Customer Reviews

The Hundredth Monkey

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This book concerns itself with issues of much greater importance than the phenomenon of the hundredth monkey; it is about the necessity to recognize the dangers of sum zero conflicts (conflicts that result in a winner and a loser). In an age where the threat of Nuclear war is (hopefully) diminishing, the words of Ken Keyes Jr. still have profound applications to individuals' life styles and global attitudes. The book dwells on the notion that a paradigm shift from "you vs me" to "you and me" is necessary to survive as a species. The book takes an hour to read. Everyone should read this book.

.... This is a book against the use of nuclear power and, of course, nuclear weapons. It is based upon a phenomenon observed that when a critical amount of monkeys began using a certain tool, that skill was automatically transferred to the rest of the species- even if the other monkeys lived far away and in isolation. It is a controversial thoery of evolution which boarders on the spontaneous. In the book 'The Hundreth Monkey', Ken Keyes applies the theory to humans; in this case, if enough humans decide that nuclear power and nuclear arms are bad, then automatically everyone in the world will come to that same conclusion. Although it sounds like 'wishful thinking', until the Hundreth Monkey phenomenon is disproved, it will hold to its sliver of light.

While I agree that nuclear power and nuclear weapons are far too dangerous for us to be tinkering with, I do support space exploration. If the public did not prevent NASA from using nuclear-powered space conveyance, we could be making leaps and strides into the galaxy; The main problem with standard long-distance space travel for humans is that it takes too much rocket-fuel, and carrying it out of our atmosphere becomes an impasse. With nuclear-powered rockets, a space vehicle could be fully powered for many years, making long-distance space travel not just possible, but most probable. ....

The Hundredth Monkey should be read by every person in the world as far as I'm concerned! It changed my way of thinking and I have shared my copy with others so much it is well worn. Now I buy copies for others, which is why I bought this one.
We are connected and this proves it; very quick read. Excellent material.

This book has a wonderful idea, but is not based in reality. There was no spontaneous transfer of knowledge from monkey to monkey after a 100th monkey learned to use a tool. The REAL story is based on a well-documented primatological event. In 1952, some researchers gave sweet potatoes to a group of 22 snow monkeys on Koshima Island. Imo, a young female, washed her potato in the ocean before eating it. In time, other monkeys learned this behavior. This knowledge transfer was a learning process that took years and generations to spread throughout the troop. Eventually, potato washing among troop members became common. The researchers also scattered grains along the beach. The monkeys had to pick it out of the sand one grain at a time. Then Imo threw a handful of sandy grain in the water. The sand sank and the grain floated, making it easy to scoop up. Again, other members of Imo's troop eventually learned how to throw their grain in the water.

So, there was no instantaneous transfer of knowledge. There was no "100th monkey phenomenon." It is a shame that such a grand idea of stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons is based on pseudo-science.

This is a great book because it makes you compare monkeys and people in their thinking... you wonder, if a large group of monkeys can finally come to a conclusion, hey -- why not people? Yet this reviewer wonders whether nuclear energy is such an evil as depicted (or the safest, cleanest energy available?)

Frankly, I have an open mind... would be interested to find what other readers think on that score! But author Keyes has a fantastic e-book here that will have people talking for years to come... and maybe help in the e-book revolution.

This book confronts the confines of human thought with the nuclear age. It's amusing, though, nonetheless, with little foreboding monkeys in the margin of the pages hinting at the destruction a nuclear war might bring. Idealistic, this book hopes to accomplish at least an awareness of what policies such as mutually assured destruction might hold for us in the future

this small book is filled with short stories and facts about the development and presence of nuclear warfare. it's not a book that you need to read from front cover to back. it's interesting to pick up and read a page of two anytime, and it's good for all ages.

I don't think I should write a review. If the critical energies of man and monkey are successfully generated, we will all know about the book before others have to read it. What a blessing that would be for the unexposed, sorry, the unenlightened.