Rain Forest Wisdom: What Gorillas Tell Us About Ourselves

by Andrew Grant

Overview

With renewed interest in man's primal antecedents, Rain Forest Wisdom offers a wealth of examples of the gorilla's behavior and what that tells us about being human--from low-fat, high protein diet, to caring for the young to group dynamics and even leadership. Andrew Grant, former managing director of the London Zoo, draws on research, interviews and personal experience to illuminate hundreds of fascinating details on the wild mountain gorilla, one of our closest relatives--with whom we share 98% DNA--and the gentlest of primates. Rain Forest Wisdom

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780989835206
Publisher:	Tatra Press
Publication date:	11/15/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Currently CEO of Grant Leisure, Andrew Grant has held executive positions at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park (Deputy Director) and The London Zoo (Managing Director). He is a graduate of University of Oregon, and was included in Who's Who since 1989. He currently lives in Montecito, CA.

Table of Contents

acknowledgments 7

introduction 9

1 growing up 13

2 family ties 31

3 the silverback 49

4 eating out 65

5 beyond words 89

6 gorilla nomenclature and species characteristics 111

7 saving the gorilla 131

selected sources 145

index 163

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2013
This tiny book is a light appetizer that will not satisfy anyone looking for more than a superficial overview of gorilla behavior. Grant, a zoo executive, offers a scant few paragraphs on gorilla parenting, dominance relationships, mating practices, and diet. Those expecting to learn about human evolution and behavior will be even more disappointed. The rare places where there are direct comparisons between humans and gorillas—what it takes to be a leader, the nature of gestures and facial movements—are so simplistic as to be useless. The writing is clear, if repetitive, but reads like a middle school primer. With so little specific information, it is frustrating that Grant has provided erroneous information about the technical names of various subspecies of gorillas, confusing the nomenclature of the Eastern and Western Gorilla. The book is filled with sketches of gorillas that are attractive enough but add little to the text. Ultimately, Grant’s book fails to fulfill its title’s promise. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly