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

This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. At once, it is eye-opening, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. I cried and smiled and laughed and cried some more. You'll learn about everything from childhood autism, to the evolution of language, to the fight for the humane treatment of lab animals. This book is flawlessly constructed and flows effortlessly from start to finish, making it a book that I couldn't put down for two days straight. What started out an experiment to teach one chimp how to communicate using sign language, exploded into a phenomonon. The auther dedicated his whole life to humanely working with and protecting these chimps (often times, at the expense of his own personal gain). As a side note, the author and Central Washington State cooperated some years ago to create a permanent home for a handful of the signing chimps. Called the Chimpanzee & Human Communication Institute, it can be toured for a small donation.