Book cover of Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist

Book description

In Different, world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior to argue that despite the linkage between gender and biological sex, biology does not automatically support the traditional gender roles in human societies. While humans and other primates do share…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Different as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I became interested in primatology after writing a children’s book about a primatologist, Mireya Mayor, and reading about her life story.

In my quest for information, I read books and articles, watched many videos, and even drove to hear Jane Goodall speak in person. When I read a review of Frans de Waal and his book based on his work with primates, specifically, chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest relatives, I bought the book. It is a fascinating and truly balanced account.

He moves from chimpanzee to human behavior with ease, making the reader aware that we have a lot in…

Today, gender is frequently viewed as a topic of pure ideological difference between the left and the right.

This book approaches gender as a biological issue rather than a social construct by looking at its evolutionary connections in primates, especially apes. This is a significant step toward establishing gender in the context of objective science, where liberals and conservatives may find common ground.

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