
a book
In The Shadow Of Man
(1971 · 2009 · 400 pages
World-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall's account of her life among the wild chimpanzees of Gombe is one of the most enthralling stories of animal behavior ever written.
Dr. Goodall's adventure began when the famous anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey suggested that a long-term study of chimpanzees in the wild might shed light on the behavior of our closest living relatives. Accompanied by only her mother and her African assistants, she set up camp in the remote Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania.
For months the project seemed hopeless; out in the forest from dawn until dark, she had but fleeting glimpses of frightened animals. But gradually she won their trust and was able to record previously unknown behavior, such as the use--and even the making--of tools, until then believed to be an exclusive skill of man. As she came to know the chimps as individuals, she began to understand their complicated social hierarchy and observed many extraordinary behaviors, which have forever changed our understanding of the profound connection between humans and chimpanzees.
In the Shadow of Man is "one of the Western world's great scientific achievements" (Stephen Jay Gould) and a vivid, essential journey of discovery for each new generation of readers.
Dr. Goodall's adventure began when the famous anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey suggested that a long-term study of chimpanzees in the wild might shed light on the behavior of our closest living relatives. Accompanied by only her mother and her African assistants, she set up camp in the remote Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania.
For months the project seemed hopeless; out in the forest from dawn until dark, she had but fleeting glimpses of frightened animals. But gradually she won their trust and was able to record previously unknown behavior, such as the use--and even the making--of tools, until then believed to be an exclusive skill of man. As she came to know the chimps as individuals, she began to understand their complicated social hierarchy and observed many extraordinary behaviors, which have forever changed our understanding of the profound connection between humans and chimpanzees.
In the Shadow of Man is "one of the Western world's great scientific achievements" (Stephen Jay Gould) and a vivid, essential journey of discovery for each new generation of readers.
recommended by 1 person
sourced from public statements

Jane Goodall
“I always wanted to write books – and I have written more than 30 books, some with co–authors. The first, In the Shadow of Man, was translated into more than 50 languages when originally published, and was a best seller. I wrote it on a typewriter in the Volkswagen camper that Hugo (my first husband) and I had bought and parked, as my office, when he was photographing wild dogs on the Serengeti.”↗