anthropoid ape (not a gorilla) who just lost a baby, claims pale, hairless baby and raises it as her own. Tarzan grows but is always weaker than the apes. But when Tarzan finds the hut left by his family he begins learning about his human side. With knowledge Tarzan is able to stand up to the more bullysome apes and life is good.

Years later thing change drastically when pirates maroon other humans near Tarzan's home. It is then that Tarzan learns to love Jane and she him although she first knows him as two different people. To her there is the forest god who rescues her and there is Tarzan who leaves her notes. But while Tarzan can read and write English and speak the language of the apes, French is the first human tongue he learns. A tongue that Jane does not understand. But eventually Jane becomes the force that drives Tarzan towards civilization and his birthright among British nobility.

In this first Tarzan novel, Edgar Rice Burroughs explores the idea of class as inherent. A British lord will always be a British lord and will always rise to the top no matter how far he has been pushed down. Tarzan, being raised by an unknown species of intelligent apes, has further to rise than any lord in history. But the rise he does because class will always prove itself. This is a popular theme and one that, in detective fiction, shows the difference between the British view and the American view. The British view used to hold that an aristocrat acting as an amateur, with easily best the professional laborer as in the Sherlock Holmes stories. The American view in detective fiction is that the closer to the grit you are the better you are at solving mysteries as in the Colombo or Sam Spade mysteries. But in TARZAN OF THE APES Burroughs takes the British view to its extreme.

TARZAN OF THE APES and the other early Tarzan novels are classics of adventure fiction. Lost cities, ancient civilizations, true love, heroism and other qualities of great adventures are all present in these novels. My wife really enjoys the original Zorro stories packed with romance and heroism. But when I lent her some of my Tarzan books she quickly became a fan of his stories as well. If you have never treated yourself to the original and only know what television and Hollywood have done to him, I recommend that you give Tarzan a try. I think you will be surprised. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Fantasy - General   3. Fiction   4. Literature - Classics / Criticism   5. Literature: Classics   

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Subjects:  1. Animals - Alligators & Crocodiles   2. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   4. Children: Kindergarten   5. Concepts - Time   6. Crocodiles   7. Fiction   8. Juvenile Fiction   9. Monkeys   10. Preschool Picture Story Books   11. Social Situations - Friendship   12. Stories in rhyme   13. Juvenile Fiction / General   

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Customer Reviews (2)

Good long story about a Mommy bathing a little one....
This book is unlike bathbooks of my time in that its got a pretty lengthy story unlike the two line three page ones I grew up with. Its a little girly for my son though, but the story is still very cute. (Mommy baths the little girl Mi-Mi from head to toe, and tickles her toes)

Fun to read and play with at bath time!
I'm a fan of squooshy bathtub books because my little ones, close in age, love to bath together and "read" to each other while we lather up. This book is not only cute and colorful, but the story is lively and easy for little toddlers to love. I recommend this and all the other Einstein Bath books for your wee ones! They are just the right size for little hands, float perfectly on top of the bath bubbles, and hold up well to twists and tugs in the tub. Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   2. Children's Baby/Preschool   3. Children: Babies & Toddlers   4. Family - Daily Life   5. Health & Medicine - Anatomy   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Preschool Picture Story Books   8. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   

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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   3. Children: Grades 1-2   4. Fiction   5. Humorous Stories   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Monkeys   8. Sports & Recreation - Winter Sports   9. Winter sports   10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   

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Features

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Subjects:  1. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   2. Animals - General   3. Children's 4-8   4. Children: Preschool   5. Juvenile Fiction   

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Subjects:  1. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   2. Bedtime & Dreams   3. Children's Baby - Boardbooks   4. Children: Babies & Toddlers   5. Juvenile Fiction   6. Preschool Concepts   7. Juvenile Fiction / Bedtime & Dreams   

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Customer Reviews (24)

One of My Favorite Books When I Was A Child!
When I was a child in the 1970's I loved The Curious George books by H.A. Rey and this is the very first book in the series and it is a very entertaining book about an adorable monkey named George who's curiosity gets him into all sorts of adventures and trouble. I checked this book out all the time from the public library and from the bookmobile that used to come to my school and I was very happy when I was finaly given my own copy to keep and I very highly recommend this cute book and all the rest of the books in The Curious George series!

What's wrong with being curious?
This famous children's book was the first of seven books by Rey about a monkey who is brought to the U. S. from Africa and who seems to have a penchant for getting into trouble. But, his curiosity keeps leading into new adventures and learning new things. The Ann Arbor reviewer of Oct. 7, 1998, clearly is angry at George. If that is the case, why not use the story to teach about rule breaking? I think it is very interesting to learn that the Reys had arrived in New York in 1940, having fled from the Germans invading France. In a way, they were just like George, forced to come to a new world and a new culture. I'll bet they got into trouble every now and then just because of their innocence and their curiosity.

Curiouser and curiouser
The world's most famous literary monkey. I hadn't read "Curious George" in years, and I was admittedly a little hesitant to do so when I saw the copyright date. 1941. Now due to the fact that George is originally from Africa, I had a sneaking fear and suspicion that there would be some terrible racist images to contend with. Imagine my surprise when I found that, as it happens, not a single horrid stereotype appears! Just the same, I have to point out that at the same time not a single positive stereotype appears either. This is a book bereft of people with skin that isn't white as newly driven snow. Bear this in mind.

Curious George does his darndest to live up to his name. A naughty little monkey, he is swiftly captured in Africa by the Man in the Yellow Hat (one prays he's no relation to "Tuck Everlasting"'s Man in the Yellow Suit). George is taken from his jungle paradise en route to the zoo. Along the way, George has a series of wild adventures. He takes a dip in the ocean (throwing up an amazing amount of saltwater and fish while he's rescued). He calls the fire department and is jailed. He escapes and flies around, balloons in hand. In the end, George is reunited with the Man in the Yellow Hat (who, despite the damage George has inflicted on the world and its civil servants, compensates only the balloon man). In the final parting shot of George, the monkey is happily ensconced in his new zoo life with the caption, "What a nice place for George to live!" This is definitely a pro-zoo book.

Personally, I've always been kind of taken with The Man in the Yellow Hat. Who the heck is this guy? Apparently he's a jaunty world adventurer with a penchant for monkeys. Most interesting is his striking resemblance to the pop on "Father Knows Best", pipe stuck squarely between his teeth, wise countenance advising his monkey ward. He isn't the best monkey watcher. Some might even argue that he's a bit lax in his attention, but he gets the job done. And you just gotta love the hat. Faaaabulous hat, yellow guy. All in all, it's a fine story. For kids who're interested in either monkeys or fiascos, this is a good monkey/fiasco tale. I'm a fiasco fan myself, so this book suits me fine. It's not, admittedly, my favorite but it has its charms. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   4. Children: Grades 1-2   5. Classics   6. Fiction   7. Humorous Stories   8. Juvenile Fiction   9. Monkeys   10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   

"This is George. George was a good little monkey and always very curious." Upon hearing these words, generations of children have settled in for a cozy interlude of adventures with their favorite trouble-mongering chimp. Fans of the insatiably inquisitive George will be delighted to find that eight new adventures, written and illustrated in the style of George's creators, have been collected in one big blue book. Each story follows the same pattern; the man with the yellow hat trustingly leaves George alone for just a minute--which is long enough for him to get into a peck of trouble. The lovable monkey tempts disaster and saves the day over and over, first in a chocolate factory, then in an animal shelter, a movie theater, a hot air balloon... but can we blame him? Who hasn't wondered how chocolates get their swirls, or what makes a movie appear on the screen?<p>Featuring the art of Vipah Interactive, the animators of Curious George CD-ROMs, these stories are every bit as hilariously satisfying as those of the Reys. Curious about George's other escapades? Try <I>The Complete Adventures of Curious George</I>. (Ages 4 to 8) <I>--Emilie Coulter</I> ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

skip this remake and buy the original
every story in this book has been made with the same storyline. The original fun and creativity is gone.

My opinion - if you want good original George, buy the original, this is rehash which can be great for the very young, but my daughter and I have quickly gotten bored with this

Some Of Curious George's Most Exciting Adventures Yet!
I simply cannot understand why people are giving this book a hard time. Yes it is true that the stories & pictures contained in this wonderful collection were not actually written and drawn by the Reys, but who really cares? This book stays true to the Curious George tradition. In fact, if it wasn't stated in the book, you might otherwise never have noticed. The stories are humorous, fun, exciting, suspenseful and always have a happy ending. The adventures George gets into in this series are more applicable to kids today. Although it is fun to see George get sent into space, a child simply can't relate to that. However, I don't think there is one of us who can't empathize with the excitement of going to a movie or the fun or playing with puppies. The bottom line is that you could nitpick the details of it, but if you don't like this fabulous collection, then you don't deserve to call yourself a true Curious George fan.

I love George!
Wonderful fun for kids of all ages.
We used the illustrations for making t-shirts for our running team in a fund raising event. Then gave the book to a young mom. Everybody loves Curious George! This is what they mean when they say "its a classic".

Classic charm to last your lifetime. That's George! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks   4. Children's stories, American   5. Children: Grades 1-2   6. Fiction   7. Humorous Stories   8. Juvenile Fiction   9. Monkeys   10. Short stories   11. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Apes & Monkeys   

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Customer Reviews (5)

Go Swimming with Elaine Morgan!
A thoroughly documented, dispassionate, and compelling argument that the reason we humans are so different from the other apes is because we led a semi-aquatic existence some millions of years ago. From our lack of fur, to our subcutaneous fat, to our descended larynx, there are just too many clues to ignore the Aquatic Ape hypothesis. If you are interested in human origins, or interested in the sea, read this book. Even if you don't agree with everything within, it'll get your neurons whizzing.

An excellent exposition of the Aquatic Ape Theory

This is the second book by Elaine Morgan that I have had the pleasure of reading. The other one was "Scars of Evolution," and both books have been an enlightening experience.

Elaine Morgan is that rarity, a scientist who can write so that the layman can understand.

This book deals with the theory--she calls it merely an hypothesis--that early pre-hominids (our ancestors) went through an aquatic period, when they lived in shallow water, which accounts for our relatively hairless bodies, bipedal stance, subcutaneous layer of fat, eccrine sweat gland system, controllable breathing, downward pointing nostrils and other characteristics that make homo sapiens unique.

She discusses other theories put forward by paleoanthropologists and other scientists respectfully, while discussing their flaws, many of which they themselves acknowledge.

I first heard of the Aquatic Ape Theory (AAT) decades ago, when I first read Desmond Morris's book, "The Naked Ape," in which he mentioned the theory briefly. He apparently believed that our pre-human ancestors dropped out of the receding African arboreal environment, hit the savannah running, and shed their fur as they ran in order to cool off. Of course that does not account for the subcutaneous layer of fat which is more characteristic of aquatic animals like the whale, and which functions to provide both warmth and flotation. The AAT made more sense to me, and I have been on the lookout for this book ever since.

Elaine Morgan does not disappoint. Her careful reasoning is welcome and persuasive. I am delighted with both of her books and shall read her latest with interest.

Another valuable insight she shares in this book, which was of great benefit to me, was the diving reflex common to all diving mammals. She said that cold water splashed on the face reflexively causes the heart to slow down, and produces vasoconstriction. When a loved one recently experienced tachycardia, I had the opportunity to use that knowledge. A wet, cold washcloth dropped on her face instantly (within 5 seconds) reduced her 260 per minute heartbeat to a slow, steady, regular beat and saved us an ambulance trip to the hospital.

Thanks, Elaine.

Joseph Pierre

an educating, exciting and enlightening read
When I heard Elaine speak at Harvard University in the Spring of 1999, she held the audience in the palm of her hand. Her latest book showcases her ability to present exciting scientific material with facts as well as humor, allowing the reader to experience their own insights and come to their own conclusions about the scientific controversy of human origins. Once categorically dismissed by the scientific establishment, today many scientists and the world's leading paleoanthropologist have indicated support for her work. Many of Elaine's theories on the evolution of homo sapiens and other species (such as the elephant) have been found to contain unforeseen truths. There's a reason why her first work was an international best-seller (The Descent of Woman). Wow, can this author write. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A great sophomore outing for Mr. Brown!
I must say that I wasn't disappointed in this, the follow up to "The Tracker". Though I was inspired by the first book, this, the second really gives me the story I want. It goes from high to low. It shows the man who was at first a bit hesitant and leery of his talents test them in ways that inspire. From Mr. Browns deep wood encounter with the spirit of a great, old tree, to the heartbreak of the tracking of a young victim of a senseless crime, the book captivates!

A worthwhile follow-up to "The Tracker"
Though not as quite as inspired as the tracker was, the search continues the story of Tom's life in the outdoors and the further challenges he put himself through ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Apes & Monkeys   2. Essays   3. Nature   4. Nature / Field Guide Books   5. Nature/Ecology   6. Outdoor Skills   7. Spiritualism - General   8. Tracking and trailing   

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Customer Reviews (1)

What Apes Can Teach Us
In 'The Intelligence of Apes and Other Rational Beings', Duane Rumbaugh and David Washburn have provided a unique insight into the lives of apes and other nonhuman primates. Rumbaugh has been a major contributor in the investigation of language skills in nonhuman animals, but the present book takes an even more expanded view of animal intelligence. Rumbaugh and Washburn are promoting a new way of looking at the mental lives of animals, and whether you agree or disagree with this new perspective, the book is a "must-read."

In addition to presenting scientific evidence to support the position of the authors that a new perspective of animal intelligence is needed, the book is also an enjoyable recollection of the first author of his career and the influence of his scientific studies on this perspective of animal intelligence. The reader will learn about the ability of great apes (and in some cases other nonhuman primates) to learn language, arithmetic, and other complex cognitive skills.

Readers familiar with the psychology of learning will be particularly interested in the promotion of a new class of behaviors called Emergents. No longer satisfied that the behavior of animals can be separated into the classes of Respondents and Operants, Rumbaugh and Washburn add this third class of behaviors to describe instances in which novel, appropriate behaviors with no clear reinforcement history 'emerge'. This aspect of the book will be controversial, but in a stimulating and intellectually productive manner indicative of good scholarship. Not everyone will agree with the authors' new perspective, but the reader will appreciate the evidence in support of that perspective.

The contributions of Duane Rumbaugh to the understanding of primate behavior have been substantial, and this book is an excellent summary of what has been learned through Rumbaugh's research. It is well written and would be enjoyable for people of all ages who have an interest in learning about animal intelligence, ape behavior, and more general learning processes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animal intelligence   2. Anthropology - Physical   3. Apes   4. Cognitive Psychology   5. General   6. Life Sciences - Zoology - Primatology   7. Psychology   8. Psychology, Comparative   9. Science   

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Customer Reviews (2)

Great Beginnings!
What a great book for beginning or struggling readers. Children have been very successful with this book. I love the length of the story and the characters are delightful. My favorite features are the Introduction for each book, a strategy used in Reading Recovery, and a part called, Helping Your Brand-New Reader . I've bought the whole collection for my first grade readers. Great series!

Great Readers
What a wonderful idea for beginning readers! Children need books like these in order to feel successful. The size of the book is perfect for small hands to hold. The repetitive story line allows children to be successful while reading the book and the book uses familiar sight words. The surprise ending makes the book fun for children, so they will want to pick it back up over and over again.

The illustrations are adorable! Children will enjoy each and every one of them beacause they show the actions on each page so clearly.

The front and back covers offer many good ideas to help children benefit from their reading experiences. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Apes & Monkeys   2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General   3. Children: Kindergarten   4. Fiction   5. Humorous Stories   6. Juvenile Fiction   7. Monkeys   8. Readers - Beginner   

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Customer Reviews (78)

A Review: "The Ape Who Guards the Balance"
The many plot twists, red herrings, false leads and unexpected triumphs of "The Ape Who Guards the Balance" has been covered skillfully in other reviews elsewhere so I won't supply a plot synopsis here. It might be better to use this small space to tell why this book and this series is such a special treat to this fan.

Ms. Peters gives us romance without being maudlin, action without excessive or graphic violence and mystery without melodrama. (ok, maybe a *little* melodrama) Her humor is laugh-out-loud funny and she even manages to insert Egyptian history without dogma, except perhaps when Ramses delivers one of his condescending lectures.

But it is the characters we remember most.

Intricate, tightly woven plots are the mark of a good mystery, but if we don't care about the characters, who cares where the plot takes us? The characters are well drawn, well thought out and compliment each other. Can you imagine Amelia without Emerson's verbal sparring? It seems Ramses and Nefret are destined to carry on this enlivening tradition: will it be the next book where they admit to each other what we all have guessed by now? Can Sethos really stay his hand from Amelia's most engaging affairs? (Not bloo- er blooming likely.)

Ms. Peters has also been able to get around the limitations of the first person narrative by "discovering" additional manuscripts describing the main events but written by other combatants, er, participants. It's great fun seeing the same event described from greatly contrasting viewpoints.

Anyone whose interest in Egyptology has been piqued by the recent discoveries of Kent Weeks and Miroslav Verner would be well advised to save the airfare to that troubled region. For a tiny fraction of that cost you can pick up a copy of "The Ape Who Guards the Balance" and enjoy all the mystery, danger and romance and not worry about the local water. What a bargain!

I fervently wish Amelia (and Ms. Peters!) a long and fruitful life so that we may enjoy this series for years to come. Especially to the year 1922, when her friend Howard Carter makes (with much help, poking and prodding from the Emersons) the most famous descent in modern archeology: down the sixteen steps of KV62 and into the final resting place of Tutankhamun.

I imagine Emerson having preceded him there, sapphire eyes snapping in the torchlight with archeological fever. Bruised, bloodied but not bowed, his torn clothing in disarray.

"Don't stand there gawking, Peabody, there's work to be done," as his strong arms circles her waist.

"Emerson!" she exclaims, searching the depth of those eyes.

"Another shirt ruined!"

One of the best in the series
Highly regarded archeologist Professor Radcliffe Emerson has recently alienated too many administrators. In retaliation, he has been relegated to wandering around the Egypt's Valley of the Kings, which by 1907 has been explored too many times for any individual to get excited about it. However, having his beloved wife Amelia Peabody, their adult son Ramses, and their foster children (Nefret and David) along with him will ease the tedium.

In a slummy section of Cairo, the children purchase a papyrus of the Book of the Dead. Abruptly what was to be a dull season has become very exciting because two people are murdered and the Master Criminal has surfaced. This time he defeats Amelia in his game of cat and mouse, but fails to account for her now maturing allies, the next generation of Emersons, who just might tip the scales back in favor of the good guys.

The tenth Peabody novel, THE APE WHO GUARDS THE BALANCE, demonstrates why Elizabeth Peters recently was the recipient of the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America. The novel, like all the Peabody tales, is complicated but humorous and loaded with interesting historical references from two eras (antiquity and the first decade of the twentieth century) that surround an intriguing mystery. However, what makes the latest entry so refreshing and fun to read is the maturing of the next generation of Emersons. This will elate fans of the series and bring in new readers as well.

Harriet Klausner

PHARAOH EMERSON & FAMILY
Elizabeth Peters writes with an assured cadence. Her stories seem to unfold as though revealed in a handwritten letter and with elegant penmanship. Having read two delightful short stories set in Egypt I was ready to immerse myself in a full length book.

For the first time the clerk in my bookstore approved of my choice. She was a devoted fan of the Amelia Peabody series. I was sure to love it. Before this she had failed to comment on any of my bi-weekly mystery selections. I sensed I was in for something special.

The quality of writing did not disappoint. The archeology felt authentic. I learned a lot about excavating Egypt. The settings seemed appropriate to the times and circumstances. I even lamented the intrusion of industrialization upon gentler traditions. I was reminded of Merchant & Ivory.

The Emersons could have been so much more compelling. They are a liberally-collected rainbow group who would be welcomed and entertained at most sophisticated social events of OUR time, but would xenophic and racist Londoners toward the end of Victoria's reign been so kind to compatriots who had "gone native"? Yet it was the mixed backgrounds of two of the "children" that I thought could have yielded the most interest.

What was uninteresting to me was how physically attractive they had to be. Emerson's "steely arms" and "muscular chest"; Ramses' physical stature and attraction for women; David's appearance being similar to Ramses with "the long-lashed dark eyes"; and "strikingly pretty, extremely intelligent" Nefret was even blessed with laughter "like sunlit water bubbling over pebbles". Peabody herself was able to look good in any outfit while being the object of a Master Criminal's desires. Did they also have to be rich and well-bred? Then I was reminded of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider.

I much prefer Elizabeth Peters' short story characters: Senu, the carpenter, and Rennefer, the weaver, or Baenre, the potter, "a scanty little man with thin hair and sharp bones", to these pharaoh-like protagonists. Without the lordly Emersons the short stories are able to plunge the reader directly into that heat and dust where, due to the humble (or average) circumstances of the characters, there is no escaping the mystery, but to solve it.

The Emersons were in Egypt by choice. Their wealth, background, and physical stature distinguished them from the masses. They were even more privileged and rarified than their "lesser" countrymen, some whose careers kept them in Egypt. Throughout the book it occured to me that if situations turned too ugly The Emersons could have decamped to London for a season of ablutions and liberal causes.

I hope Elizabeth Peters, with her knowledge of Egyptology and excellent writing skills, will give us a book length mystery involving Egyptians in their own country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective   3. Mystery & Detective - Historical   4. Mystery & Detective - Series   5. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths   6. Mystery/Suspense   7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths   

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Customer Reviews (12)

Bonobo Wisdom
An exceptional book with beautiful and revealing photos that show how strikingly similar these pygmee chimps are to us humans. The main strength of this book lies in the photos by Lanting. They portray the Bonobo as an ape of gentle demaenor and high intellect. The text is a little rudimentary and does not give a very expansive overview of the species, but in all this book is definitely worth purchasing.

Beautiful and Revealing-
The hardback version of Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape is memorable for its beautiful photography and courageous subject matter. Suitable for display, discretion may be called for in the "coffee table" method of sharing this book. Not every guest will appreciate their child thumbing through your volume to find pictures of sexually occupied simians- nor may you be pleased at having this masterful study of primate behavior snickered over by teenagers. For mature individuals interested in natural behavior within species, this is a must-have book.

Another fine effort by de Waal
Most people are familiar with chimps but few have heard of the bonobo, but we resemble them behaviorally more than any of the other great apes. Also I recall reading once that we have the greatest genetic similarity to bonobos. I forget the exact figure, but humans share something like 99.5 percent of their genetic material with bonobos.

De Waal teamed up with internationally acclaimed nature photographer Hans Lanting to produce not only a very scholarly but very readable and interesting book, and a visually very striking one as well.

There are many similarities between bonobo behavior and humans, and ways in which they differ from other apes. Females have higher social standing in bonobo society compared to chimps, and high-ranking males never stay that way for long unless they have the support of at least a high-ranking female or two.

Females also cooperate more than in other apes. They have been observed working together to drive off an aggressive male, which doesn't happen in chimps. Females are also very social, and seek to establish alliances with other males. This can come in handy in various ways. For example, during the mating season, if a a male the female doesn't like wants to mate, she can effectively rebuff his attempts by getting her other male friends to come to her aid. They even resemble us in their sexual behavior, since they are the only ape observed to use the missionary position during sex, which they do about half the time.

This is just a small sample of the many interesting and thought-provoking things I picked up from reading this book. Overall, a fascinating and very visually appealing presentation on this little-known and understood relative among the great apes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Apes & Monkeys   2. Behavior   3. Birds & Birdwatching - General   4. Bonobo   5. Life Sciences - Zoology - General   6. Nature   7. Nature / Field Guide Books   8. Nature/Ecology