A groundbreaking and inspiring call for a radical shift in how we understand our own species - and all those we share our planet with
29th September 2025
Paperback
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
A groundbreaking and inspiring call for a radical shift in how we understand our own species - and all those we share our planet with
Description
Most people are certain that humans are the most intelligent, sophisticated, successful species on earth. But what if we're wrong? And what if our arrogant human exceptionalism is leading us to exploit the earth at the expense of other species - and destroy our own world in the process?
In The Arrogant Ape, leading primatologist Christine Webb challenges our belief in human superiority by revealing underappreciated wonders of nonhuman life - from the language of songbirds and prairie dogs, to the cultures of chimpanzees and reef fishes, to the acumen of plants and fungi. With fresh research into the rich social, emotional and cognitive lives of animals, and compelling stories from all over the world, The Arrogant Ape demonstrates how our belief in our own importance is directly linked to our some of the greatest threats against us and our environment - and offers a hopeful, inspiring way forwards. By radically altering our understanding of our place in the universe, and by looking anew at other organisms - and ourselves - we can heal and rejuvenate our shared planet.Critic Reviews
A thrilling, disconcerting, ultimately hopeful exposé of our species' self-regarding prejudices. Webb puts us in our place (and a fine place that is, in fact), showing us how much more fascinating the world is if we see it as it is, rather than denigrating it and using it as a mere resource. A crucial and transformative read -- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild
In her landmark book, Christine Webb makes clear that the notion that we're the most important show in town - smarter than, better than, more important than, uniquely exceptional, above, and separate from other animals - has got it all wrong. This distorted view of humans in which we use ourselves as some sort of standard to which individuals of other species should strive is not only arrogant, but singularly ill-informed. I highly recommend The Arrogant Ape. We need a new mindset, a paradigm shift in which we decenter ourselves and work alongside other species to change the dismal road on which we are currently and recklessly traveling -- Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
The Arrogant Ape is a multidisciplinary takedown of anthropocentrism. Bursting with vivid firsthand accounts of encounters with wild animals and a survey of cutting-edge research into animal cognition, Webb offers a deeply considered, self-reflective, and undeniably philosophical approach to the scientific study of animal behavior. Christine Webb is spearheading a paradigm shift in science; deftly folding in Indigenous and phenomenological perspectives to forge a hybrid approach to empirical knowledge-seeking. Her book is a modern exploration of the ancient speciesism problem, leading the reader toward a hopeful appeal that we can dispel our culturally acquired forms of anthropocentrism in service of a humbler path to understanding both the animal mind and humanity's connection to the natural world. Webb will leave you in awe -- Justin Gregg, author of If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal
About the Author
Christine Webb, PhD, is a broadly trained primatologist at Harvard's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, with expertise in social behavior, cognition, and emotion. She works with nonhuman primates in diverse settings and collaborates with scholars from the social sciences and humanities to reimagine the role of science in the growing charge to grant moral status to other animals. Her work has been covered by popular outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and the BBC.
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29th September 2025
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