Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are

Ouch. Some reviewers clearly did not like Our Inner Ape. But I did. It's delightful. Frans De Waal writes thoughtfully, using many, many (perhaps a few too many) stories from his long experience watching chimps and bonobos as a springboard into his analysis of human society. Unlike most who write about fields that they love -- and De Waal clearly loves his study of primates (ape and human) -- De Waal does not force his conclusions. Instead, he leads the reader along, and acknowledges that many of his ideas could well be a little off base. For me, the chapter on sex provoked the most thought. If any of us could be impartial observers of sex and human society, it would probably seem hilarious. (Lord Chesterfield's comment that "the expense is exorbitant, the pleasure transitory, and the position ridiculous" seems a pretty accurate statement of how we should view sex. But of course we don't.) De Waal's description of the hedonism of bonobo society, contrasted with the chimp's approach to sex, gives some interesting clues as to why we human males and females act the strange way that we do. Whether you like Our Inner Ape depends on what you expect. I came across the book in the library, picked it up, started reading, and was captivated. It took me little time to decide I was buying a copy for myself. But if you are looking for something scientific, with extensive footnotes, De Waal's somewhat rambling and anecdotal approach will probably leave you unsatisfied. And some of the things De Waal states as fact should be taken with a grain of salt. This is not a rigorous book of scholarship. All in all, though, I would ask myself this: Do I want to read a book that will keep my interest and get me thinking? Our Inner Ape will do that. Give it a read.

This is not the kind of book I ordinarily read. I'm a fiction person, through and through, but I came across this at the Barnes and Noble Store in Prescott, Arizona. I was in town visiting friends, thought I'd get the new Harlan Coben book to read while they were at work, I picked it up, saw this one, picked it up too, I don't know why, read the first page, took the books over to the Starbucks they have in the store, ordered a Mocha Cappachino Vente and spent two enthralled hours over four ice cold coffee drinks stuck in this absorbing book while the mystery thriller sat on the table unread. I had to have it. I put my money down, got still another iced coffee to go, went back to my friend's house and read the day away. Frans de Waal is a primatologist who has been studying chimps and apes for years. In this book he compares the Bonobo apes who live by the Congo river and Chimpanzees to humans. The chimps and apes look very similar and for sure somebody like me would never be able to tell them apart, but their behavior is quite different and that is something that is totally fascinating. The chimps are patriarchal and the apes are matriarchal. The chimps, when they have sexual issues resort to violence and power to solve them, while the apes, run by females, remember, have sex with just about everybody and they solve their power issues with sex. I think I like the female way better. This is a book for everybody. In fact I just wish our world leaders today would give it a read, perhaps they'd learn something.

I won't repeat what the many [!] other reviewers have said. I could echo most of their praise and also the criticism about De Waal's overlooking bonobos' emotional fragility under severe stress. But I'm amazed that no one has extrapolated his observations to a certain sociological analog that hit me in the face, left me guffawing, and will never again let me associate republicans with elephants and democrats with donkeys. It'll be chimps and bonobos for me from now on!

Primatology, the study of our ape cousins, must at once be the most rewarding and thankless jobs in science. On the one hand, these investigations can tell us more about ourselves than any philosophy or psychology curriculum can hope to impart. We learn of their friendships, conflicts, desires, social manipulations and group politics. The resemblances to humans make compelling reading. On the other hand, the long history of our culture has conditioned us to avoid recognising our evolutionary roots. There are "the animals" and there is "us". With thirty years' experience in the Netherlands and the United States, de Waal wants us to understand how human values derive from primate origins. His careful studies have revealed things unexpected even to himself. His chief aim with this synopsis is to dispense with the many myths that have emerged over the past few years - chimpanzees as "murderers" or "war-makers"; bonobos as over-sexed and gender indifferent, both as "simply wild animals living at the command of "instinct". Diversity and individuality are a major facet of ape societies which, in de Waal's assessment, not only makes them worthy of study, but worthy of sound comparison with our own species. At first glance, de Waal's condensation of ape behaviour into four topical chapters seems over-distillation. The material in those chapters, however, shows the complexity of primate personalities. Chimpanzee society is male-dominated, with young males taking every opportunity to displace the "alpha" group leader. They live in a strongly hierarchical society where the males hunt and dispense meat for sexual and other favours. Female chimpanzees form few alliances, although brief excursions with males other than the alpha occur. The other "chimpanzee", as de Waal points out, couldn't be more different. The bonobo, once known as the "pygmy chimp", has a more egalitarian society. In fact, the most dominant individual is usually an older female. When fights occur, they are generally brief and inconsequential. The "alpha" female is more likely to die of old age than be toppled by a younger competitor. The leading bonobo is respected for her conciliation and diplomatic skills. Power, then, is a feature of primate society, but how power is exhibited and maintained varies greatly. "Sex" and "Violence" form the next two topics. Among the apes, including humans, there are several trade-offs involved in producing and raising offspring. Male-dominated chimpanzee groups can establish parentage with relative ease. "Extra-Pair Matings" [EPM] are discouraged and the alpha male is fairly secure in the babies being his. One of the more distressing discoveries about chimpanzees was the revelation that an usurping alpha would kill all his predecessor's offspring. Bonobos would find such behaviour abhorrent [as do we]. In bonobo society, everybody has sex with everybody else - gender is irrelevant. Consequently, since any baby might belong t

Even staunch supporters of Darwinian Evolution acknowledge the reason that many people find that theory hard to accept. We humans see ourselves as rational beings with manners and ethics, while apes are fundamentally different creatures that behave like -- well -- animals. Emory University Primatologist Frans de Waal would not agree. If we really want to understand what makes us human, de Waal argues in Our Inner Ape, we should not focus on our differences with apes, but rather examine the "fascinating and frightening parallels between primate behavior and our own, with equal regard for the good, the bad, and the ugly." That is precisely what he does in the book, with a wealth of stories and an entertaining style that does not sacrifice scientific depth or objectivity. He focuses on chimpanzees and bonobos because they are closest to humans, sharing a common ancestor as recently as 5.5 million years ago. A 1000-word review of Our Inner Ape, including an opening limerick, is available at my Science Shelf online book review archive.