Jane Goodall

Greenwood Biographies

by Meg Greene

Recent polls identify Jane Goodall to be the most recognizable living scientist in the Western world. Her work with chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania has been renowned as one of the great achievements of scientific research. Her approach to field study, once ridiculed and challenged by the scientific world, has now become the model for other ethologists to use.In this insightful biography, Meg Greene tells the story of Goodall's life from her early days growing up in England under the influence of her mother, through her experiences as a young protégé of anthropologist Louis Leakey pioneering new techniques of investigating chimpanzee behavior in Africa, to her mature career as an expert on chimpanzee social life and her ongoing efforts today to promote the conservation of wildlife.Greene describes how Goodall's work challenged and changed perceptions of the relations between the primate and human worlds. Contrary to accepted scientific opinion of the time, which viewed chimpanzees as brutish, Goodall found chimps to be capable of a wide range of emotions, including affection, compassion, and love. She also showed that chimps could reason, think, and solve problems. Perhaps most startling, Goodall discovered that chimpanzees could fashion primitive implements from grass, twigs, and leaves, dispelling the notion that humans are the only species that can make tools.On the personal side, Greene reveals that Goodall found solace in her home at Gombe from the trials of life that included a divorce, the death of her second husband, criticisms from fellow scientists, and a deep spiritual crisis.This is a fascinating story of a naïve young woman who started her work without even a college degree and eventually developed into a dedicated scientist and a world-famous conservationist and humanitarian. For more than 45 years, Jane Goodall has reached out to the world to join in her efforts to aid those who cannot speak for themselves, and to promote respect for all living creatures.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Environment

170 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Imogen Foster Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely informative and an intriguing insight into the life of Jane Goodall

[Kate Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provided fascinating details of Jane Goodall's amazing life that I didn't find anywhere else. A drawback is that it was published in 2008, so the last fifteen years of her life are not included.

[Janique Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short but informative autobiography of Jane Goodall. I feel as though this biography is very packed with information and would be good for a grade school presentation. Most of the text heavily focuses on her field research and the methods she used to come to her conclusions about the chimpanzees that she studies in Tanzania. The author also stresses the importance of her research and how Goodall observed hierarchal structures in Chimps and how most are vet matriarchal based. Though it was a shorter book, it took me roughly three and a half hours to read it, it is very important to dive into the lives of anthropologists, especially women in the field. So many of them have been silenced or told that it isn't a job for women but for her to stand up and find all this information, write papers on it and have it on film, and now give back and advocate for animals is really beautiful.

[Timea Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. It's written well and it's easy to follow. The story dictates in good detail the life of Jane Goodall up to around 2004, I believe. It was really beautiful hearing her accounts of her life in Africa and her time with the chimpanzees. It was also really heartbreaking when she described the loss of them and those close to her.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this Jane Goodall biography on the day of her death. I had gotten the book by Meg Greene at a library book sale several years ago, and I felt it was a good time to read the book. I have read other books about Ms. Goodall and books by her, but this was a small book for a good review of her life. It made me admire Jane even more.

[Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, short biography on an incredible woman.

[Regine Haensel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a Coles Notes version of Jane Goodall's life, less than 200 pages. Might be good if you want a quick overview, but the biography by Dale Petersen is much weightier (in all respects), more interestingt and in depth.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about her life from early childhood to date. Her scientific study of chimpanzees has changed how we view the animal.Can be taught to teach scientific study, chimps.

[Emily Theiler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would love to read more about Jane Goodall but this book was poorly written.