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A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons Kindle Edition

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,129 ratings

In the tradition of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Robert Sapolsky, a foremost science writer and recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, tells the mesmerizing story of his twenty-one years in remote Kenya with a troop of savanna baboons.

"I had never planned to become a savanna baboon when I grew up; instead, I had always assumed I would become a mountain gorilla,” writes Robert Sapolsky in this witty and riveting chronicle of a scientist’s coming-of-age in Africa.

An exhilarating account of Sapolsky’s twenty-one-year study of a troop of rambunctious baboons in Kenya,
A Primate’s Memoir interweaves serious scientific observations with wry commentary about the challenges and pleasures of living in the wilds of the Serengeti—for man and beast alike. Over two decades, Sapolsky survives culinary atrocities, gunpoint encounters, and a surreal kidnapping, while witnessing the encroachment of the tourist mentality on Africa. As he conducts unprecedented physiological research on wild primates, he becomes enamored of his subjects—unique and compelling characters in their own right—and he returns to them summer after summer, until tragedy finally prevents him.

By turns hilarious and poignant,
A Primate’s Memoir is a magnum opus from one of our foremost science writers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Robert Sapolsky, the author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and other popular books on animal and human behavior, decided early in life to become a primatologist, volunteering at the American Museum of Natural History and badgering his high school principal to let him study Swahili to prepare for travel in Africa. When he set out to conduct fieldwork as a young graduate student, though, Sapolsky found that life among a Kenyan baboon troop was markedly different from his earlier bookish studies. Among other things, he confesses, he had to become a master of shooting anesthetic darts into his subjects with a blowgun to take blood samples, a mastery that required him to become "a leering slinky silent quicksilver baboon terror." He also had to learn how to negotiate the complexities of baboon politics, endure the difficulties of life in the bush, and subsist on cases of canned mackerel and beans.

His memoir is, in the main, quite humorous, although Sapolsky flings a few darts along the way at the late activist Dian Fossey--who, he hints, may have indirectly caused the deaths of her beloved mountain gorillas by her unstable, irrational dealings with local people--and at local bureaucrats whose interests did not often coincide with those of Sapolsky's wild charges. It is also full of good information on primates and primatology, a subject whose practitioners, it seems, are constantly fighting to save species and ecosystems. "Every primatologist I know is losing that battle," he writes. "They make me think of someone whose unlikely job would be to collect snowflakes, to rush into a warm room and observe the unique pattern under a microscope before it melts and is never seen again." --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

Few would relish a job requiring proficiency with a blowgun as well as a willingness to put up with parching heat, low pay and copious amounts of baboon shit. But for Sapolsky (The Trouble with Testosterone), a Stanford professor and MacArthur grant recipient, it was literally a dream come true. As a boy in New York City, he'd wanted to live in one of the African dioramas at the Museum of Natural History. One week after graduating from Harvard in the mid-1970s, he got his chance: he went to Kenya to study social behavior in baboons. Hilariously unprepared for the challenges of living in the bush, the na ve grad student learned to deal with supply and transportation snafus, army ants and giant cockroaches, safari tourists, dinners of canned spaghetti coated with a mixture of sugar and rancid camel's milk, and surreal government bureaucracies. He developed great fondness for "his" baboons, whose behavior seemed uncannily like that of a bunch of quarrelsome human adolescents, and discovered that their interactions didn't necessarily conform to accepted theories. While Sapolsky's primate observations are always fascinating, his thoughts on Africa and Africans are even more compelling. As funny and irreverent as a good ol' boy regaling his friends with vacation-from-hell stories, Sapolsky can also be disarmingly emotional as in his clear-headed tribute to late gorilla researcher Dian Fossey, and his final chapters, which reveal his rage and impotence as he watched his baboons succumb to a horrific plague. Filled with cynicism and awe, passion and humor, this memoir is both an absorbing account of a young man's growing maturity and a tribute to the continent that, despite its troubles and extremes, held him in its thrall. Agent, Katinka Matson. (Mar. 1) Forecast: Heralded by Oliver Sacks and Edward O. Wilson, and with a well-placed excerpt of this book in Discover magazine, Sapolsky will venture out on a seven-city author tour that should help bring him to the attention of readers interested in animals, Africa, ecology and travel.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0012OYBGC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (November 1, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1046 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,129 ratings

About the author

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Robert M. Sapolsky
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Robert M. Sapolsky is the author of several works of nonfiction, including A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone, and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. He is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius grant. He lives in San Francisco.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,129 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and entertaining. They describe it as an excellent, action-packed read with an engaging author style. The book provides fascinating insights into culture and behavior of humans and baboons. Readers appreciate the heartfelt story and the author's honest portrayal of humankind.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

91 customers mention "Humor"91 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the writing entertaining and enjoyable, with an excellent literary style. The book is described as informative and interesting, with a dry wit that readers appreciate.

"...to blend humor, science, and personal anecdotes makes this memoir a delightful and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the natural world..." Read more

"...Oh, and the writing was FUNNY!! SO entertaining. I can't recommend this book highly enough." Read more

"...I was not disappointed by his writing, and I really appreciated his humor...." Read more

"...This one definitely did! A self-deprecating style. Filled with humor and honesty. A peek at the life of the renowned Robert Sapolsky" Read more

78 customers mention "Readability"78 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read. They say it's an action-packed novel that imparts scientific truths within it. The language is casual and easy to understand. However, some readers feel the writing gets grating by about halfway through.

"...The author's witty and self-deprecating writing style adds a charming touch to the narrative, making it accessible to both scientific and general..." Read more

"...I was not disappointed by his writing, and I really appreciated his humor...." Read more

"...An excellent read!" Read more

"best book I ever read. I met the author back in the 80's in the Mara so I really related to his experiences in the bush...." Read more

72 customers mention "Author quality"68 positive4 negative

Customers find the author engaging and humorous. They appreciate his self-deprecating style, humor, and honesty. The book offers a rich tale that provides a view of interactions with locals and baboons. Readers enjoy reading Robert's stories of his interaction with the Masai and other locals.

"...Sapolsky's ability to blend humor, science, and personal anecdotes makes this memoir a delightful and thought-provoking read for anyone interested..." Read more

"A fascinating tale of a neuro-ninja’s journey to his black belt." Read more

"...This one definitely did! A self-deprecating style. Filled with humor and honesty. A peek at the life of the renowned Robert Sapolsky" Read more

"...This is a story of great moral complexity, of both great losses and great gains...." Read more

65 customers mention "Educational value"62 positive3 negative

Customers find the book informative and funny. It provides a fascinating insight into a part of the world and humorous commentary about local tribes. The author also shares vignettes of Africa's history and extensive anthropological knowledge.

"...Readers will find themselves learning about neurobiology, social dynamics, and the interconnectedness of life in the animal kingdom, all while being..." Read more

"...This is a story of great moral complexity, of both great losses and great gains...." Read more

"...At this, he is quite successful. Sapolsky has both a large store of outlandish experiences, and a winsome way of putting them into words...." Read more

"...Good information on what this type of experience is like with both positive and negative stories...." Read more

37 customers mention "Insight"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate the author's insights into baboon culture and behavior, as well as native Africans. The book is described as charming, funny, and engaging. Readers appreciate the author's anthropomorphizing of baboons. Overall, it provides a thought-provoking account of the primate condition and the interconnectedness of life in the animal kingdom.

"...about neurobiology, social dynamics, and the interconnectedness of life in the animal kingdom, all while being thoroughly entertained. "..." Read more

"...are interesting from a view of understanding baboon group behavior...." Read more

"...: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons" is a class act and should be read by any nature or animal lover...." Read more

"...It is the story of a guy with great curiosity towards nature, especially primates...." Read more

32 customers mention "Heartfelt story"32 positive0 negative

Customers find the story moving and well-written. They appreciate the author's honesty, compassion, and thoughtfulness about the world. The book explores a range of emotions from love to sadness, happiness to depression.

"...through, creating a narrative that is not only informative but also deeply human...." Read more

"...The writing ceases to be cute, and becomes sincere and affecting. And we even get a decent dose of science!..." Read more

"...amount of time talking about himself, and when he does his honesty is refreshing and encouraging...." Read more

"This is an excellent book. At turns funny, informative and bittersweet, Sapolsky details some of his experiences researching baboons in the savannah...." Read more

10 customers mention "Adventure"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book an engaging adventure with science and humor. They describe it as a great journey through one scientist's study of Africa. However, some readers would like more science and less travelogue.

"...into the world of primatology, offering a delightful mix of science, adventure, and humor...." Read more

"...Kindle version of this book, and although the book itself was a great journey through one scientist's study of baboons in Kenya..." Read more

"...If you like nature writing, personal adventure, and a collection of interesting stories and anecdotes, you will like this book." Read more

"...so it isn't completely about the baboons he studies, but it puts the adventure together." Read more

Better off buying brand new
2 out of 5 stars
Better off buying brand new
This is one of my favorite books and I got it as a gift for my professor but I purchased one in "very good condition" with pen writing or underlining on almost every single page. I just ordered a brand new one for him and I guess I'll keep this one for myself.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
    "A Primate's Memoir" by Robert M. Sapolsky is a captivating and humorous exploration of the author's unconventional life as a neuroscientist studying baboons in East Africa. Sapolsky takes readers on a fascinating journey through the Serengeti, blending scientific insights with personal anecdotes to create a unique and engaging memoir.

    The book provides a rare glimpse into the world of primatology, offering a delightful mix of science, adventure, and humor. Sapolsky's narrative skillfully weaves together his experiences living among wild baboons with the complexities of primate behavior, neurobiology, and the challenges of field research. The author's witty and self-deprecating writing style adds a charming touch to the narrative, making it accessible to both scientific and general audiences.

    Sapolsky's dedication to his research is evident, as he shares the highs and lows of his fieldwork, from the amusing antics of baboons to the harsh realities of life in the African wilderness. The author's genuine passion for both his subject matter and the natural world shines through, creating a narrative that is not only informative but also deeply human.

    One of the book's strengths lies in its ability to convey complex scientific concepts in an engaging and easily digestible manner. Sapolsky seamlessly integrates his research findings into the narrative, making it an educational experience without sacrificing the entertainment value of the memoir. Readers will find themselves learning about neurobiology, social dynamics, and the interconnectedness of life in the animal kingdom, all while being thoroughly entertained.

    "A Primate's Memoir" is more than just a scientific account; it is a reflection on the interplay between humanity and the animal kingdom, offering insights into our shared evolutionary history. Sapolsky's ability to blend humor, science, and personal anecdotes makes this memoir a delightful and thought-provoking read for anyone interested in the natural world, anthropology, or the joys and challenges of scientific exploration.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2024
    I was held rapt by this book from beginning to end. As a profound liver not animals, and as someone who spent a couple of years in Kenya, I really connected to this story. Even 40 years after his experience, I recognize the Kenya he describes.
    Oh, and the writing was FUNNY!! SO entertaining. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012
    I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As it is, I love apes of all kinds and this book just shined a light on the interesting aspects of how primates live. The author is humorous and fascinating.
    The book came in really good condition. No writing on any of the pages and nothing was wrong with the exterior of the book. I bought it used and it was practically new!
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2023
    I took Sopolsky's course on human behaviour which is available for free on YouTube via Standford University and was blown away by his teaching style. So I started to dig into his books as well. "A pimate's memoir" is a humorously written book about the time he spend in Kenia studying baboons and his travels. It is not aimed to be a scientific book obviously, but I still learned a lot from it and had many laughs. I wish it would be available in German because I am sure my mom would enjoy it but she does not speak English. I highly recommend this book. I think almost everyone can get something out of it. Sopolsky sure lead colorful life and I envy everyone who can afford to go to Standford and take his classes.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2024
    Fun to read, but even more informative.
    I have several of his books in my library.
    He was one of the main reasons that I eventually switched from professional psychology to neuroscience.
    The humor in this work is even more enjoyable than previous writing.
    An excellent read!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2024
    A fascinating tale of a neuro-ninja’s journey to his black belt.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
    Love this book.... He writes with clarity and humor, I often find myself laughing out loud.....
    Good information on what this type of experience is like with both positive and negative stories.
    I used to think this type of job might be rather romantic (tv and movies, I guess), since I enjoy animals and have certification in training and behavior. It is definitely not a romantic job to engage in! Wow, what a lot of skills it takes to do this.....
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2024
    best book I ever read. I met the author back in the 80's in the Mara so I really related to his experiences in the bush. Brought back wonderful memories. Congrats to "Baboon Bob" and his many contributions to the scientific community.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Esme Hedrick-Wong
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fascinating from beginning to end.
    Reviewed in Canada on July 13, 2024
    Sapolsky has brilliant insights with both primate and human behaviour. His writing is a pleasure. It’s the best book I’ve read in a long time.
  • Neasa MacErlean
    5.0 out of 5 stars Parallels between men and baboons — a riveting read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2024
    The big baboon in a troop keeps his position by threatening his wannabe successors, and if he has to fight with any of them that is often a sign that he is on his way out. Robert Sapolsky has been observing different troops in the Serengeti for over 30 years, and he recounts here the first baboon society he observed and became deeply attached to. The tales are completely fascinating — how Solomon, Uriah and the others rise to power and then fall; and why the lot of the females (who make friendships with other females, rather than rivalries) is in some ways better. Sapolsky, biology professor at Stanford, is an outstanding storyteller — funny, insightful, likeable and profound. Back in the lab in California, he studies stress, and that was a main reason why he went to Kenya in the first place. His comparisons between baboons and humans are riveting.
  • aesthetic24x7
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious
    Reviewed in India on March 1, 2024
    This book was so fun to read. Robert has written a great book for everyone who loves Primates.
  • inthahood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, sciency travel stories
    Reviewed in Germany on November 21, 2022
    Robert Sapolsky is my favourite scientist. He thinks and teaches interdisciplinary and turns thinking into an adventure. His humour and jokes are actually funny because he is intelligent, witty and curious about the world and everything in it. This book is easy to read and contains anecdotes from his research in Africa. I would have enjoyed reading more about the science part but I guess I will find it in the zebra book. Can recommend this book and his free(!!!) Stanford University course on Human Behavioural Biology on YouTube. Robert S. is a rockstar scientist and the most beautiful mind I have ever had the privilege to share my time with.
  • 123abc
    5.0 out of 5 stars A thought-provoking captivating book
    Reviewed in Spain on November 2, 2020
    A wonderful book describing periods of the life of Dr Sapolsky and of his work. It is so well written and so easy to understand and follow, that there is no need to be a scientist oneself to enjoy its reading and to learn from it. I wish I had had the opportunity to read this book when I was in my teens and I had to decide what to do for living. It is really worth your time and money particularly (but not only) if you are interested in comprehending some common aspects of human behaviour, potential causes and the consequences of it. I strongly recommend it.

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