The Naked Ape: A Zoologists Study of the Human Animal

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The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal

Desmond Morris was the Curator of Mammals at London Zoo, studied animal behaviour and consulted with authorities in many fields before writing this explanation of the development and evolutionary transformation of humans. Controversial and thought provoking for it's time.

Uncommon in First Edition.. Octavo Size, 15 x 22cm. A Book Affair Published: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal. Very good in very good dustwrapper. Reprint, book has rub of spine, name of former owner front endpaper, yellowing pages, dustwrapper has chipping of spine, rub of panel edges, fading panels. This book has been transferred to Between the Covers from another database and might not be described to our usual standards. Please inquire for more detailed condition information.

Between the Covers- Rare Books, Inc. Dust wrapper is not price clipped, corners and spine top edge rubbed, aged tone on upper edge of flaps, one small closed tear lower front near spine; jacket is now mylar wrapped and makes a handsome presentation. Out of print edition. Beneath the skin the traits we exhibit - sexually, at play, and at war - are striking evidence of our close relationship with the animal world. The revelations of this book are startling and sobering, controversial and thought provoking. The bold speculation has stirred controversy among scientists and it wound up on banned book lists when it was released in , but it still stimulates and delights the general reader.

McGraw-Hill Book Company , The Book House - St. Good in Very Good dust jacket. Price Clipped Dust Jacket; cover in mylar. Very good, DJ, pp.

The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal by Desmond Morris

Mythos Center Books Published: This article is about the book. For the rock band, see Naked Ape band. For other uses, see Naked Ape disambiguation. The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology. Pico by Pico U. Retrieved 30 September Predictions, Polls, Odds, Rankings. Retrieved 11 July Retrieved 21 March L'opera si prefigge l'obiettivo, in chiave scientifica ed umoristica, di metterci a nudo dal punto di vista dell'evoluzione, del carattere, dell'educazione sessuale e dell'impatto avuto sull'ambiente.

Morris gioca benissimo con q Pelo uguale potere Acuta e pungente analisi di Morris sull'animale uomo. Morris gioca benissimo con queste tematiche, proponendo anche alcune teorie che si riallacciano a ricerce scientifiche esterne - il discusso rapporto Kinsey, tanto per fare un nome - ed arricchiscono un'opera forse datata sotto certi aspetti, ma comunque edificante e ricca di spunti.

Un saggio strepitoso, geniale e anche divertente a suo modo. Feb 23, Luis rated it it was amazing. Must read, para todo el que aspire a ser humano. View all 3 comments.

The naked ape : a zoologist's study of the human animal

Jun 28, Travelin rated it really liked it Shelves: I don't know what sort of re-packaged edition I read originally, but it was a short, coffee-table sized hardback, with full-sized, four-colour photos of women's pupils dilating. It seems men automatically find the same photo of a woman, but with larger pupils, more attractive. I thought I'd discovered a secret key to measuring womankind, in a kind of Cosmo version of The Naked Ape.

A friend in school saw my book and got very excited, but the secret knowledge within, well, that was only for me. No I don't know what sort of re-packaged edition I read originally, but it was a short, coffee-table sized hardback, with full-sized, four-colour photos of women's pupils dilating. Now that I've bought a steeply discounted paperback version, without the photos, Desmond Morris had said a great deal more, in a far better style, but with details which are remarkably less believable. I'd only recently started this book: Brazzaville Beach , about chimpanzee researchers trying to hide growing suspicion of chimp cannibalism, so I was becoming slightly better informed about some of the harrier apes.

According to Morris, chimpanzees are our closest genetic relatives. Morris often repeats himself in a leisurely and comforting way, so it's indisbutable that he believes chimpanzees are largely peaceful, whereas mankind is not. Yet I wasn't surprised when, just yesterday, science magazines started discussing very high numbers of chimp-on-chimp killings, and how their fights can no longer be attributed to dwindling habitat.

But I have to believe that Morris, as the Zoological Society's Curator of Mammals, should have known a lot more about actual apes before applying his claims to the naked ones. I'm going to admit that there are details in the chapter about sex, that if true, I did not know. It may even answer a critical question its thinking inspired. There is probably some Bulgarian demolition expert trying to pry the secrets from its shredded remains.

You really do feel like a VIP guest in a glass wall safari of human nature. Hilarious that a man who watched fish fornicate for a year is somehow your guide. Mar 21, reed rated it it was ok. This book astonished people 40 years ago and inspired all that psuedo-scientific "men are hunters, women are gatherers" crap, or so I'm told. The author comes across as pretty full of himself -- he thinks his way of analyzing human behavior from a zoological perspective raises him above bias, but he's amusingly unaware of his own biases -- misogyny, homophobia, and anti-psychiatry, to name a few.

It's still got some interesting parts, I guess, but I could only make it about hal This book astonished people 40 years ago and inspired all that psuedo-scientific "men are hunters, women are gatherers" crap, or so I'm told. It's still got some interesting parts, I guess, but I could only make it about halfway through before I got too bored.

The funny thing is that I really do think he has a good point; humans are animals and we should pay more attention to how our animal nature motivates us and affects our behavior. Aug 03, Julie rated it did not like it. If you like your science with a heaping dose of sexism and homophobia, then this book's for you!

This book was so entirely awful that I thought less of the person who recommended it to me. Sep 28, Stephen rated it liked it. I would have given "The Naked Ape" a 4-star rating based on its handling of human evolution and animal behavior, unfortunately 's style moralizing creeped in and caused me to lower my rating to a 3.

A Zoologist’s Study of the Human Animal

The boomer generation was really annoying in how they viewed themselves as saviors to the planet when they were really just as selfish and materialistic as their parents and less moral and responsible. Even with those reservations, the descriptions of human and animal behavior and human evoluti I would have given "The Naked Ape" a 4-star rating based on its handling of human evolution and animal behavior, unfortunately 's style moralizing creeped in and caused me to lower my rating to a 3. Even with those reservations, the descriptions of human and animal behavior and human evolution are very good and fresh even after 40 years on the shelf.

Some of the crucial aspects of human evolution and primate behavior have been tweaked since publication. For instance, Chimpanzees do form hunting parties and meat makes up a small but important part of their diet. Also, bi-pedalism and pair-bonding seem to have developed while our primate ancestors still lived in a forest rather than as an adaptation to carnivorous savanna dwelling. Nov 02, Xio rated it liked it Shelves: One doesn't pick up this sort of book looking to 'get off' but let me tell you! I had to stop reading and satisfy my er, appetite several times before moving on to the next chapters.

If only to stimulate yourself without anyone catching on--or while posing as erudite or whatever-- this book is terrific. Otherwise, sure he makes many interesting points about the biological basis for certain of our human tendencies--and I appreciate his attemp One doesn't pick up this sort of book looking to 'get off' but let me tell you!

Otherwise, sure he makes many interesting points about the biological basis for certain of our human tendencies--and I appreciate his attempting to coherently draw a line between the biological and the cultural--but there is this creeping morality underlying much of what he talks about particularly towards the middle and end of the book that is off-putting.

Definitely something you can take into the tub and finish in an hour or so as long as you're not counting the times you'll put it down to masturbate. Mar 09, Ahmad Hossam rated it did not like it. I believe it would be an insult to science if I shelved this book as scientific.


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Simply put, it is unscientific bullshit that reads like 19th century imperialist anthropology. Not a shred of evidence is there, except vague references to "research shows", the "fossil record proves".

A Review of The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris, Part 2.

What these evidence are you will never now, he may as well have made them up! Two major issues here: Morris seem to lack the basic understanding of evolution though I'm not a big fan, I know how Darwinian evolution I believe it would be an insult to science if I shelved this book as scientific. Morris seem to lack the basic understanding of evolution though I'm not a big fan, I know how Darwinian evolution is supposed to work and It is a disgrace that a zoologist would twist it like that.

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Randomness means that the creatures needs are irrelevant, the changes occur randomly and only then can it be selected as an evolutionary advantage. Take any page of this book and count how many "had to" are there. Humans needed to become better hunters so the developed a thumb, an erect spine and different limb proportions! There is no necessity there, nature had made better hunters without these unprecedented tools.


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It's like nature is a transcendent being that magically grants what each animal wants. Want a better hunting society while your babies are nurtured? Love, for God's sake, is explained in a line! I am also infuriated by his ignorant snobbery and disregard for how elegantly complex Man truly is. My field of expertise is language, I know for a fact that no one is close to explaining how language began and how we developed the necessary organs in the first place.

Morris, however, says it's simple: Man needed to communicate better during his hunts so voila.. Totally overrated, unscientific, Eurocentric, misogynist garbage. Aug 24, Nikki rated it liked it Shelves: I think the concept of this approach to humans as an animal like any other is a brilliant one. We are prone to thinking of ourselves as a species apart, when we're not, and even if we were, we could do with putting back in our places sometimes -- being human doesn't mean we're more worthy than any other creature, all of which have their own adaptations to deal with the environment they find themselves in.

We're particularly versatile, yes, but because we evolved that way, not because of some spe I think the concept of this approach to humans as an animal like any other is a brilliant one. We're particularly versatile, yes, but because we evolved that way, not because of some special merit. Anyway, while the approach is interesting, and Desmond Morris' writing is engaging, this is definitely out of date. He keeps a few too many of his human expectations kicking around, like expectations of gender roles and sexuality.

It is a really old book, which explains it, and it could undoubtedly do with some updating. If you're particularly attached to notions of humans as being sacred, set apart, etc, you won't want to read this. And if you have any sexual hangups, you won't want to read this, either -- there's a whole chapter on sex.

Granted, it's a very old view of sex, considering it only in terms of adaptations dare we whisper to Morris that homosexual behaviour could persist in a population simply because it feels good and only strict monogamy would mean that any 'gay gene' would die out? I don't agree with Morris on many aspects, but his attempt to study humans as animals must be commended.

Come zoologo lo scrittore si propone di identificare quali siano i comportamenti che hanno permesso all'essere umano di sopravvivere e anzi di emergere come specie dominante su tutte, nonostante delle sue diciamo "pecche fisiche" sostanziali. Jan 07, Mostaque Ahammed rated it really liked it. We are very young species. We call us modern and inside us we are carrying or thousand years of primitive habits with us.

We've created nuclear bombs, but we can't prevent ourselves from close our eyes when a fly across our eyes. We have tremendous power and but we don't know how to use that, where to use that. We are sheep with a lion's claw. Lion knows very well the use of his dangerous claws, but sheep doesn't. He just got it overnight. As a naked app, the nature is our very essential asse We are very young species. As a naked app, the nature is our very essential asset.