In the Shadow of Man
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Description
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*In the Shadow of Man* Is a very difficult book to review, as it contains numerous aspects, all of which could be treated separately. At the same time, It is also a primary source to another time that provides a fascinating window. When Dr. Goodall, in the late 1960's when this was written, makes a political statement or statement about humanity, she is revealing a window into her time -intentional or not - and that aspect of *In the Shadow of Man* was just as fascinating as the intended topics were. If the point of a review is to help a potential reader decide if they should read the book, then it is easy: You should read this book. With caveats. As should really be expected for a monograph 60 years old, the Science in *in the Shadow of Man* is incredibly dated, although Dr. Goodall does a fantastic job at making sure the book remains humble and aware - it is, after all, a chronicle of the first major attempt to study the Chimpanzee under the purview of Scientific Observation. This is no real fault of the book, but it would be very easy to come away with some outdated and incorrect interpretations of Chimpanzee behaviour and society. But with that caveat out of the way, *In the Shadow of Man* is superbly written, full of wit, humour, and insight, and really pulls a double-duty. It is both an accessible Ethology of the Chimpanzee as Dr. Goodall takes us along for her discoveries over the first few years of working at Gombe, and an auto-biography and history of the early years of the Gombe Research Centre. At it's heart, however, *In the Shadow of Man* is a *narrative.* It is a family story; Jane shows up in the middle of a troop of Chimpanzees that already existed, and in order to study the natural behaviours of such a social species, it is impossible to not become embroiled in the social lives of the subjects. *In the Shadow of Man* is almost a Soap Opera, but that it is real, and about chimpanzees. We come to know many of the chimpanzees is characters and learn about their daily, mundane lives. We follow mothers new and old raising their children, the rise and fall of dominance hierarchies, and delve deep into understanding chimpanzee society and culture But as we all know in 2020, life does not stay Mundane for long. *In the Shadow of Man* culminates, somewhat abruptly (Real life has no clearly defined beginning, middle, and end - at least not on a troop level) with an Epidemic of Polio sweeping through the troop. Reading this, in the context of 2020, was an intense experience. Overall, *In the Shadow of Man* does what it wants to do very well, and even if it is a little dated it is still a thoroughly enjoyable, insightful, and intellectually stimulating read. I will definitely be picking up the follow-up, although how much of that comes from the scientist wishing to know more about Chimpanzee behaviour, and how much of that is the gossip wanting to know what's next for the troop, I don't really know. Just another line Goodall's book blurs.
Die Leidenschaft, mit der Jane Goodall ihrer Arbeit nachgeht, tropft aus jeder einzelnen Seite dieses Buches. Mit einer detaillierten, emotionalen und zugleich wissenschaftlich präzisen Sprache macht sie die Lesenden mit den Verhaltensweisen der Schimpansen am Gombe vertraut. Lehrreich auf verschiedenen Ebenen und definitiv eine Empfehlung wert!
Description
Book Information
Posts
*In the Shadow of Man* Is a very difficult book to review, as it contains numerous aspects, all of which could be treated separately. At the same time, It is also a primary source to another time that provides a fascinating window. When Dr. Goodall, in the late 1960's when this was written, makes a political statement or statement about humanity, she is revealing a window into her time -intentional or not - and that aspect of *In the Shadow of Man* was just as fascinating as the intended topics were. If the point of a review is to help a potential reader decide if they should read the book, then it is easy: You should read this book. With caveats. As should really be expected for a monograph 60 years old, the Science in *in the Shadow of Man* is incredibly dated, although Dr. Goodall does a fantastic job at making sure the book remains humble and aware - it is, after all, a chronicle of the first major attempt to study the Chimpanzee under the purview of Scientific Observation. This is no real fault of the book, but it would be very easy to come away with some outdated and incorrect interpretations of Chimpanzee behaviour and society. But with that caveat out of the way, *In the Shadow of Man* is superbly written, full of wit, humour, and insight, and really pulls a double-duty. It is both an accessible Ethology of the Chimpanzee as Dr. Goodall takes us along for her discoveries over the first few years of working at Gombe, and an auto-biography and history of the early years of the Gombe Research Centre. At it's heart, however, *In the Shadow of Man* is a *narrative.* It is a family story; Jane shows up in the middle of a troop of Chimpanzees that already existed, and in order to study the natural behaviours of such a social species, it is impossible to not become embroiled in the social lives of the subjects. *In the Shadow of Man* is almost a Soap Opera, but that it is real, and about chimpanzees. We come to know many of the chimpanzees is characters and learn about their daily, mundane lives. We follow mothers new and old raising their children, the rise and fall of dominance hierarchies, and delve deep into understanding chimpanzee society and culture But as we all know in 2020, life does not stay Mundane for long. *In the Shadow of Man* culminates, somewhat abruptly (Real life has no clearly defined beginning, middle, and end - at least not on a troop level) with an Epidemic of Polio sweeping through the troop. Reading this, in the context of 2020, was an intense experience. Overall, *In the Shadow of Man* does what it wants to do very well, and even if it is a little dated it is still a thoroughly enjoyable, insightful, and intellectually stimulating read. I will definitely be picking up the follow-up, although how much of that comes from the scientist wishing to know more about Chimpanzee behaviour, and how much of that is the gossip wanting to know what's next for the troop, I don't really know. Just another line Goodall's book blurs.
Die Leidenschaft, mit der Jane Goodall ihrer Arbeit nachgeht, tropft aus jeder einzelnen Seite dieses Buches. Mit einer detaillierten, emotionalen und zugleich wissenschaftlich präzisen Sprache macht sie die Lesenden mit den Verhaltensweisen der Schimpansen am Gombe vertraut. Lehrreich auf verschiedenen Ebenen und definitiv eine Empfehlung wert!