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Summary: Reveals how human-like chimp behavior can be
Review: This a a book that has gotten more attention for what people have said about it than for what is actually inside. Though there are some graphs and tables, don't let them scare you away: the text reads like a novel and certainly isn't overly technical or formally scientific. The story is a fascinating recollection principally about the sex and power struggles among a group of chimpanzees that lived in a zoo in the Netherlands in the mid 1970's.Some have claimed that the author has advocated using the complexities of chimpanzee social structure to shed light on human politics, but, if anything, the exact opposite is true: de Waal says very little abut non-chimpanzee societies until the last chapter and, throughout the book, freely and unapologetically employs human intentions, actions, and emotions to shed light on chimp culture. If you're prepared to cast aside any preconceived notions you may have, this book makes an enjoyable introduction to pop-sci primatology.
Rating:
Summary: Reveals how human-like chimp behavior can be
Review: This a a book that has gotten more attention for what people have said about it than for what is actually inside. Though there are some graphs and tables, don't let them scare you away: the text reads like a novel and certainly isn't overly technical or formally scientific. The story is a fascinating recollection principally about the sex and power struggles among a group of chimpanzees that lived in a zoo in the Netherlands in the mid 1970's. Some have claimed that the author has advocated using the complexities of chimpanzee social structure to shed light on human politics, but, if anything, the exact opposite is true: de Waal says very little abut non-chimpanzee societies until the last chapter and, throughout the book, freely and unapologetically employs human intentions, actions, and emotions to shed light on chimp culture. If you're prepared to cast aside any preconceived notions you may have, this book makes an enjoyable introduction to pop-sci primatology.
Rating:
Summary: It's fannnnnnnntastic!
Review: This is the best book I have ever read. It gives you an idea of what ape's lives are like.
Rating: 
Summary: A remarkable resource for any student of life.
Review: What Frans de Waal has done is he has transcribed for us years of field research, thousands of data, and a passion for understanding the complex social organization of chimpanzees, in a down-to-earth, well written account of his work in Arnhem, the Netherlands. It is very readable, and I found myself following the different chimps like characters in a murder-mystery. As expected, one can easily draw parallels into the human realm.
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