This book has been on the list for quite some time. I am grateful that I took time and completed this book. This book is culmination of years of research done by one of the most beloved primatologist that is Jane Goddall. It's a mixture of both which is the scientific curiosity and compassion. Along with that the incredible insights weaves a great story around the chimpanzees of gombe.

When we look back it can be said that jane goddall committed a big mistake by allegedly anthropomorphizing the chimps and hence deviating from the principles of animal behaviour of that time. But if we take into account all the developments now we do understand that the continuity of biological characters can be applied to cognition and emotional development too. We humans tend not to put any animal close to our cognition fields sheerly because of arrogance and may be the insecurity which stems from the fact that we aren't so unique after all.

Something which Jane Goddall wrote towards the end describes perfectly summarises it-
"Yes, man definitely overshadows the chimpanzee. The chimpanzee is, nevertheless, a creature of immense significance to the understanding of man. Just as he is overshadowed by us, so the chimpanzee overshadows all other animals. He has the ability to solve quite complex problems, he can use and make tools for a variety of purposes, his social structure and methods of communication with his fellows are elaborate, and he shows the beginnings of Self-awareness. Who knows what the chimpanzee will be like forty million years hence? It should be of concern to us all that we permit him to live, that we at least give him the chance to evolve."

Overall it's a delightful read even when one ignores all the scientific aspects of it. One can just sit back and marvel at the world of chimpanzees.

My middle school students seemed to like it, i thought it was totally boring :)

I had so much fun reading this.

Jane Goodall is just such an inspiration to me. Talk about a strong, fearless, intelligent woman. She was very young and practically had no experience in the field of zoology when she flew to Africa and began studying chimps. This story of the beginning of her career amazes me when I think of the conditions she worked in and, often, without much company. Her connection with nature and the chimps really touched something deep inside of me, and I look forward to reading her other books.

I felt so connected to the chimpanzees that she interacted with because she wrote about them with such detail and obvious feeling. It was fascinating to learn about their habitat, community groups, and tool making, but I also felt like I knew about them at the end of the book and was genuinely devastated as she described their passing, whether from old age or disease. The few places where Goodall expounded upon philosophy, using what she knew of the chimps she studied to understand humans, were the strongest parts of this book and I hope to find more of that in her future writing.

If you love animals, exploration, nature, science, or intelligent, driven women, I would highly recommend.

i read this for school so don’t judge me xo

Such an incredible account of Jane’s time studying chimps. She inspired me when I was 10 and she inspires me now!