Product Description

This remarkable primate with the curious name is challenging established views on human evolution. The bonobo, least known of the great apes, is a female-centred, egalitarian species that has been dubbed the 'make-love-not-war' primate by specialists. In bonobo society, females form alliances to intimidate males, sexual behaviour (in virtually every partner combination) replaces aggression and serves many social functions, and unrelated groups mingle instead of fighting. The species' most striking achievement is not tool use or warfare but sensitivity to others. In the first book to combine and compare data from captivity and the field, Frans de Waal, a world-renowned primatologist, and Frans Lanting, an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer, present the most up-to-date perspective available on the bonobo.Focusing on social organization, de Waal compares the bonobo with its better-known relative, the chimpanzee. The bonobo's relatively nonviolent behaviour and the tendency for females to dominate males confront the evolutionary models derived from observing the chimpanzee's male power politics, cooperative hunting, and intergroup warfare. Further, the bonobo's frequent, imaginative sexual contacts, along with its low reproduction rate, belie any notion that the sole natural purpose of sex is procreation. Humans share over 98 per cent of their genetic material with the bonobo and the chimpanzee.Is it possible that the peaceable bonobo has retained traits of our common ancestor that we find hard to recognize in ourselves? Eight superb full-colour photo essays offer a rare view of the bonobo in its native habitat in the rain forests of Zaire as well as in zoos and research facilities. Additional photographs and highlighted interviews with leading bonobo experts complement the text. This book points the way to viable alternatives to male-based models of human evolution and will add considerably to debates on the origin of our species. Anyone interested in primates, gender issues, evolutionary psychology, and exceptional wildlife photography will find a fascinating companion in "Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1054952 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 200 pages

Review
"Exciting, amusing, and beautiful."--Alison Jolly, "International Journal of Primatology

Customer Reviews

One of the most fascinating books I�ve ever read
Bonobos--who are, with chimps, our closest relatives--use sex instead of agression and dominance to resolve conflicts. That alone would make this book worth reading, but bonobos have many other intriguing qualities. It's rare to find a book as well-written, cogently argued and full of facts as this one. It's equally rare to find a book as beautifully photographed and designed. To have the two together in one volume is something of a miracle. HIGHLY recommended.

One of the most fascinating books I�ve ever read
Bonobos--who are, with chimps, our closest relatives--use sex instead of agression and dominance to resolve conflicts. That alone would make this book worth reading, but bonobos have many other intriguing qualities. It's rare to find a book as well-written, cogently argued and full of facts as this one. It's equally rare to find a book as beautifully photographed and designed. To have the two together in one volume is something of a miracle. HIGHLY recommended.

A Fabulous and Important Study
De Waal's words and Lanting's photographs are a great combination. The high production values are more than justified by the quality of the text. In bringing bonobos to wider attention this book provides a valuable service. The sound research credentials of de Waal add weight to the analysis and, far from making it a dull book, give it an exciting relevance to wider issues in primatology. Makes you think a lot about humans as well as about bonobos and can, I imagine, start a good few dinner party arguments about gender relations. Much better that than another discussion of house prices.