Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe

Jane Goodall recounts the thirty years she spent in the company of chimpanzees and describes the dynamics of a chimpanzee family

YA-- The detailed observations of the life, habits, and behavior of chimpanzees in the wild continues in this interesting account. The conversational storytelling style is readable for both science students and non-science-oriented teens. Readers meet the assertive but caring Gigi; the aggressive Goblin; and the cannibalistic Passion. Chapters are organized around either a theme or a particular chimp who displays a special character trait. The last two chapters and two appendixes are special pleas for conservation and wildlife management to prevent the extinction of chimpanzees in the wild and for care of the chimps used in laboratories.
-Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Her first 10 years at Gombe (Tanzania) on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika produced the classic In the Shadow of Man. A fitting successor to that work, Goodall's newest continues the saga of the chimpanzee families with an engrossing account of animal behavior. She examines the mother-child relationship, noting that young males must sever the ties in order to learn male responsibiities (patrolling, repelling intruders, searching for food). There are profiles of special individuals: Goblin, who was determined to rise to the top and stay there; Jomeo, without social ambition; Gigi, a sterile female; Melissa, mother of successful offspring. Other stories of the chimpanzees include a brutal war between troops; a gruesome affair of cannibalism; incidents of injury, death and grief. The reader gets promptly involved with the characters--they have distinct personalities. In the final chapters, Goodall turns to the plight of wild chimpanzees today (loss of habitat) and the appalling living conditions of those in captivity (including laboratory animals). An important book for students of behavior. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

World renowned chimpanzee expert and field researcher Goodall scores another hit with this new account of her observances in the field. Readers who enjoyed Goodall's In the Shadow of Man ( LJ 12/1/71) will delight in this continuation of the familiar (human and animal) characters in new situations. Despite her depth of knowledge, Goodall has obviously kept her audience in mind; her book never gets bogged down by technical terminology. Instead, one encounters a very descriptive writing style in which Goodall strongly conveys the social forces that shape chimpanzee behavior and mirror those which must have faced early humans as well. Readers may not agree with the parallels Goodall draws between apes and humans, but they will neverthess be entertained by her theories. For more scientific information on the same subject, try Goodall's own The Chimpanzees of Gombe ( LJ 8/86). This more popular account is highly recommended for general readers with an interest in wildlife, conservation, and adventure.
- Edell Marie Peters, Brookfield P.L., Wis.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.