Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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168 of 178 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rich and Rewarding, Highly Recommended, November 29, 1999
In this rich and rewarding autobiographical journey - from infant to wizened woman in her sixth decade - Jane Goodall shares her life-defining experiences including her mentorship by Louis Leakey, the observations of chimpanzees that made her famous, and her significant relationships. The reader is right there with her through learning experiences and personal struggles and may be surprised to know about the difficulties and sacrifices even the lucky, gifted and famous have to make. Jane Goodall frequently calls on her grandmother's favorite scripture for comfort in inclement times, "as thy days, so shall thy strength be." Goodall's accounts and insightful realizations give courage and perspective for dealing with the hardship and obstacles in our own lives. One of the things I value most about this book is that Goodall addresses ethical and spiritual dimensions of science and conservation. Most scientists do not publicly discuss these larger ethical dilemmas or they sometimes engage in them but lose perspective in balancing human needs with those of other living creatures. Jane Goodall is not only willing and able to discuss these complex dimensions, but the outcome is helpful and thought-provoking. If I were a professor in any of the sciences (esp. biology, genetics, and environmental studies) or ethics, I would leap at the opportunity to make this required reading. In her broad and clear way, Jane Goodall touches on many of the key issues and interrelations that scientists (budding or established) need to be aware of but will not find in a science textbook. We, as students and concerned individuals, need to know about the Jane Goodalls, Rosalind Franklins, and Einsteins in addition to the Watsons and Cricks so we can visualize the full range of options for how we live and the kind of science we do. Some people have been lucky enough to know all along that they can have both their science and their religion (in some religions, the harmony of science and religion are explicit, such as in the Baha'i Faith), their compassion and a keen desire for intellectual investigation, scientific research and problem solving. Goodall is one of these people, and it is wonderful to have a respected thinker like her showing that the two seemingly dichotomous realities can blend harmoniously and that it is not always inappropriate for a scientist to also be civically active. Of course, some level of detachment and impartiality must be maintained in scientific research, but this other element of human compassion and civic responsibility needs to be increasingly recognized, emphasized, and cultivated. While Goodall's periodic discussions of spirituality and ethics may seem unusual subject matter for many traditional science environments, scientists and students will appreciate the opportunity this book offers to broach these subjects in a planned and meaningful way. There is something unthreatening and inclusive in the way Goodall finds value in religious traditions beyond her own, and this feature makes "Reason for Hope" an especially good candidate for required reading in academia. In contrast to books like "The Double Helix," Goodall's sensitivity and same-era research into another genetics-related area provide a needed counterpoint to the attitudes of competition and exclusion that characterized the discovery of DNA. Different models of scientific exploration, different kinds of scientist. Both will be encountered, and both are important to know about. Readers of all ages can find a hero and a role model in Jane Goodall. Her books for young adults and children have inspired me even as a 23 year old, and I have since given copies of "My Life with the Chimpanzees" as gifts to children as young as 9. Jane Goodall is a remarkable human being with heart, compassion, strong communication skills, and unflagging commitment to chimp research, improving the lot of humans, animals, and all of the life on our planet. The vision and persistence she lends to those tasks are making a wide impact, not only on Westerners, but also on African children and communities at multiple socio-economic levels. People who are working to make a difference are among Goodall's "reasons for hope," the sincere, caring and visionary Yous and Mes of all countries and backgrounds. Goodall's fresh perspectives illumine things I already knew about and reveal many things I did not know before. Her beautiful command of the English language, vivid descriptions and compelling viewpoints will appeal to the artist, nature-lover, and poet and her sincere spirit speaks poignantly to further engage and delight the rest of us. Female scientists and concerned citizens will be among the most appreciative audience. I read "Reason for Hope" in one long sitting -- only interrupted by dinner on this Thanksgiving eve. It felt as though Jane Goodall had taken the time to have a powerful, absorbing, and stimulating conversation with me the reader. I say conversation because going with her on her life's journey caused me to reflect simultaneously on my own. She realized her most cherished childhood dreams. Can we all? For Jane Goodall's gift of time and energy, I feel honored and grateful. She has this effect, and because of this valuable "conversation," I feel more dedicated to my own path of service to humanity. I highly recommend this book to anyone. By the way ... don't miss the breathtaking color photograph on the inside front cover!
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hope in the Face of Despair, March 28, 2000
Jane Goodall reaches out to all who care for the earth and living things. Those involved in nature causes know the phenomenon of seeing so much irreparable wrong that life and effort begin to seem futile. Here is a book with at least a temporary antidote for depair. Goodall is not and does not pretend to be a great prose stylist. Maybe the simple straightforward words serve to advance her points. Her frank examination of a lifetime of ideas about spirituality is lit with sincerity, courage, and a willingness to share her most beautiful and moving moments. We return to the old question: what is spiritual, really? Does it have to do with churches or with moments of beauty and love given to us in nature and with those near to our hearts? She is not a Pollyanna, however, and shares with us enough of the dark of human behavior and the modern world to let us know she sees the same world we do. Thus, when she goes on to assert her belief in hope and the worth of continuing to act toward a better world, we have to listen and try in our hearts whether, even in the face of what we know to be true, we cannot learn again to believe. Most movingly, she admits that in accepting the imperative to do what she can to make a difference, she has had to give up the precious golden hours she once spent with the chimps. Even after her beautiful descriptions of those early magical times, we can only glimpse the poignant loss that this must be for her. Herein is the example set for all those of us who have had those moving and holy moments with nature: that from those to whom much has been given, much is to be expected. Only we have the certainty and experience it takes to stand in the face of apparent futility and fight, even though we might prefer to hide in the woods until they're all cut down. Were we given these blessings because we deserve them, or because we might then want to pass them on to those who come after? Jane Goodall has taken the noble path of love and compassion.
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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A soul-searching book., September 29, 2000
"So here we are, the human ape, half sinner, half saint, with two opposing tendencies inherited from our ancient past pulling us now toward violence, now toward compassion and love," 65-year-old Jane Goodall writes in her soul-searching memoir (p. 143). When faced with a world of environmental destruction, human suffering, overpopulation, over consumption, pollution, deforestation, poverty, famine, cruelty, hatred, greed, violence, and war (pp. 230-31), she observes "it is these undeniable qualities of human love and compassion and self-sacrifice that give me hope for the future" {p. 148).
Goodall's journey through life has been an adventure. "I have tried to write my story honestly," she says in her book's introduction (p. xv). We meet Jane as a child dreaming "about nature, animals, and the magic of far-off wild and remote places" {p. 11}. Her parents divorced when she was twelve {p. 17}, and it was on her trip to Africa at age 23 when her life was forever changed upon meeting famed paleontologist/ anthropologist, Louis Leaky (p. 49). Jane then spent her twenties studying chimpanzees in the solitude of Gombe before marrying National Geographic photographer, Hugo van Lawick, in 1964 (pp. 83-84), and having a son (affectionately nicknamed "Grub") in 1967. Reflecting upon her divorce from van Lawick, Goodall writes, "I experienced, as have many others, the bitterness of a close and joyful relationship with a spouse slowly changing and souring, and the intense emotional pain that this generates. And the sense of failure and guilt" (p. 83). In approximately 1974, Jane married Derek Bryceson after the two survived a plane crash, only to lose him to cancer roughly five years later.
Although insightful, Goodall is not a great writer; but her prose is simple and easy to follow. In addition to studying chimpanzees in Gombe, she has been studying us "human apes," and her findings deserve our attention. The message, really, of her book is "a very simple one: Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living things around us, especially each other. Together we must reestablish our connections with the natural world and with the Spiritual Power that is around us" (p. 267).
G. Merritt
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