Description
Book SynopsisA literary analysis of the popular genre of the informal primatology field narrative. Explores the works of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Robert Sapolsky, and others in the contexts of scientific, literary, and conservation discourses.
Trade Review“The lives of our primate cousins, as well as those who study them with passion and devotion, are discerningly revealed by Mary Sanders Pollock, whose chronicle will be avidly read by all field naturalists and, I suspect, by everyone with a love for the natural world.”
—Lee Durrell,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
“Mary Sanders Pollock has written an intelligent, probing, and lucid overview for readers without the time or inclination to read the extensive primatology source material. Her prose is readable and the content sophisticated without being jargon drenched, as published scholarly works commonly are. Storytelling Apes also provides a nudge to scientists to reflect on their role and responsibility to engage in conservation and protection efforts.”
—Jonathan Balcombe,Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy
“Mary Sanders Pollock's book analyzes the stories that primatologists tell about the primates they study, as well as our stories about ourselves. While written from a perspective of literary criticism, it extends almost to psychoanalysis of a particular type of person who aspires to be both a scientist and an adventurer. The view of both primates and primatologists, going back to Edgar Allan Poe and Darwin, is fascinating and unique.”
—Karen Bales,University of California, Davis
“An invaluable resource for those interested in wild or captive primates, this book inspires introspection.”
—L. K. Sheeran Choice
Table of ContentsContents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. First Contacts
2. The Primatology Romance
3. Tragedy of the Field
4. Morphology of the Tale
5. Primate Characters
6. Primatology and the Carnival World
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
