LibraryCin's Reviews > Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees
Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees
by
by
![12860715](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1702672714p2/12860715.jpg)
LibraryCin's review
bookshelves: chimpanzees, animals, animal-experiments, language, psychologists, psychology, communication, late-20th-century, anthropology, animal-behaviour, animal-activists, memoir, science
Jul 03, 2022
bookshelves: chimpanzees, animals, animal-experiments, language, psychologists, psychology, communication, late-20th-century, anthropology, animal-behaviour, animal-activists, memoir, science
4.5 stars
Roger Fouts was a psychology student in the late 1960s when he got a job helping with a chimpanzee, Washoe, to study whether or not chimps could learn human language by way of ASL (American Sign Language). Despite that he really wanted/planned to work with kids, this began decades of research with, then activism for, chimpanzees. He and his family (wife and eventually three kids) moved where Washoe was either sent or where was best for her. Roger was unable to help many other chimpanzees he met along with way (though he was able to help a few), but (often with Jane Goodall’s help), he fought to make living conditions for chimpanzees used in research in the U.S. better.
He was still fighting for changes in 1997 when the book was published, but on checking today, things have gotten better – not for all chimps, but for many (most?). There were a few sections in the book where he was talking about research and studies that got just a bit dry, but for the most part, I loved reading about the chimps and the studies and was (to no surprise) horrified at what he saw in the medical research labs. Whether in my psychology or anthropology classes 30ish years ago, I had heard of both Fouts and Washoe, as well as many of the other scientists and studies Fouts mentions in this book. I went through a bunch of emotions reading this book – happiness, sadness, anger... I love that he ended up being an activist, and wanted(s) to see change. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this book!
Roger Fouts was a psychology student in the late 1960s when he got a job helping with a chimpanzee, Washoe, to study whether or not chimps could learn human language by way of ASL (American Sign Language). Despite that he really wanted/planned to work with kids, this began decades of research with, then activism for, chimpanzees. He and his family (wife and eventually three kids) moved where Washoe was either sent or where was best for her. Roger was unable to help many other chimpanzees he met along with way (though he was able to help a few), but (often with Jane Goodall’s help), he fought to make living conditions for chimpanzees used in research in the U.S. better.
He was still fighting for changes in 1997 when the book was published, but on checking today, things have gotten better – not for all chimps, but for many (most?). There were a few sections in the book where he was talking about research and studies that got just a bit dry, but for the most part, I loved reading about the chimps and the studies and was (to no surprise) horrified at what he saw in the medical research labs. Whether in my psychology or anthropology classes 30ish years ago, I had heard of both Fouts and Washoe, as well as many of the other scientists and studies Fouts mentions in this book. I went through a bunch of emotions reading this book – happiness, sadness, anger... I love that he ended up being an activist, and wanted(s) to see change. I can’t believe it took me so long to finally read this book!
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Next of Kin.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
November 18, 2012
– Shelved
April 9, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 30, 2022
–
Started Reading
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
chimpanzees
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
animals
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
animal-experiments
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
language
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
psychology
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
psychologists
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
communication
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
late-20th-century
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
anthropology
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
animal-behaviour
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
animal-activists
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
memoir
July 3, 2022
– Shelved as:
science
July 3, 2022
–
Finished Reading