The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections of a Primatologist

I have just finished reading this book, and I am both thrilled and saddened. I am thrilled because someone has had the insight and courage to say that our human characteristics are not all that unique in the world and that culture is not all-or-nothing. I am saddened because it was made painfully clear just how much our own values and beliefs affect what we see...or even what we WILL see. Western society with its insistence that humans are utterly distinct and even "unnatural" and its refusal to look at certain issues like sexuality means that we are constantly blinding ourselves to the facts. If there was ever a treatise that showed just how much cultural affects perceptions--including the perceptions of what and where is culture!--this is it. I agree that the flow of the book is a little jumpy, going from discussions of personalities like Konrad Lorenz to discussions of ethological observations, but here too we get to see human blinders in action. Too many people looked at Lorenz--and still look at Darwin--through their own political (and "other") agendas and do not judge the work itself and the facts it is based on. Maybe if we were a little LESS personal in our evaluations of the world around us and took it on its own terms, we would understand more and argue less.

As anthropologist, I strongly recommend the reading of this book, especially for non-specialist. Easy to read, full of such interesting reflexions and historical fact. It is THE book to read for better understanding where human stand in the animal kingdom.

A joke that begins like this is typical of crude and simplistic anthropomorphism and is illustrative of why scientists are so scared of being called anthropomorphic. The consequence of such a label is usually a joke at the their expense: "Have you heard the one about the scientist who walks into a store with a parrot on his shoulder?" Franz De Waal is neither a subscriber to "joke-a-day" nor to such base forms of anthropomorphism. He starts out by mentioning that for most scientists, interest in their field began with a love for nature. Such a closeness to animals "creates the desire to understand them, and not just a little piece of them, but the whole animal." In such a venture good scientists employ all available tools and consequently "anthropomorphism is not only inevitable, it is a powerful tool."De Waal is convincing, but on this point he need not be overwhelmingly so since most scientists have no problem distinguishing between childish and humorous anthropomorphism, and that which is useful in providing anecdotal observations on animal behavior. De Waal states that in the earliest days of ethology (the naturalistic study of animal behavior) and long before sociobiology argued the point, the very idea of any "continuity between human and animal behavior" was anathema to all. Things have changed and the dividing line between nature/nurture is no longer under attack, (to remain a target something must at least exist and that line is now so blurred as to be unidentifiable). De Waal has his sights set elsewhere and rips "a maximum number of holes in the nature/culture divide." He convincingly shows that not only do animals have a culture, but that it is robust, diversified, and learned through a process of imitation. De Waal shows that in Eastern cultures there is little resistance to the idea of animal culture. He spends some time looking at the work of Japanese primatologist Kinji Imanishi. The Japanese approach is another method of primatology and it gave De Waal the idea for his book's title. The APE AND THE SUSHI MASTER speaks to the similar teaching techniques used by mother apes and Sushi chefs. Apprentice cooks and young apes both learn through years of observation and imitation. Reading this book will give you insights into not only how we view animals and what the nature of culture is, but it also has something to say about how we view ourselves. The book is very well written and is aimed at a general reading audience. De Waal is thoughtful and offers his opinions in a non forceful manner. For a book that deals with such contentious subjects, it's refreshing that there is very little invective. Blind support for "selfish genes" is however justifiably criticized and De Waal shows that altruism and cooperation are equally as likely outcomes of natural selection. It's now time for us to emerge from "anthropodenial" about animal culture and "of being tied to how we are unlike any animal". Instead we are urged to adopt a more humanistic

Frans de Waal has taken the lead position in the swelling ranks of researchers clarifying the picture of humanity's place in nature. Combining his own and others' study of the great apes, he presents us a vivid survey of primate behaviour. His roots and experience are combined in this fascinating account. His Dutch background, American academic position, and keen observing powers have led him to redefine our view of our primate relatives. His critical insights are matched by his prose skills in presenting them, making this informative work a pleasure to read. There is much to be learned from de Waal. He removes any remaining doubt that we are at one with our fellow creatures.De Waal challenges the dominant view among Western researchers that animal studies must be done from a detached view. He stresses the distinction between "anthropocentrism" and "anthropomorphism." The former sharply divides humans from the remainder of the animal kingdom, holding "culture" as a unique human artefact. The second, properly applied, enables us to view all the animal kingdom in a broader scale. De Waal cites the long history of Japanese primate research and more recent Western efforts as examples of the difference. The Eastern world integrates animals within its cultures while the Western view is humanity has been given "dominion" over them. In a practical sense, this outlook gave the Japanese a head start in primate research. They consider each individual in chimpanzee troops, where Westerners only perceive the group as an entity. As de Waal escorts us through the last half-century of primate research, he assess the contributions of each of the major figures in the field. Lorenz, Tinbergen, Desmond Morris from the West are contrasted with their Eastern counterparts. Of particular importance is Japan's Imanishi Kinji a towering figure in primatology, almost unknown here. Imanishi's outlook was a near refutation of Darwin's natural selection. Imanishi rejected the idea that animal behaviour is genetically driven and began the redefinition of "culture" based on his studies of primates. With "culture's" many restraints cast away, Japanese researchers could perceive behaviour little noted in the West.Some of de Waal's examples are breathtaking. Animal art occupies a chapter, dominated by examples of chimpanzee attitudes while they work. Dedicated attention, care in application and possessive attitudes lead to paintings equal to Pollock's and applauded by Picasso. Pigeons turn away from Schoenberg [and who can blame them] in favour of Bach. From the obverse angle, the number of human composers who have relied on birds and other animals for inspiration range from Mozart down. The message is clear: "culture" is an aspect of the entire animal kingdom. We are but a part of a universal condition.It's de Waal's message about animal learning that tumbles the final barricade between humans and their kin. The title of this book is derived from apprent

I was delighted when I saw that this book had come out. For those who had never read de Waal, both his 'Chimpanzee Politics' and book on bonobos were great books as general reading-- outside of the context of primate anthropology. He is an engaging writer with a good story to tell.De Waal wants to make culture away from being a human-centric concept. Such, he uses stories from the world of monkies to make his point: animals have group-learned concepts and ways of doing things that differ from independant populations (I wish I could say this more eloquently....) He can flat out write.Buy this book. Read this book.