Apes on the Edge

Reviews / Votes

"Pruetz carefully weaves storytelling about individual chimpanzees with clear explanations regarding the importance of her observations to relevant ecological theory in a way that is accessible, enjoyable, and educational all at once. . . . Apes on the Edge provides an enchanting overview of Pruetz's life as a field primatologist, and I am confident that this book will join the ranks of the works of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas to inspire the next generations of field primatologists." * Conservation Biology * "Apes on the Edge . . . does extremely well in acting as an invitation to learn more about these remarkable great apes and is also a very compelling book to read. Far from the all-too-common 'look how similar they are to us' approach taken by too many authors of previous books about Chimpanzees, Pruetz shows the Chimpanzees of Fongoli the respect they deserve in and of their own Chimpanzee selves. What's more, she does this not out of the modern, cold sterility that preaches the doctrine of professional distance, and that prohibits any trace of anthropomorphism or empathy in anything written, but rather out of a clear, straight-forward, and honest acknowledgement of their own innate importance as fellow creatures on this planet we all share. For this alone I would recommend the book; that it is such a remarkably informative, interesting, and enjoyable book to read is the whipped cream and cherry on the top." -- John Riutta * The Well-read Naturalist * Featured in "Wild Reads: 10 New Books that Celebrate Wildlife and Their Environments" * The Revelator * "Pruetz tells the stories of individual chimps as they cycle through the year, move across the landscape, and age over time. They face many dangers, including wildfires, hyenas, leopards, poisonous snakes, and hippos." * The Explorers Journal * "Vivid descriptions of the chimpanzees' tool-assisted hunting-a mainly female behavior focused on the bush baby-test primatologists' assumptions of chimpanzee social roles and demonstrate species flexibility in the unique responses bush babies make to this type of predation. Fongoli chimpanzees are an important relational model for testing hypotheses about human ancestors while elucidating the limits of the species' capacity for adaptation, including their survival in human-dominated landscapes. Beginning researchers and lay people will find this narrative of the joys and challenges of fieldwork and conservation riveting. Highly recommended." * Choice * "Pruetz's passion for her work, the chimpanzees, and the local community come through so clearly in Apes on the Edge. This captivating book will appeal greatly to the scientific community as well as the lay reader interested in chimpanzees, animal behavior, and conservation." -- Lydia M. Hopper, coeditor of "Chimpanzees in Context" and "Chimpanzee Memoirs" "A fascinating narrative of chimpanzee behavior and ecology in an unusual habitat-the hot savanna-written by the world's leading researcher on this topic. Pruetz interweaves her pioneering studies with detail from her own personal journey for a compelling, fun read." -- Jessica M. Rothman, coeditor of "How Primates Eat"