false 5526232 4 The well-dressed ape, aka<i> </i>Homo sapiens, is a strange mammal. It mates remarkably often, and with unprecedented affection. With similar enthusiasm, it will eat to the point of undermining its own health–behavior unthinkable in wild animals. The human marks its territory with doors, fences, and plastic flamingos, yet if it’s too isolated it becomes depressed. It thinks of itself as complex, intelligent, and in every way superior to other animals–but is it, really?<br><br>With wit, humility, and penetrating insight, science journalist Hannah Holmes casts the inquisitive eye of a trained researcher and reporter on . . . herself. And not just herself, but on our whole species–what Shakespeare called “the paragon of animals.” In this surprising, humorous, and edifying book, Holmes explores how the human animal–the eponymous well-dressed ape–fits into the natural world, even as we humans change that world in both constructive and destructive ways.<br><br>Comparing and contrasting the biology and behavior of humans with that of other creatures, Holmes demonstrates our position as an animal among other animals, a product of–and subject to–the same evolutionary processes. And not only are we animals–we are, in some important ways (such as our senses of smell and of vision), pitiably inferior ones. That such an animal came to exist at all is unlikely. That we have survived and prospered is extraordinary. <br><br>At the same time, Holmes reveals the ways in which Homo sapiens stands apart from other mammals and, indeed, all other animals. Despite the vast common ground we share with our fellow creatures, there are significant areas in which we are unique. No other animal, as far as we know, shares the human capacity for self-reflective thought or our talent for changing ourselves or our environment in response to natural challenges and opportunities. One result of these extraordinary characteristics is the spread of our species across the entire planet; another, unfortunately, is global warming. <br><br>Deftly mixing personal stories and observations with the latest scientific theories and research results, Hannah Holmes has fashioned an engaging and informative field guide to that oddest and yet most fascinating of primates: ourselves. 5697260 2008 The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself total:84|5:21|4:36|3:23|2:3|1:1| 84 325 245 43 3 0 false false Wed Apr 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 06:45:23 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 06:46:44 -0700 2009 P. 79 Where on...more...]]> 3 1 false false Fri Mar 06 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 12:00:32 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 12:21:25 -0800 2009
The author begins by saying she is going to write about humans in the way that scientists write about other livi...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 20:21:34 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 20:24:10 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Feb 15 00:47:13 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 23 18:47:45 -0700 2009
Funny, this book finally explained to me why I've always loved the idea of having a waterfall in my backyard. Humans crave views...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 07 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 11:24:12 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 11:36:33 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Feb 27 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 23 14:26:34 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 23:05:55 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Aug 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 28 16:06:41 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 07 16:35:48 -0700 2009 HH i so whitty , i love her compairsons & explainations. The book reminds me that we are animals, civilized animals and that is where our instincts come from. our main objective is to reproduce. and it all comes down to...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Dec 07 16:52:52 -0800 2008 Wed Jun 10 17:32:51 -0700 2009 Cha...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 07 21:42:24 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 19:22:37 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Sep 10 10:26:39 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 10 10:37:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu May 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 13:48:39 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 11:09:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 08 04:08:25 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 09 04:36:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jan 18 15:56:29 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 18 15:58:57 -0800 2009 The book is not only informative, but easy to page through, and full of Hannah's Maine- and family-bred wit.]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 11:58:11 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 12:03:07 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 11:57:41 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 12:01:03 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Oct 14 13:27:20 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 10 09:35:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Feb 02 16:04:27 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 02 16:04:41 -0800 2009 http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Mar 23 16:06:04 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 14 13:38:11 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 16:06:04 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed May 27 20:43:33 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 12:16:21 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Jun 18 08:21:10 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 08:21:59 -0700 2009