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27th out of 101 books
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31 voters
Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes
The first edition of Frans de Waal's "Chimpanzee Politics" was acclaimed not only by primatologists for its scientific achievement but also by a much broader audience of politicians, business leaders, and social psychologists for its remarkable insights into very basic human needs and behaviors. In this revised edition--featuring a new gallery of color photographs along wi...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
April 10th 2000
by Johns Hopkins University Press
(first published 1982)
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This book covers the introduction of a chimpanzee colony into a large Arnhem zoo habitat during the late 1970’s. Because the zoo provides food and a safe territory it is not natural environment but it allows for close observations of internal group dynamics. The core of the colony are the females with their offspring who above all seek stable peaceful internal group dynamics along with good food and secure territory. Chimps (but like humans and baboons) are unique among the great apes in that th...more
This is a revised version of Frans de Waal's widely read work "Chimpanzee Politics." At the outset, de Waal notes that he uses the term "politics" very consciously. He says: "If we follow Harold Lasswell's famous definition of politics as a social process determining 'who gets what, when, how,' there can be little doubt that chimpanzees engage in it. The events depicted in this volume come from the Arnhem Zoo chimpanzee colony. That itself is problematic, since chimpanzees (and other animals) in...more
Chimp social organisation is much more intricate than you think.
Memorable quotes:
"Nikkie is the highest-ranking ape but he is completely dependent on Yeoren.
Luit is individually the most powerful. But when it comes to who can push
others aside, then Mama is the boss"
"[..] this would suggest that reciprocity among chimpanzees is governed by the
same sense of moral rightness and justice as it is among humans"
"When Aristotle referred to man as a political animal he could not know just
how near the mar...more
Memorable quotes:
"Nikkie is the highest-ranking ape but he is completely dependent on Yeoren.
Luit is individually the most powerful. But when it comes to who can push
others aside, then Mama is the boss"
"[..] this would suggest that reciprocity among chimpanzees is governed by the
same sense of moral rightness and justice as it is among humans"
"When Aristotle referred to man as a political animal he could not know just
how near the mar...more
Chimpanzee Politics is a narrative about the social interactions of a group of chimpanzees in a Dutch zoo monitored by primatologist Frans De Waal in the late 70s. Although chimpanzees have no verbal language, their social interactions are very complex. The majority of the book focuses on the dynamics of how alliances are forged and broken. Many of the males strive to become the alpha male, however this is not a feat that is possible without support, including the females, as even a very strong...more
Feb 24, 2008
Cameron
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lots of people, particularly those that read
This is apparently a huge business classic, which is funny because it was written about chimpanzees. The author studied a chimpanzee colony in the Netherlands and found that chimpanzees exhibit social behaviors that are very similar to humans, and his observations (if correct) get us quite close to all of the theories about man in his natural state from Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, et. al. I think if I manage to say "et. al." in a review, it's a sign that I haven't slept enough.
Anyway, it's not quit...more
Anyway, it's not quit...more
Now this is a must for managers and anyone in politics. Newt Ginwrich used to give this book to all incoming freshman to Washington. This book tells you about alliances, paranoia and how to make peace at the basic level.
If you are the boss, and you rule like a tyrant, watch your back. Someone is always ready to take you down.
Read this book and use his conclusions to modify your body language and establish alliances with others.
If you are the boss, and you rule like a tyrant, watch your back. Someone is always ready to take you down.
Read this book and use his conclusions to modify your body language and establish alliances with others.
A truly fascinating elucidation of the mechanisms of power, affinity, aggression, reconciliation, and manipulation among a colony of chimpanzees at a zoo. What struck me was the flexibility and calculation of the interactions. Socialization and learning also played a large part. Also, there was remarkable flexibility in gender roles, as particularly illustrated by the story of Mama; to say that males "naturally" rule is oversimplified.
Despite recently going gaga over how nice chimps are with each other, this is the book that Frans deWaal will be remembered for - particularly his dream that humans had become too gentle to live with apes.
Gorgeous book that really gives you an interesting look into the complexities of chimpanzee social dynamics. Highly recommend for anyone interested in our closest relatives.
This was a great look at a chimpanzee life. De Waal notes that obviously there will be some differences in the wild versus his observations of the chimp colony at Arnhem, but the vast majority will be similar. This is an informative and enthralling look at chimp life (and none to subtly our own) among the leaders and absolutely delivers on the title with no deviation from the topic. This edition includes a heartbreaking epilogue and I highly recommend it. Simply an outstanding treatment and good...more
I had to read this for a Sociology class. I was very surprised to find that it was actually a good book. Who knew chimpanzee politics would be fascinating!
This book is such an amazing classic. If you want to know about primate behavior Frans de Waal from Emory and the Yerkes Primate Center is the ultimate authority! A lot of his students and other scientists frequently work with us. At any rate, this guy has done nothing but live and breathe primates his entire life and WOW did he get this thing started! I don't even adhere to the normal rules of people primate society anymore....once you work with Chimps its Chimpanzee Politics man.....that's all...more
Behaviourists rarely write like human beings but Van de Waal is an exception. Brilliantly written and thought provoking.
Fascinating narrative about social interactions and power struggles in a chimpanzee colony in a Dutch zoo.
This book is at its strongest when chronicling events dispassionately and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about analogues to human behavior, and weaker when the author draws heavy handed explicit comparisons and ventures into sociological studies on human gender and hierarchy. The author references Machiavelli several times, and I think this book is well read in conjunctio...more
This book is at its strongest when chronicling events dispassionately and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about analogues to human behavior, and weaker when the author draws heavy handed explicit comparisons and ventures into sociological studies on human gender and hierarchy. The author references Machiavelli several times, and I think this book is well read in conjunctio...more
You'll learn about cleptocopulation among other things...
Jan 24, 2009
G. Branden
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to G. Branden by:
Terran
Outstanding and un-put-downable.
One of the best books I've read in months. Its very scientific and informative without being dry and too academic. I enjoyed the book on that level of curiosity about how similar we are to apes on how some so called "Human" traits are older than humans themselves. To be honest, the real reason I enjoyed this book is how like a Soap Opera it is... I got totally wrapped up in the stories of power struggles between the Alpha Males of the group and the dynasty powerful female chimps. Utterly fascina...more
A bit dull, unfortunately.
Think humans and chimps have nothing in common? Believe deviousness is a uniquely human vice? Read this. It's almost more a Chimpanzee novel than a scientific work, but de Waal understands more clearly than most when it's useful to throw out the scientific ideal of resisting all anthropomorphism when it comes to animal observations. After all, such an ideal would be limiting if some our anthro traits extended beyond our particular morph.
That book will give you some fundamental insight into ape (=human) behaviour.
I work with chimps so its no surprise Id find this interesting. However, de Waal writes in a way that makes even non-primate oriented folk enjoy and learn. Chimps are pretty fascinating in that they seem to just incautiously DO what humans use words to describe. Often quite ugly to watch, but unavoidably recognizable.
if you want to know why the world is as fucked up as it is, i highly recommend this book. or if you just think violence is funny (so long as it doesn't involve you) you are gonna LOVE the ending in this book.
A charming little account of a chimp society in a European zoo - it's gossipy! Read this as a prelude to "Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language," which refers to this book a lot.
The title says it all except this: chimpanzees are people who don't pretend to be civilized. It's fascinating, disturbing, and hilarious.
People are just like apes. Over and over this is made clear to me.
This book redefined the way I look at chimps at the zoo.
Great resource on chimp (and human) behavior.
My favorite piece of non-fiction to date
YOU ARE NOT HUMAN
fascinating book! easy to read, De Waal's book is about his studies of chimps, the Arnhem colony in Holland in the 70s. he writes about the Machiavellian politics that are practiced by the leaders and their colony. "Their social life is full of takeovers, dominance networks, power struggles, alliances, divide and rule strategies, coalitions, arbitration, collective leadership, privileges and bargaining."( Desmond Morris, Foreword).
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"Frans B.M. de Waal, PhD (born 29 October 1948, 's-Hertogenbosch), is a Dutch psychologist, primatologist and ethologist. He is the Charles Howard Candler professor of Primate Behavior in the Emory University psychology department in Atlanta, Georgia, and director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and author of numerous books including Chimpanzee Politics an...more
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Jun 06, 2008 08:00am