An award-winning journalist's all-night vigil with a retired chimp performer named Roger blossoms into a whole new way to regard our fellow creatur...
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reviews
Jul 16, 2010
Stephen
rated it: 
Enthralling. Disturbing. Up-lifting.
Yes, somehow author Charles Siebert manages a hat trick.
The central narrative in the book The Wauchula Woods Accord, is the surprising connection, i.e. relationship that spontaneously happens between the author and Roger, a “humanzee”: a chimpanzee that has spent his entire life living with humans, now being forced to retire in the company of other chimps. Roger must somehow find his inner chimp relinquishing his humanity. But is that e More...
Yes, somehow author Charles Siebert manages a hat trick.
The central narrative in the book The Wauchula Woods Accord, is the surprising connection, i.e. relationship that spontaneously happens between the author and Roger, a “humanzee”: a chimpanzee that has spent his entire life living with humans, now being forced to retire in the company of other chimps. Roger must somehow find his inner chimp relinquishing his humanity. But is that e More...
Nov 19, 2009
Bob
rated it: 
Siebert's book takes you on his tour around the country (and abroad) where he relates revealing stories about human relationships with animals. For instance, Siebert tells the story of a psychologist who had sexual fantasies about a female chimpanzee he was raising and who admitted that he frequently let the chimp mouth his penis. The author tells us about a British historian whose book on the "Lost History of Europe's Animal Trials" describes cases of animals put on trial for their p
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Aug 28, 2009
Nicholette
rated it: 
Siebert is a wonderful writer, and this book contains many beautiful illustrations and scientific explorations of the biological bonds between humans and animals. He focuses almost entirely on the thousands of animals used annually in this country for entertainment and laboratory experiments, but glaringly omitted any mention of the inhumane treatment of the millions of farm animals raised annually in the US for consumption. In the epilogue, Siebert writes that the central premise of his book is
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Feb 10, 2011
Bucket
rated it:
Siebert has been traveling the world learning about animal personalities and how much smarter/more thoughtful/more emotional they are than we thought. The main focus of the book is on primates and their struggles after they have been used as circus performers or actors or research subjects. There is also interesting information about animal trials throughout history (from flies to rats to pigs to elephants) and how wars and poaching in Africa affect elephants there. Siebert tells the story of hi
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Jul 22, 2009
I heard the author interviewed on the Diane Rehm show (with a substitute interviewer) and the book sounded rather interesting. Although I believe the book to be a treatise on the human/animal relationship in general, most of it is concerned with chimpanzees. In fact, he noted in the interview that he originally wanted to title the book "Humanzee" but his publisher warned him that "no woman would buy a book with that title". (Woman? Huh?) Coincidentally, on the same day I
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May 13, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
It's a little hard to get into Siebert's writing style at first. The book has an unusual structure to it: part introspective journal, full of speculation and anthropomorphism about how animals feel/mourn/endure psychological wounds; and part factual overview of how humans relate to, fear, condescend to, domesticate and abuse wild animals, historically and currently.
Intellectual in tone, elliptical in storytelling. I read this at a skimming pace and enjoyed it. But beware: Siebert More...
Intellectual in tone, elliptical in storytelling. I read this at a skimming pace and enjoyed it. But beware: Siebert More...
Apr 21, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
Warning: This book details some of the saddest statistics, facts and stories you will read. Your heart will break and you will at times feel like throwing up from some of the brutality documented within these pages.
*I wept reading about “Lucy” the chimpanzee that was raised as a human daughter by a psychologist and his wife, just to see what would happen. What follows can only be described as bizarre years of breaking Lucy of all Chimpanzee instincts, lifestyle and knowledge and crea More...
*I wept reading about “Lucy” the chimpanzee that was raised as a human daughter by a psychologist and his wife, just to see what would happen. What follows can only be described as bizarre years of breaking Lucy of all Chimpanzee instincts, lifestyle and knowledge and crea More...
Feb 28, 2010
Christina
rated it:
Only 200 pages but it took me weeks to read because the stories within were so painful that it was hard to continue. I appreciate the author bringing the tragedies humans inflict on animals to light, but I was less excited by his metaphysical ramblings at the beginning of each chapter. Also, I was expecting a much more light hearted book after hearing about it on This American Life, but the fun moments were interspered with things like rape of orangtuans by humans and the like.
Nov 18, 2009
Kurt
rated it:
This is an amazing look at our closest cousins, chimps and other great apes, who have been ripped out of their own world and brought into ours, as performers and pets. Siebert makes a strong argument that these animals are essentially a distinct species, not quite human, not quite ape. He does so without treacly anthropomorphism either, yet the stories he tells of these unique and uniquely lonely creatures will break your heart. An eye-opener, for sure.
Sep 19, 2009
Ward
rated it:
Fascinating; read in one sitting. What happens to chimps after 6? They're too dangerous to be pets (200 lbs & 5x stronger than the strongest of us). They live past 70. Cheetah of Tarzan / Weismuller fame is in fancy retirement home. They're incredible lock-pickers and escape artists. And we are so much like them. What happens to Lucy (the renowned sign language star) will break your heart.
Nov 05, 2009
Cat
rated it: 
A beautifully written, haunting yet strange, introspective book. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of captive chimps and holds a mirror up to us humans, asking the questions: What kind of creature are we to do so much harm? And: Do we want to live in a world without wild chimps, and if not, what are we going to do about it?
Aug 19, 2009
Stephen
rated it:
One of the best books I've read in years. It's a beautiful blend of memoir, nature writing, and research. Scientific and at turns impressionist, the implications of Siebert's writing have profoundly changed the way I look at the world. I will talk about this book with everyone that's close to me.
Jul 13, 2009
Kjes
rated it:
guy visits and writes about captive chimps in the u.s., homed after once being used in entertainment industries. He believe one chimp who took a liking to him once saw him on the street years before. seems possible to me. sad story about animal mistreatment
Jul 03, 2009
Thought this would be an interesting read, especially in light of that horrifying chimpanzee attack this past year. Not to mention poor ole' Bubbles. ( :) )
Mar 08, 2009
This American Life left me with more questions on the topic of ape retirement! Maybe this book will answer them.
Sep 25, 2009
Christopher
rated it:
A passionate, albeit slight, plea for a better understanding of the natural world. I only wish it were more informative and less anecdotal.
Aug 14, 2009
n*
rated it:
I'm interviewing Charles Siebert next Thursday at the ungodly hour of 11pm, just to catch him at 9am his time! I'll get back to you with my review next week!
May 31, 2010
Kerri
rated it:
The book is rather shallow and anecdotal in content, but it is so beautifully and passionately written, it's worth every word. I can't figure out whether he's trying to say that we and and animals are incredibly alike, or we and animals are so different that we will never understand them (he seems to attempt to make both points at different times), but if anything, his stories and experiences make it quite clear that we are ruining animals. A fast read, and a powerful one.
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Dec 29, 2011
Kate
rated it:
A very self indulgent book. Siebert spends half the time recounting stories he'd previously written or books he'd read, and the other half musing in purple prose. With no less that four passages fantasising about him being murdered by various primates, I'd say there's more pathology here than in just the author's subjects.
Feb 09, 2011
Andrew
rated it:
Siebert can flat out write, almost too well, so that mediocre minds like mine heave from paragraph to paragraph to follow him, causing some brain drain. I was also influenced by my own hyper-sensitivity to animal cruelty, which made this subject hard for me to read and imagine. For this reason my review is not subjective.
May 02, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
How could a book about chimps in retirement homes be boring? Well, Siebert succeeds by framing each chapter as a minute by minute account of him sitting with a chimp and waxing on about the metaphysical connection between man and animal. More facts and less fluff would have made this book more interesting.
Oct 26, 2011
Laura
rated it:
Ever wonder what happened to the "Trunk Monkey"? Siebert discusses the plight of primates used in the entertainment industry after they are no longer "cute". Pair this with Elizabeth Hess's book "Nim Chimpsky" for a compelling examination of the fate of our closest animal relative.
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