Almost Chimpanzee: Searching for What Makes Us Human, in Rainforests, Labs, Sanctuaries, and Zoos - Hardcover

Cohen, Jon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805083073 ISBN 13: 9780805083071

Publisher: Times Books, 2010

Synopsis

In the autumn of 2005, a band of researchers cracked the code of the chimpanzee genome and provided a startling new window into the differences between humans and our closest primate cousins. For the past several years, acclaimed Science reporter Jon Cohen has been following the DNA hunt, as well as eye-opening new studies in ape communication, human evolution, disease, diet, and more. In "Almost Chimpanzee", Cohen invites us on a captivating scientific journey, taking us behind the scenes in cutting edge genetics labs, rain forests in Uganda, sanctuaries in lowa, experimental enclaves in Japan, even the Detroit Zoo. Along the way, he ferries fresh chimp sperm for a time-sensitive analysis, gets greeted by pant-hoots and chimp feces, and investigates an audacious attempt to breed a humanzee. Cohen offers a fresh and often frankly humorous insider's tour of the latest research, which promises to lead to everything from insights about the unique ways our bodies work to shedding light on stubborn human-only problems, ranging from infertility and asthma to speech disorders. And in the end, Cohen explains why it's time to move on from Jane Goodall's plea that we focus on how the two species are alike and turns to examining why our differences matter in vital ways - for understanding humans and for increasing the chances to save the endangered chimpanzee.

About this title

About the Authors

Jon Cohen is the author of Shots in the Dark and Coming to Term. He is a correspondent at the internationally renowned Science magazine and has also written for The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Discover, Smithsonian, and Slate. He lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California.

Jon Cohen is the author of Shots in the Dark and Coming to Term. He is a correspondent at the internationally renowned Sciene magazine and has also written for The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, Outside, Smithsonian, and Slate. He lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Times Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805083073
• ISBN 13: 9780805083071
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 384