- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Delta (May 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385334303
- ISBN-13: 978-0385334303
- Product Dimensions: 13.4 x 1.7 x 20.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 368,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal
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Product Description
Sunday Times
Original, provocative and brilliantly entertaining. It’s the sort of book that changes people’s lives
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Sunday Times
Original, provocative and brilliantly entertaining. It's the sort of book that changes peoples lives.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
There is a label on a cage at a certain zoo that states simply, 'This animal is new to science'. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
There is a label on a cage at a certain zoo that states simply, 'This animal is new to science'. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A truly enlightening account of the human condition. Using a scientific approach, refering to Darwinian theory, Desmond Morris explains many of the physiological and phsychological characteristics of human beings. This book seems to hit the nail on the head and although written over 30 years ago, still makes perfect sense.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Naked Ape covers a vast amount of natural science and psychology yet still remains compelling to read. Morris really hits the nail on the head even 30 years later. This study, the first popular one studying the human as an animal species shows us in a completely new light. You certainly never look at mankind in the same light again; so much of our seemingly bizarre behaviour is explained here.
Although I would recommend Morris' The Human Zoo over this book as it is more thorough, the Naked Ape is a great introduction to anthropology.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I generally liked this book and I definitely recommend it for its view of humans as just another species. However, in my view it has two weaknesses.
Firstly, the author has a tendency to descend to political and social commentary, which tends to come across as a bit dated at times. In some cases it feels more like a view into the culture of 1967 than any profound insight into human nature. For example, he asserts that the "psychological damage" done to our territorial nature by "rows of uniformly repeated, identical houses" is "incalculable" - surely a social comment, not a scientific view. Nuclear war and population growth are mentioned more than once as real concerns - again, his analysis is a reflection of the time and place that the book was written. (He may well be right about his theories of course, and probably is in many places - it's just quite subjective).
Secondly, quite a lot of the book reads like a "just so" story. <Just So Stories (Wordsworth's Children's Classics)>. E.g. when discussing how humans feed, he describes how we like a few well-spaced meals rather than continual grazing. This is held as an example of our carnivorous ancestry. On the next page however, he describes how we do sometimes eat (sweet) inter-meal snacks. This doesn't present any problems though: hey presto! in this case we do it because of our primate ancestry. If you follow the same line of reasoning, you could conclude that we like sunbathing because of our reptile ancestry.
The chapter on animals seems the worst in this respect, sometimes almost laughably so. For example, he analyses, in detail, the results of a survey of eighty thousand young children who voted for their most and least favourite animals. From the list of the top ten favourites (with chimps and monkeys in the top two slots), he concludes that there's a strong bias toward preferring anthropomorphic features. Maybe. However, the list also includes horses, elephants, lions and giraffes; and I find it hard to see how these particular species are particularly more anthropomorphic than any others. (He decides elephants are popular because they have trunks - just so).
However, regardless of the criticisms above, I would still recommend the book as genuinely interesting and full of thought-provoking ideas - but I suggest you read it with a skeptical eye open.
Firstly, the author has a tendency to descend to political and social commentary, which tends to come across as a bit dated at times. In some cases it feels more like a view into the culture of 1967 than any profound insight into human nature. For example, he asserts that the "psychological damage" done to our territorial nature by "rows of uniformly repeated, identical houses" is "incalculable" - surely a social comment, not a scientific view. Nuclear war and population growth are mentioned more than once as real concerns - again, his analysis is a reflection of the time and place that the book was written. (He may well be right about his theories of course, and probably is in many places - it's just quite subjective).
Secondly, quite a lot of the book reads like a "just so" story. <Just So Stories (Wordsworth's Children's Classics)>. E.g. when discussing how humans feed, he describes how we like a few well-spaced meals rather than continual grazing. This is held as an example of our carnivorous ancestry. On the next page however, he describes how we do sometimes eat (sweet) inter-meal snacks. This doesn't present any problems though: hey presto! in this case we do it because of our primate ancestry. If you follow the same line of reasoning, you could conclude that we like sunbathing because of our reptile ancestry.
The chapter on animals seems the worst in this respect, sometimes almost laughably so. For example, he analyses, in detail, the results of a survey of eighty thousand young children who voted for their most and least favourite animals. From the list of the top ten favourites (with chimps and monkeys in the top two slots), he concludes that there's a strong bias toward preferring anthropomorphic features. Maybe. However, the list also includes horses, elephants, lions and giraffes; and I find it hard to see how these particular species are particularly more anthropomorphic than any others. (He decides elephants are popular because they have trunks - just so).
However, regardless of the criticisms above, I would still recommend the book as genuinely interesting and full of thought-provoking ideas - but I suggest you read it with a skeptical eye open.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
purchased as a gift
As this was purchased as a present I cannot give a fair appraisal, so hope this will be of use.
Published 2 months ago by Ike
Eye opening ideas on why we MAY be like we are (Psychologically and...
Very interesting book that I think everyone should have a read of. Our behaviours and physiological characteristics are looked at from a zoological perspective, we're analysed in... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Neal Bolam
Book Review
Delivered on time. This is as described and a is a tremedous insight of knowledge on your inner workings. Thank you.
Published 18 months ago by Kevoh
good but a bit dated
good book, definetely worth a read and a really good insight - changes your outlook completely - is a bit outdated in parts though and some parts are a bit slow / boring. Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by William K
Will change the way you look at life
This truly is a modern classic, a sort of Origin Of Species for the 20th century.
Written in an informative, accessible and lucid style, it is packed full of information about... Read more
Written in an informative, accessible and lucid style, it is packed full of information about... Read more
Published on 14 July 2009 by Charles
man
A brilliant depiction of our species.
A subversive work that dares to confront man with its origins and to reduce (?) him to its natural animal state. Read more
A subversive work that dares to confront man with its origins and to reduce (?) him to its natural animal state. Read more
Published on 27 July 2007 by Belmiro Vilela
By far the most comprehensive and indepth book I have read!
Every sentance contains so much to think about. One chapter may take some time to fully appreciate. Psychology, sociology and physiology are all covered in magnificent detail. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2000
an impulse buy, and one I couldn't put down
Heartily recommended for anyone interested in behaviour (compulsive peoplewatchers included). Neither pitching too high or too low, Desmond Morris manages to intrgue and inform... Read more
Published on 12 May 2000
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