Reaching into Thought: The Minds of the Great Apes (Paperback)

by Anne E. Russon (Editor), Kim A. Bard (Editor), Sue Taylor Parker (Editor) "The combined efforts of comparative psychologists, anthropologists, biologists, ecologists, and others have done much to elucidate the problem-solving abilities and thought processes of our nearest..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Cambridge University Press, Developmental Perspectives (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"There are excellent chapters in the book based on both captive and field research." Craig B. Stanford, The Quarterly Review of Biology

"The illustrations, graphics, and black-and-white photographs are of high quality and integrate well with the text. Recommended for any researcher interested in the study of great ape cognition and all college and university libraries." N. Krusko, Choice

Product Description
In this book, field and laboratory researchers show that the Great Apes are capable of thinking at symbolic levels, traditionally considered uniquely human. They show these high-level abilities in both social and ecological domains, including tool use, imitation, pretense, self-awareness, deception, consolation, teaching and proto-culture itself. Here, contributors emphasize the mechanisms involved in building these abilities--especially the lengthy developmental and "enculturation" processes--suggesting changes to current views on how primate and human intelligence have evolved. Researchers and professionals in the fields of primatology, animal behavior, anthropology, linguistics, and cognitive psychology will find much useful information in this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521644968
• ISBN-13: 978-0521644969
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,567,016 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Apes' Minds, April 1, 2000

By	Kalanga Joffres (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

Interesting book in which a team of researchers described their look deep into and experiences with apes. This team of researchers shows the social, psychological and behavioral apects of Apes and how they set them apart from another animals and humans, as well as how they are similar to humans.

Although I preferred Anne Russon's "Orangutans : Wizards of the Rain Forest", I would think this book would be interesting for anyone with interests in human and animal psychology. This book takes a much more in-depth look at the apes' psychology than Russon's "Wizards of the Rain Forest" book.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Apes' Minds, April 1, 2000

By	Kalanga Joffres (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reaching into Thought: The Minds of the Great Apes (Hardcover)

Interesting book in which a team of researchers described their look deep into and experiences with apes. This team of researchers shows the social, psychological and behavioral apects of Apes and how they set them apart from another animals and humans, as well as how they are similar to humans.

Although I preferred Anne Russon's "Orangutans : Wizards of the Rain Forest", I would think this book would be interesting for anyone with interests in human and animal psychology. This book takes a much more in-depth look at the apes' psychology than Russon's "Wizards of the Rain Forest" book.