United States
£ GBP
Aggression rarely results in open conflict amongst primates, and even when it does, reconciliation follows very quickly. This new book from the author of Chimpanzee Politics studies five species of primate – chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, stump-tailed monkeys, bonobos, and humans – and their methods of coping with aggression. He concludes that peacemaking and forgiveness are common among nonhuman primates – and that perhaps man should take heed of it when tackling his own aggression.
"Lorenz sought to trace the origins of human aggressive impulses. Now, 20 years later, the Lorenzian mantle – considerably transformed – has slipped onto the shoulders of a young Dutch ethologist named Frans de Waal. Once again we have a keen observer who immerses himself in the social lives of other animals. Like Lorenz, de Waal is eager to let his thoughts range widely and speculatively in order to extract from comparisons of human beings with other animals take-home messages about global issues of peace and war."
– Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, New York Times Book Review
