An annotated list of printed works covering free-living chimpanzees, the use of chimpanzees in research, and related ethical issues. In an attempt to foster comprehensive discussion, some of these books contain opposing points of view and do not imply endorsement by Project R&R.
Beck, Benjamin, Stoinski, Tara, ET AL (Eds). Great Apes and Humans: The Ethics of Coexistence. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001.
Presenting a range of standpoints on human responsibilities for great apes, scholars, ethicists, scientists, and other professionals reflect on the status of apes in the wild and in captivity, and review their moral and legal status. Foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall.
Bloom, Steve. In Praise of Primates. Koln: Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Publishing, 1999.
Bloom’s work is a stunning visual portfolio of mostly free-living nonhuman primates. His work is intended to foster a realization of our likeness to our primate cousins with whom we share the world.
Blum, Deborah. The Monkey Wars. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist gives a detailed report, based chiefly on interview, on the issues of nonhuman primate use in experimentation.
Boesh, Christophe, Hohmann, Gottfried, Marchant, Linda. Behavioral Diversity in Chimpanzees and Bonobos. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
An extensive review of recent (as of 2002) field study observations from leading experts in chimpanzee and bonobo social behavior, the book includes research into differences between populations of the same species.
Bourne, Geoffrey H. (Ed) Progress in Ape Research. New York: Academic Press, Inc., 1977
A collection of research compiled in honor of the Robert M. Yerkes Birthday Centennial Conference, which includes memories of Yerkes’ early days as a chimpanzee researcher as told by his family members and close friends.
Cavalieri, Paola & Singer, Peter (Eds). The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1993.
Through 31 compelling essays, distinguished experts including Jane Goodall, Roger Fouts, and others (field biologists, psychologists, lawyers, philosophers, and anthropologists) call for the immediate extension of human rights to the great apes.
De Waal, Frans. The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections of a Primatologist. New York: Basic Books, 2001.
Through anecdotes, clinical and field research, De Waal argues that apes have a distinct culture.
De Waal, Frans. Chimpanzee Politics. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
Yerkes researcher De Waal examines captive chimpanzees and compares their social behavior with that of free-living apes.
De Waal, Frans. My Family Album: Thirty Years of Primate Photography. Berkeley: University Of California Press, 2003.
A collection of photographs by Yerkes researcher, Frans de Waal, including free-living and captive great apes.
De Waal, Frans. Peace Making Among Primates. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989.
Aggression and peacemaking strategies are compared to show the wide range of reconciliation tactics among captive nonhuman primates, including chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, stump-tailed monkeys, and bonobos.
Diamond, Jared. The Third Chimpanzee. New York: Harper Perennial, 1992.
From the book jacket: “Jared Diamond explores the fascinating question of what in less than 2 percent of our genes has enabled us to found civilizations and religions, develop intricate languages, create art, learn science – and acquire the capacity to destroy all our achievements overnight.”
Fouts, Roger. Next of Kin. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1997.
This is the story of Fouts’ journey from researcher to champion for the rights of nonhuman primates. As Fouts chronicles his 30-year relationship with Washoe, readers gain a deeper appreciation for our closest biological relatives.
Gardner, Allen, Gardner, Beatrix, Van Cantfort, Thomas (Eds). Teaching Sign Language to Chimpanzees. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989.
Researchers review the development of their procedures for sign language studies on chimpanzees, including the Gardners’ cross-fostering laboratory and Project Washoe (see Fouts, Roger. Next of Kin).
The Jane Goodall Institute. 40 Years at Gombe: A Tribute To Four Decades Of Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation. New York: Stewart, Tabor & Chiang, 1999.
Filled with photographs from the Jane Goodall Institute’s archives, this beautifully illustrated volume traces the story of Dr. Goodall’s work from its extraordinary beginning to her current international activities.
Goodall, Jane. The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
An ethological monograph that is based on Dr. Jane Goodall’s first 26 years of observing free-living chimpanzees in Gombe, Africa.
Goodall, Jane. In the Shadow of Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1971.
Dr. Goodall’s classic field study of her first 10 years observing free-living chimpanzees of Gombe in Africa is illustrated with 80 photographs and is introduced by Stephen Jay Gould.
Goodall, Jane. My Life with the Chimpanzees. New York: Byron Preiss, 1988.
An abridged version of Dr. Goodall’s story and work written just for children.
Goodall, Jane, ET All. The Great Ape Project Census: Recognition For The Uncounted. Portland: GAP Books, 2003.
Contributors including Jane Goodall and Roger Fouts document the living conditions of thousands of captive great apes across the U.S. Included are biographies of apes as well as essays by primatologists, ethicists, and other experts.
Goodall, Jane & Berman, Phillip. The Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey. New York: Warner Books, 1999.
New York Times Bestseller in 1999, Jane Goodall’s memoir explores her journey from London through excavations in Africa and eventually to the forests of Gombe.
Goodall, Jane. Through A Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990.
Dr. Goodall’s scientific research is laid out in a dramatic saga of 30 years of observations of the chimpanzee colony at Gombe in Africa. Dr. Goodall writes of their community and complex emotions.
Harlow, Harry. Learning to Love: A Landmark Summary Of Research Findings By The Dean Of Primate Research. New York: Jason Aronson (Albion Publishing), 1971.
Harlow summarizes his infamous and brutal attempts at examining human love by depriving infant nonhuman primates of their real mothers and other cruel protocols.
Hess, Elizabeth. Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Could Be Human. New York: Bantam Dell, 2008.
This book is a biography of Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who was part of an experiment in the 1970’s on whether or not chimpanzees could learn American Sign Language. The project hoped to refute a well-known thesis by Noam Chomsky – that language is inherent only in humans.
Hillix, W. A. & Rumbaugh, Duane. Animal Bodies, Human Minds: Ape, Dolphin, and Parrot Language Skills. New York: Plenum Press, 2004.
A broad selection of animals, including chimpanzees, is included in this history of language research that describes the challenges and criticisms of this field.
Hooper, Edward. The River: A Journey to the Source of HIV and AIDS. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1999.
Chapter 43, “The Chimpanzees” contains information about the chimpanzees captured and used for polio research at Camp Lindi near Stanleyville in the Belgian Congo.
Heltne, Paul, & Marquardt, Linda. Understanding Chimpanzees. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989.
A landmark volume, with contributions by chimpanzee specialists around the world, examines a wide range of topics including social behavior and cognition, and includes a major section on chimpanzee conservation and over 100 illustrations. Forward by Dr. Jane Goodall.
Koebner, Linda. From Cage to Freedom: A New Beginning for Laboratory Chimpanzees. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1981.
The author relates her experiences in transferring a group of chimpanzees formerly used in research to an animal park in Florida.
Köhler, Wolfgang. Mentality of Apes. London: Routledge, 1999.
Originally published in 1925, this volume contains the results of Wolfgang Köhler’s research on the “intelligence of apes” at the Anthropoid Station in Tenerife from 1913-1917.
Ladygina-Kohts, N.N. Infant Chimpanzee & Human Child: A Classic 1935 Comparative Study of Ape Emotions & Intelligence. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2002
This memoir and journal of Russian comparative psychologist N.N. Ladygina-Kohts describes her work comparing the innate behavior, emotions, play, and habits of her son Rudy and chimpanzee Joni.
Linden, Eugene. Silent Partners: The Legacy of the Ape Language Experiments. New York: Times Books, 1986.
Linden tells the story of the signing chimpanzees, Lucy, Ally, Washoe, and others, and their fate after language experiments ended. Linden suggests that apes provide an “unwelcome mirror that threatens man’s exalted position in the natural order.” (From book jacket)
Mason, William & Mendoza, Sally (Eds). Primate Social Conflict. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993.
Contributions from field and laboratory scientists in such fields as anthropology, ethology, and psychology examine conflict as a normal and recurrent feature of primate social life. A variety of case studies provide opportunity to analyze the many expressions of conflict.
McGrew, William, Marchant, Linda, Nishida, Toshisada. Great Ape Societies. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
All species of great apes are included in this synthesis of work using comparisons to model human evolutionary origins. Studies include international field work, and zoo and laboratory research.
National Research Council. Chimpanzees in Research: Strategies for Their Ethical Care, Management and Use. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
A report generated from a committee appointed by the National Research Council in response to the NIH’s solicitation for guidance concerning “surplus” chimpanzees in U.S. laboratories.
National Research Council. Psychological Well-Being of Non Human Primates. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
Provides recommendations for meeting requirements of the 1985 amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, which mandates that those keeping nonhuman primates develop and follow plans to promote psychological well-being.
Nichols, Michael & Goodall, Jane. Brutal Kinship. New York: Aperture Foundation
A photographic essay with written commentary exploring the relationship between humans and chimpanzees, photographer Michael Nichols and Dr. Jane Goodall show how chimpanzees are closer to us than we “ever imagined, and how, paradoxically, we have forced them into a more human, yet sadly less humane existence.” (From the book jacket)
Peterson, Dale. Chimpanzee Travels: On and Off the Road in Africa. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2002.
The author shares his adventures traveling in Africa on a quest to sight free-living chimpanzees.
Peterson, Dale & Ammann, Karl. Eating Apes. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
An exposé of the likely extinction of African great apes, which the authors argue is caused by a dramatic increase in bush meat hunting brought about by the logging of forests by foreign companies.
Peterson, Dale & Goodall, Jane. Visions Of Caliban: On Chimpanzee and People. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000.
Exploring how humans interact with our chimpanzee cousins, the authors document the falling number of free-living chimpanzees, the mistreatment they suffer at the hands of humans, and conservation concerns – including the ethics of holding chimpanzees in captivity.
Povinelli, Daniel. Folk Physics for Apes: The Chimpanzee’s Theory of How The World Works. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Povinelli endeavors to reveal chimpanzees’ understanding of the principles behind tool making and use by exploring the author’s experiments on captive chimpanzees. The book begins with an attempt to “expose the logical weakness in assuming that the similarity in the natural behavior of humans and chimpanzees implies a comparable degree of similarity in the mental states which attend and generate that behavior.”
Reusch, Hans. Naked Empress: or the Great Medical Fraud. Zurich: Buchverlag CIVIS Publications, 1982.
An exposé of the vested interests that are the mainstay of vivisection, the book also gives examples of the harm vivisection causes to human health.
Rosenstein, Andrew. Flyboy: The All-True Adventures of a NASA Space Chimp. Maine: Yellow Crane Press, 2008.
This book, the life story of NASA’s first astronaut, Ham the chimpanzee, is written as a first-person narrative from Ham’s perspective.
Russon, Anne, Bard, Kim & Taylor Parker, Sue (Eds). Reaching into Thought: The Minds of the Great Apes. Cambridge University Press, 1996
Through contributions from researchers examining captive and free-living great apes, primatologists working with monkeys, and developmental psychologists working with humans, these essays aim to contribute information to the understanding of the great ape mind as distinguished from the minds of humans and of other nonhuman primates.
Savage-Rumbaugh, Sue. Kanzi: The Ape at the Brink of the Human Mind. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1994
A bonobo chimpanzee who learned symbolic language, Kanzi is “directly responsible for discoveries that have forced the scientific community to recast its thinking about the nature of the mind and origins of language.” (From the book jacket)
Segal, Evalyn (Ed). Housing, Care & Psychological Well-being of Captive & Laboratory Primates. Park Ridge: Noyes Publishing, 1989.
Fifty contributors describe the maintenance of primates in captivity and in the laboratory and recommend methods for environmental enrichment.
Special Topics in Primatology, Volume 2: The Care and Management of captive Chimpanzees, (2001) ed. L. Brent American Society of Primatologists.
A collection of articles covering topics relevant to the care and management of captive chimpanzees, including the history of captive chimpanzees in the U.S., chimpanzee facility design, chimpanzee medical and healthcare program, reproductive management, enrichment for individually housed chimpanzees, social group formation, social management, costs of care, relevant legislation, and cooperative behaviors training.
Stanford, Craig. Significant Others: The Ape-Human Continuum and the Quest for Human Nature. New York: Basic Books, 2001.
Renowned primatologist, Craig Stanford, co-director of the Jane Goodall Primate Research Centre, writes about the continuum between humanity and great apes, arguing that our differences are of degree, not of kind. As the author writes in his preface, an exploration of the recent discoveries of cognitive functions, emotions, social culture of great apes will “force a re-examination of what it means to be human.”
Susman, Randall. The Pygmy Chimpanzee: Evolutionary Biology and Behavior. New York: Plenum Press, 1984.
A collection of scholarly research on the bonobo (pan paniscus) or the so-called “pygmy chimpanzee” that includes comparative writings on blood groups, molecular perspectives, dentition, morphology, skeletal allometry, body build, tissue composition, and feeding ecology.
Temerlin, Maurice. Lucy: Growing up Human. Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Books, 1972.
A psychotherapist relates his experience cross-fostering a chimpanzee, Lucy, who was taken as a newborn from her captive chimpanzee mother expressly so Temerlin could raise her like a human daughter.
Terrace, Herbert S. Nim: A Chimpanzee Who Learned Sign Language. New York: Columbia University Press, 1979.
A psychology professor at Columbia University, the author details his early studies of Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who learned sign language.
Tomasello, Michael & Call, Josep. Primate Cognition. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Explores the cognitive potential of nonhuman primates, including a review and assessment of the current body of knowledge and the adaptation of primates to their physical world and relations among social groups.
Wise, Steven M. Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights For Animals. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2000.
A practicing lawyer for over twenty years and professor, the author has taught animal rights law at Harvard Law School, Vermont Law School, and John Marshall Law School. His book discusses the history and journey of legal changes for animals and argues for basic rights of great apes. Foreword by Jane Goodall.
Wrangham, Richard, McGrew, W.C., de Waal, Frans & Heltne, Paul (Eds). Chimpanzee Cultures. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994.
A collection of studies on the diversity between groups of chimpanzees and bonobos, comparisons are drawn between cultures both free-living and captive. Areas studied include ecology, social relations, and cognition. Foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall.
Wrangham, Richard & Peterson, Dale. Demonic Males. Boston: Mariner Books, 1996.
Authors present research into aggression in free-living apes that they suggest reveal clues to violent tendencies in humans.
Yerkes, Robert. Chimpanzees: A Laboratory Colony. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1943
In Yerkes’ words: “This is a composite portrait of chimpanzee personality done in terms of behavior…It was written for the few specialists who need a guidebook to the use of this great ape in research.” Yerkes writes from personal experience of observing captive chimpanzees.
Yerkes, Robert M. Almost Human. London and New York: The Century Co., 1925
Dr. Yerkes records the findings of monkey and ape “collector” Rosalía Abreu, as well as describes general facts about monkeys and apes. Yerkes attempts to show their value as objects of study, and deepen “our insight into the happening and principles of mental life, social relations, and educational effort.” (From the Introduction)
