Book Synopsis: You will read The Naked Ape with a curious sense of involvement, for this most sophisticated book reveals the human race through the unemotional eyes of a zoologist, exposing it in a completely new light.
Since he first became intellectually aware, man has examined his higher motives but has tended to ignore those he considered base. Reason and imagination, however, have not erased the basic patterns of behavior established early in evolution. Beneath the skin, the traits we exhibit -- sexually, at play, and at war -- are striking evidence of our close relationship with the animal world.
The revelations of this book are startling and sobering, controversial and thought-provoking. Our cherished institution of marriage is seen as evolving from the classic pair-formation of hunting animals whose males must insure the fidelity of their females while they are away searching for food. The overcrowding of our cities is shown as a threat to our welfare as a species.
Desmond Morris' research leads him into intriguing byways and speculations. Smiling appears to be a tool by which the human infant reassures his mother, and is in turn reassured by her, that her aggressiveness toward him is harmless.
The bold speculation of The Naked Ape will stir controversy among scientists and will stimulate and delight the general reader. In this intensely technological age, Desmond Morris appeals to all readers to recognize that we are "still very much a biological phenomenon... subject to all the basic laws of animal behavior." If we are to survive, "then we must take a long, hard look at ourselves... and gain some understanding of our limitations."
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