Ariel's Reviews > Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees

This book was a heartwarming and heartbreaking story about people--not all of them human people. It tells the story of Roger, a chimpanzee language researcher, and his companion and colleague in his study, a chimpanzee named Washoe. Washoe is crossfostered with humans in her early life, where she learns to use American Sign Language. Along the way we meet other chimpanzees, each with their own personality and style. Sadly Roger helplessly watches many of them head into biomedical research laboratories, where they are considered property without any rights. (view spoiler)[ The book documents horrifying experiments conducted on chimpanzees, many kept in solitary confinement for years on end, in small metal boxes, with no stimulation. Chimpanzees are our closest evolutionary relatives, and like us, are social animals. In the wild they range wildly through the forests, leaping from tree to tree. The result of their confinement was mental illness, stereotypies, and conditions like catatonia. What Roger and Jane Goodall witnessed together in these labs tempered their resolve to speak out about ending cruel and isolating biomedical research on chimpanzees, and eventually research all together. The heartwarming part of the book includes wonderful tales about Washoe's adopted family, and her journey from stolen child to matriarch. My personal favorite chimpanzee from the five Roger, his wife, and many students were able to bring to live with Washoe was Tatu. Tatu loves the color black, including black lipstick, and was a great timekeeper, remembering each holiday in order. She also cleaned up after her chimpanzee family by choice, carrying their bowls to humans waiting to retrieve them. (hide spoiler)] I would recommend this book to anyone, although I caution that some of the things the chimps endure (Never with Roger, who is a respectful man now dedicated to animal rights) are so horrible I felt nauseated. This book was published in 1997, about two years after I declared my vegetarianism at eight. I feel heartbroken that this was happening while I doted on my stuffed animal companions and hamsters. This book was a wake-up call to me about makeup. I just started using makeup about a year ago, and for some reason it never occurred to me they'd test it on animals. I am giving up some favorite brands and using only cruelty free ones. This book is wonderful and thought provoking.