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What are readers saying about The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (P.S.)?
| Reviews of The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (P.S.) - Page 1 of 3 |
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-26 04:22:20.
(Language: English)
 
Excellent look into the differences between humans and the other great apes. Fascinating distinctions. Diamond's writing style can tend to be a bit dry, but if you're interested in the subject, the points he brings up alone are enough to hold interest.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-29 07:50:38.
(Language: English)
This is interesting, especially about ear lobes and giant birds (including raptors)on New Zealand and other nearby islands.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-09-28 07:48:17.
(Language: English)
A little outdated now but still very good
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-14 09:52:15.
(Language: English)
As always with Diamond, the amounts of information just blow you away...a real teacher!
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-10-14 03:59:35.
(Language: English)
Excellent overview of the origins of humanity and what makes us different from other animals. Diamond doesn't focus only on the positive features of humanity such as art and language, but also destructive tendencies, such as genocide and drug abuse. He ends on a "cautiously optimistic" note, hoping that we can all learn from our differences and similarities to construct a more positive world for all life.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-04 08:44:47.
(Language: English)
As usual, Jared Diamonds writing is amazing. Even though the book is sometimes a slow read, it's full packed with tons of well researched information. It traces the entire human evolution since our branch split off from the apes and draws conclusions for the future. A must read for anyone interested in the future of mankind on this planet. It's now more relevant than ever.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-01 03:57:46.
(Language: English)
Jared Diamond looks at the hallmarks of humanity, and analyzes their animal and early human precedents. Included are studies of: art (apes and elephants), language (gibbons), agriculture (tree-cutter ants), drug abuse (only humans, but many early precedents), genocide (chimps), and environmental destruction. Lots of interesting analogies, but the overall effort lacks cohesion. However, Diamond wields an impressive command of evolutionary biology, and explains processes very clearly.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-02 11:46:10.
(Language: English)
Although it's not quite as readable as "Guns, Germs and Steel," I love the fact the Diamond covers so much ground in this book. You can find the seeds of this other books here, and if you're like me, that's enough. I don't need 30 examples to get the point. This is a little dry, but fascinating. Love the fact that he's willing to tackle pretty much any subject - and he's not worried about whether it's a politically correct line of inquiry or not.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-27 06:21:10.
(Language: English)
the books main goal is to distinguish humans from the rest of the animal kingdom as well as to provide examples for our ways and behaviors as actually having precedent in the larger animal kingdom. he does a good job, but poses many general theories based on small samples, and, uses language like, 'civilized', 'higher' 'lower' to describe relationships. i have trouble reading that. still he tries to be fair.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-04 10:43:03.
(Language: English)
Perhaps not as highly-regarded as the author's other books, like "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Collapse," but it gives the reader a great sense of human history -- namely, how very tiny and insignificant, in geological terms, all of our "progress" really is. The writing is excellent, and the soap opera involving the humans with chimpanzee-like reproductive habits is laugh-out-loud funny.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-26 07:16:16.
(Language: English)
A very very vital reading for anyone who wants to broaden their understanding of the human role within the reality of the world. A refreshing style of writing- along the subject to truly be absorbed.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-06-07 09:27:48.
(Language: English)
Not much to say besides this book is a must for anyone who wants to know more about humans
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-26 05:38:12.
(Language: English)
A great read for anyone who is interested in learning how we've behaved in the past and what may be in store for us and all those we affect around us. For example, I found it interesting to learn that the only thing protecting the large fauna that existed in North America after the last ice age from man's predations was an ice bridge near Edmonton, ALTA. After Clovis Man bridged the gap a slaughter rivaling the mass extinction of the dinosaurs occurred. Truly an eye opening account of how destructive and imaginative we can be, and how little has changed.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-05-25 09:44:26.
(Language: English)
Jared Diamond's examination of what makes humans different from the other two species of chimpanzee. While the chapters are somewhat loosely strung together, it covers some very thought-provoking ground, including the development of language and agriculture. The seeds of Diamond's later and more well known book Germs, Guns and Steel can be seen in a couple of the chapters.It is weighed down at the beginning and end by Diamond's fairly bleak view of the human animal, but Diamond draws some interesting and unexpected implications of our progress towards civilisation.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-13 07:52:54.
(Language: English)
Of Jared Diamond?s books, this one and Guns, Germs and Steel, I prefer this one. Unlike Guns this one is not as redundant and has more focused chapters. I compare it to going to listen to a good college lecturer where you might listen to well focused lectures that get you thinking, but may not have an ambitious global theme (like Guns) to tie it all together. Most of the chapters I found enlightening and all though I am fairly well versed on physical anthropology there were many new insights that I picked up. The first chapter talks about breakthroughs in dna clocking that establishes the title. The second chapter titled, The Great Leap Forward I found interesting and perhaps perplexing. Most anthropologists including Diamond seem to think that Homo Sapien goes back about 200,000 years. Most anthropologists mark 40,000 years ago, The Great Leap Forward as a critical time in Homo Sapien development. It seems clear that this is when we developed language which is supported by the physical changes in the skull. However, few seem to recognize this as the time when there was an actual species shift from Home Erectus to Home Sapien. This is also in spite of the fact that other possible rivals such as Neaderthal disappeared.The best chapters in the book are three through six which detail aspects of human sexuality. I think these are must reading for anyone that is interested in an objective point of view of our sexual behaviours. There are enlightening sections that not only discuss behaviours that we have adapted such as monogamy but also why they would be advantageous to survival. There are other interesting discussions about menopause and why humans have large genitals comparative to other primates.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-12-06 11:54:22.
(Language: English)
This book hs changed some of my core environmental opinions on how ad why we hmans are as a species.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-16 01:21:21.
(Language: English)
I am biased...I love reading Jared Diamond...I think he is one of the most intelligent, well thought human beings on this earth...and he cares about the Earth and about humans. As an Anthropologist, he writes not only in simplistic terms so that anyone can understand, but he also instills humor. I particularly like the chapter on the evolution of human sexual behaviors. Its a great read, but if you read only one Jared Diamond book...make it "Collapse".
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-05-03 10:33:07.
(Language: English)
Diamond provides a clear and engaging overview of human evolution from the relatively new perspective of comparative sequencing, by which scientists compare the DNA and RNA sequences of various organisms to reveal relationships and divergences from shared ancestors. This method can identify relationships that otherwise may not be evident from comparisons of fossils or structural characteristics. The techniques examine mitochondrial and chloroplast DNA, as well as ribosomal RNA. The legacy approach, still widely used and taught, classifies organisms by the Linnean taxonomy system that was based on structural and behavioral distinctions. When DNA and RNA are taken into account, humans are clearly one of three types of chimpanzees (the other two being standard chimps and bonobos, or pygmy chips). In this case, the DNA and RNA evidence align nicely with the obvious structural and behavioral similarities among humans and chimps.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-06-21 12:31:07.
(Language: English)
Everybody always choses Guns, Germs and Steel as their choice of a Diamond book to start with. That's unfortunate. The Third Chimpanzee is a much better starting point to get a sense of Diamond's style of analysis. It covers a much broader range of issues as well. It's just juicier in general. Start here.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-07 01:00:50.
(Language: English)
This is an extremely interesting book. The title basically explains what the book is about: how and why did humans evolve the way we did, how are we unique, how are we not-so-unique, and what might this mean for us in the long run? If this sounds pretty dry to you, consider the questions. Why are adult men slightly bigger than similar-aged women? Why are there different races, and how did they evolve? Are humans generally monogomous as a species? The theories, the (occasional) lack of answers, and the failure of common sense, might surprise you. Although I don't agree with everything in it, it's definitely made me think. It's interesting and educational, and definitely worth a read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-10-23 03:33:18.
(Language: English)
The first part, covering human evolution and biology, is fascinating. I especially enjoyed finding out that, compared to all other primates, I have an enormous penis. Have tried using this fact to impress women in bars with mixed results. Okay, not really mixed. No results. The second part reads sortof like practice for Diamond's later, Pulitzer-winning "Guns, Germs and Steel"; he's starting to look into ideas that he fleshes out in more detail, and more convincingly, in that book. I wouldn't hold it against you if you skipped that part and moved right on to his later books.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-24 09:43:49.
(Language: English)
The root book for the other two books (Guns, Germs, Steel and Collapse) that followed...Not bad, but the least polished so far...Kind of gives a short overview of the two more recent books.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-18 01:12:42.
(Language: English)
As always, interesting insights from Jared Diamond. He has an unparalleled way of asking and framing questions before proceeding to answer in his logical manner. The first half focused on the biological evolution. The second half covers our social evolution. Looking over a longer timeline, our thirst for vice and violence have not changed over the years much to the despair of the moralists who bemoan the decaying values of the younger generation. It's a pessimistic view to learn that evil is in our blood but perhaps, heartening to also learn that we can also consciously defy our worst natures. I found the first half extremely enjoyable and highly recommend it (although he has another shorter book "Why is Sex Fun?" that covers these fun bits.) The second half were more questions than answers and sets the stage for him to answer those questions in his latter books, Guns & Collapse. In other words, if you have read those books before, you may be disappointed with the expediency he glossed over these questions in this first book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-25 08:26:04.
(Language: English)
I'm a big fan of Diamond's later books, "Collapse" and "Guns, Germs and Steel," so it was interesting to go back and see where he first started developing his ideas. This book essentially outlines the history of our species-- covering everything from the rise of tool use and language our our spread through the continents, to how evolution shaped our sex life and all the ways in which we have been destroying the environment since well before we could write about it. Well written adn lively, and well grounded in science.
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