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Well-Dressed Ape, The: A Natural History Of Myself (2008)

by Hannah Holmes(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1423376188 (ISBN13: 9781423376187)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Brilliance Audio

review 1: I picked up The Well-Dressed Ape a little randomly in the library, and don't really regret it. Her writing is a little corny, she's obviously incomplete in a full description of the human body (that would be impossible), and sometimes the research felt either incomplete or repetitive. However, through those flaws, I definitely enjoyed the book. The premise is a field description of the animal homo sapiens. She goes top to bottom, describing brain, senses, posture, reproduction, locomotion, eating, homeostasis, and all kinds of behavior. She uses the homunculus analogy in her description of brain real estate, but the same analogy could be used in her page real estate. Most of her focus is on the senses, sexual behavior, brain usage, etc - I would have loved to be regaled wi... moreth anecdotes and information about the organs, the bones, the muscles, the circulatory system, etc. Some of these get small mentions, but I wanted more. For someone who's not read a lot of books about human biology/psychology/evolution, the research she goes through won't be repetitive, but I tend to like that sort of book. Her approach on a familiar topic is unique enough that I stayed interested even through parts I found boring. Definitely recommended.
review 2: Holmes claims that a field guide to humans as apes does not exist, so she decided to write this book, even though many books (e.g., from Darwin's "Expressions of the Emotions in Man and Animals" to Morris's "The Naked Ape" and numerous books since then) all cover the topic of humans as apes in various detail. Holmes' contribution is that she puts this into a field guide format (somewhat) and then uses herself throughout the book as a case example of an "ape woman." For those who are new to this topic, Holmes' book is a very engaging and educational read.Holmes does a good job of using updated literature. She is not shy about offering her own perspective and theories on numerous topics (e.g., on human aggression, we don't have long canine teeth because we use our hands and tools; the distinctive, unique feature of humans is our capacity for distant running), and she even ventures into the sensitive topic of race in a refreshing and non-threatening way. In other places, Holmes cites more or less conventional beliefs without question or doubt (e.g., that those with no children do their best to help their close relations with kids in order to promote the transfer of kindred DNA into the next generation). Her chapter topics cover more or less standard field guide material but, interestingly, she does not delve much into human rationality and its relationship to the rest of the body. Some of the language is of the "too cute" style which at times is distracting, and it's not really clear why the title of the book is "The Well-Dressed Ape." less

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