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

i really cannot adequately explain why reading about monkeys affects me so strongly but this blew my FREAKIN socks off. i already sort of suspected it would, bc i first encountered ape language studies in a linguistics class and the class readings included some excerpts from this book which had me literally crying about chimpanzees at 3 am but ANYWAYS this is my first five star in forever, i HIGHLY and AGGRESSIVELY recommend reading it

this book is a riveting ROLLER COASTER. it's weaves seamlessly between narrative and discussion of theory, which might drag on for some people but the research of Descartes, Skinner, and Chomsky that Fouts talks about is literally what I learn about in class and its so interesting to see him position them meaningfully within a context that actually affects his life and research??? but yeah the book has fascinating theories in it but author's voice really shines through, the stories he tells are so filled with love and it makes the serious stuff even more heart-wrenching, i was like laughing out loud and crying while i was reading and stewing for DAYS thinking about monkeys... its hard to explain everybody please read this