Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves PDF Author: Frans de Waal
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393635074
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
New York Times best-selling author and primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions. Frans de Waal has spent four decades at the forefront of animal research. Following up on the best-selling Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, which investigated animal intelligence, Mama’s Last Hug delivers a fascinating exploration of the rich emotional lives of animals. Mama’s Last Hug begins with the death of Mama, a chimpanzee matriarch who formed a deep bond with biologist Jan van Hooff. When Mama was dying, van Hooff took the unusual step of visiting her in her night cage for a last hug. Their goodbyes were filmed and went viral. Millions of people were deeply moved by the way Mama embraced the professor, welcoming him with a big smile while reassuring him by patting his neck, in a gesture often considered typically human but that is in fact common to all primates. This story and others like it form the core of de Waal’s argument, showing that humans are not the only species with the capacity for love, hate, fear, shame, guilt, joy, disgust, and empathy. De Waal discusses facial expressions, the emotions behind human politics, the illusion of free will, animal sentience, and, of course, Mama’s life and death. The message is one of continuity between us and other species, such as the radical proposal that emotions are like organs: we don’t have a single organ that other animals don’t have, and the same is true for our emotions. Mama’s Last Hug opens our hearts and minds to the many ways in which humans and other animals are connected, transforming how we view the living world around us.

Good Natured

Good Natured PDF Author: Frans B. M. DE WAAL
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674033175
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369

Book Description
To observe a dog's guilty look. to witness a gorilla's self-sacrifice for a wounded mate, to watch an elephant herd's communal effort on behalf of a stranded calf--to catch animals in certain acts is to wonder what moves them. Might there he a code of ethics in the animal kingdom? Must an animal be human to he humane? In this provocative book, a renowned scientist takes on those who have declared ethics uniquely human Making a compelling case for a morality grounded in biology, he shows how ethical behavior is as much a matter of evolution as any other trait, in humans and animals alike. World famous for his brilliant descriptions of Machiavellian power plays among chimpanzees-the nastier side of animal life--Frans de Waal here contends that animals have a nice side as well. Making his case through vivid anecdotes drawn from his work with apes and monkeys and holstered by the intriguing, voluminous data from his and others' ongoing research, de Waal shows us that many of the building blocks of morality are natural: they can he observed in other animals. Through his eyes, we see how not just primates but all kinds of animals, from marine mammals to dogs, respond to social rules, help each other, share food, resolve conflict to mutual satisfaction, even develop a crude sense of justice and fairness. Natural selection may be harsh, but it has produced highly successful species that survive through cooperation and mutual assistance. De Waal identifies this paradox as the key to an evolutionary account of morality, and demonstrates that human morality could never have developed without the foundation of fellow feeling our species shares with other animals. As his work makes clear, a morality grounded in biology leads to an entirely different conception of what it means to he human--and humane.

When Monkeys Laugh

When Monkeys Laugh PDF Author: Heather Moore Niver
Publisher: Enslow Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 0766086208
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

Book Description
Different people find different things funny. Monkeys have been compared to humans in many ways, but this volume explores what makes a monkey chuckle. Readers will learn about the emotions behind a monkey’s laughter. Is their panting as they play an indication that they are having fun? Do chimpanzees laugh when they are tickled? Readers won’t be able to suppress a smile as they learn all about the side-splitting sides of a monkey’s emotions. Full-color photos will show monkeys at their funniest. A “Words to Know” section will help them master new vocabulary. “Further Reading” will inspire readers to learn more about animals and their emotions.

Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist

Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist PDF Author: Frans de Waal
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324007117
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 515

Book Description
“Every new book by Frans de Waal is a cause for excitement, and this one is no different. A breath of fresh air in the cramped debate about the differences between men and women. Fascinating, nuanced, and very timely.” —Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind: A Hopeful History In Different, world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior to argue that despite the linkage between gender and biological sex, biology does not automatically support the traditional gender roles in human societies. While humans and other primates do share some behavioral differences, biology offers no justification for existing gender inequalities. Using chimpanzees and bonobos to illustrate this point—two ape relatives that are genetically equally close to humans—de Waal challenges widely held beliefs about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about authority, leadership, cooperation, competition, filial bonds, and sexual behavior. Chimpanzees are male-dominated and violent, while bonobos are female-dominated and peaceful. In both species, political power needs to be distinguished from physical dominance. Power is not limited to the males, and both sexes show true leadership capacities. Different is a fresh and thought-provoking approach to the long-running debate about the balance between nature and nurture, and where sex and gender roles fit in. De Waal peppers his discussion with details from his own life—a Dutch childhood in a family of six boys, his marriage to a French woman with a different orientation toward gender, and decades of academic turf wars over outdated scientific theories that have proven hard to dislodge from public discourse. He discusses sexual orientation, gender identity, and the limitations of the gender binary, exceptions to which are also found in other primates. With humor, clarity, and compassion, Different seeks to broaden the conversation about human gender dynamics by promoting an inclusive model that embraces differences, rather than negating them.

PROTECT! Wild Animals

PROTECT! Wild Animals PDF Author: Teresa Domnauer
Publisher: Carson-Dellosa Publishing
ISBN: 1483807606
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

Book Description
All around the world, amazing animals are threatened and endangered. PROTECT! Wild Animals profiles rare animal species and efforts to protect them. The Spectrum(R) Readers are the perfect Common Core aligned tool to support the development of nonfiction reading skills. Each leveled reader features high-interest informational content, exciting full-color photo images, and Common Core aligned comprehension practice focused on the development of critical thinking skills. Leveled to the respected Fountas and Pinnell and Lexile systems, these 32-page books are perfect for young readers who are ready to explore leisure reading on their own. This multilevel series is the perfect addition to any school or home library.

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? PDF Author: Frans de Waal
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393246191
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
A New York Times bestseller: "A passionate and convincing case for the sophistication of nonhuman minds." —Alison Gopnik, The Atlantic Hailed as a classic, Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? explores the oddities and complexities of animal cognition—in crows, dolphins, parrots, sheep, wasps, bats, chimpanzees, and bonobos—to reveal how smart animals really are, and how we’ve underestimated their abilities for too long. Did you know that octopuses use coconut shells as tools, that elephants classify humans by gender and language, and that there is a young male chimpanzee at Kyoto University whose flash memory puts that of humans to shame? Fascinating, entertaining, and deeply informed, de Waal’s landmark work will convince you to rethink everything you thought you knew about animal—and human—intelligence.

Every Creature Has a Story

Every Creature Has a Story PDF Author: Janaki Lenin
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9353577071
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Book Description
We are surrounded by an astounding variety of lifeforms. Over millennia, they have evolved to exploit unique niches, in the process developing features and skills that set them apart.Have you ever wondered what price the giraffe pays for its long neck? The neck increases its blood pressure to pump blood up to its brain, which endangers its life every time it bends down to drink. Or have you thought about how female nightingales decide which male will share the burdens of parenthood with them? They listen to prospective candidates' songs to gauge if they'd make good fathers. And did you know that glassfrogs pee on their eggs and the gender of bearded dragons is fixed by sex chromosomes or temperature?In Every Creature Has a Story, Janaki Lenin draws us towards the wonders of the natural world in evocative and witty words. She uncovers the surprising, sometimes bizarre but always amazing ways in which creatures breed and survive, from spiders salivating during sex and snails entombing their parasites into their shells to elephants developing immunity to cancer. After reading this book, you'll never look at nature in the same way again.

100 Animals That Can F*cking End You

100 Animals That Can F*cking End You PDF Author: Mamadou Ndiaye
Publisher: Voracious
ISBN: 0316453870
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
A wittily informative field guide to the deadliest animals on Earth from "AnimalTok" star @mndiaye_97 Ever wonder how to tell if a moose is about to subtract you? Curious why you should be terrified of cassowaries, the “velociraptor that time forgot?” Questioning whether that cute baby hippo is actually a homicidal maniac in the making? Yea, so was Mamadou Ndiaye . . . and now he's got your answers. 100 Animals That Can F*cking End You is the ultimate countdown to merk by animal, featuring everything from tiny bugs that can turn you into a hashtag to animals so massive they can murder you by accident. These include: • The massive Southern elephant seal, which "is built like a truck with the personality of a Spring Break frat boy" • Sperm whales with a call so strong it can vibrate you to death • A golf-ball-sized octopus that can erase twenty-six people with one bite • Hyenas, which have no qualms eating their prey while it is still alive • A snake so quick it can strike you three times before you blink You’ll learn not only which animals to avoid, but which ones can beat you in a footrace, which ones create surprisingly high body counts, and which ones will give you a good reason never to venture into the ocean. Mamadou also offers the occasional survival tip, even if it is just to make peace with your higher power. This dynamic, fact-filled, occasionally disturbing book is perfect for animal lovers and anyone perplexed by the natural world.

Chimpanzee Politics

Chimpanzee Politics PDF Author: Frans B. M. Waal
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780801838330
Category : Chimpanzees
Languages : en
Pages : 227

Book Description
"Precise but eminently readable and indeed exciting... This excellent book achieves the dual goal which eludes so many writers about animal behavior -- it will both fascinate the non-specialist and be seen as an important contribution to science." -- Times Literary Supplement

Ask An Animal

Ask An Animal PDF Author: Miranda Smith
Publisher: Chartwell Books
ISBN: 9780785828990
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
How can some animals change color, when we can't? How can they grow new limbs when one gets broken? How can they hear sounds we can't hear, or predict a storm long before we can? If you want to know the answer to these and many other questions, just ask an animal! This brightly colored, kid-friendly, hardcover reference book is packed to the gills with trunk-fulls of animal information. Animals use different skills to perform these extraordinary feats, so for each question, there are answers from several creatures, each of whom has developed his or her own special skills. On each page there is a box explaining how humans try to emulate these animal super-skills, with varying degrees of success! The book is divided into four sections, each dealing with different aspects of animal skills. Chapters on the physical traits and feats of animals, their senses, their climates and habitats, and their extreme skills will leave readers with a plethora of details about their friends in the animal kingdom. Complete with a glossary and an index, this is a handy reference book for any curious child.