The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself

by Hannah Holmes

Book Overview

The well-dressed ape, aka Homo sapiens, is a strange mammal. It mates remarkably often, and with unprecedented affection. With similar enthusiasm, it will eat to the point of undermining its own... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400065410
• ISBN13: 9781400065417
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 351 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Behold the Human Animal!

Hannah Holmes has written a wonderful book about us human animals. Her mastery of the biology, anthropology, and evolutionary psychology of humans is mind-boggling. She connects the dots between far-flung facts with rare insight and style. The writing is entertaining and hip. Anyone interested in behavioral science can learn something new. This would make an excellent textbook in courses dealing with the biological and evolutionary bases of human behavior.

Holmes Dresses the Naked Ape

The Naked Ape has now been successfully dressed by Hannah Holmes: Two of her observations in the book got my neurons firing: 1. The propensity of humans to return to their place of origin to die (dead or alive). I gladly escaped far away from the place of my birth and have been around some, but in the unlikely event that my wife passes before me, the For Sale signs may be up before the funeral ends. Hope this is not a prognostication for the near term. 2. I've always wondered why music is universally hard-wired into our brains- i.e., all children move and dance when hearing an upbeat tune. Teenagers listen to music constantly. As Hannah observes, perhaps music originated as a preferred way to communicate with the infant, then expanded for use in mating, bonding, warfare, etc. Music as a precursor to language-extremely interesting stuff. Very enjoyable writing style. Thanks. Peter F. Bergeron Sr. Suwanee, Georgia

A field guide to the human animal

Surrounded by our electrified homes and cities, our space programs and wars, music and art, it's pretty easy to forget we are animals, no more unique than any other on the planet. Science writer Holmes ("Suburban Safari," "The Secret Life of Dust") sets out to remedy this, structuring her entertaining and edifying book around a field-guide fact sheet for the human animal: physical description, perception, range, diet, reproduction, predators, etc. She opens each chapter with a close examination of the species sample -- herself. Measuring herself and her genetic legacy against the range for her species, she segues into gender and cultural differences and then embarks on comparisons with other creatures. She looks at the advantages our various physical peculiarities confer, and the price we pay. Running, for instance. We may not be the fastest animal, but few creatures can match our stamina. Researchers have come up with 26 anatomical features that make us "the running ape," including a neck untethered from the shoulders and muscles that prevent the head from bouncing, as well as our "zillions" of sweat glands and springy tendons. We pay for this exceptional ability with back pain and wonky knees. While the biological examination gives us much to admire, the social aspects of the human animal are particularly entertaining, from altruism (usually for selfish motives) to aggression to the benefits of cheating on a mate. Studies of birds, prairie dogs and fruit flies have shown the fruit of promiscuity to be more robust. And, "A fascinating study of birds' brain sizes and cheating rates concluded that those species with the cheaten'ist females are also the species with the brainiest females, presumably because those females who can outwit males raise the most fit broods." Reproduction, as always, provides tons of fun. From the sticky issue of monogamy to the factors in choosing a mate and the reasons for anytime receptivity, Holmes enthusiastically explores the chemistry, evolutionary advantages and theories surrounding an activity that few other creatures regard as fun (dolphins and bonobos excepted). And then there are the factoids. Political ideology, for instance, is largely hard-wired into our genetics. Most people will tell three lies in 10 minutes while killing time in a waiting room. And people have an easier time reading emotions on the left side of the face. Many of the many studies Holmes cites (she even includes dubious studies -- and usually cites the problems) will be familiar to those who savor popular science books as a regular part of the reading diet. Some will be new. But it hardly matters. Holmes' approach is so novel, thorough and entertaining, anyone who's at all interested in the human animal -- where it came from and where it's going (yikes!) -- will find the book fascinating.

Line up the awards

Hannah Holmes is a writer with so much wit and zip that you forget you're reading about biology. TWDA is basically a field guide to the human animal. We are amazing, highly domesticated animals, of course, with huge brains and the unique ability to both regret the past and project the future--but so much ELSE of what we are results from a ferocious life wish, i.e., biological survival. This book is packed with astonishing revelations about why and how we mate, how we perceive the world around us(many male/female differences there), the meaning of our long life spans, the implications of physical quirks such as extra-long index fingers, and countless other facts the author has gleaned from observation, study, and voluminous reading. There's a jewel on every page, and the author herself is a jewel, too, like the brainiest, funniest, friendliest teacher you had back in high school.