The Arrogant Ape

Darwin considered humans one part of the web of life, not the apex of a natural hierarchy. Yet today many maintain that we are the most intelligent, virtuous, successful species that ever lived. This flawed thinking persuades us to exploit the earth at the expense of other species, throwing us into a perilous planetary imbalance. In The Arrogant Ape, Christine Webb draws on years of research into the rich social, emotional, and cognitive lives of our closest living relatives to show that human exceptionalism is an ideology that relies more on culture, delusion and faith than on evidence. She exposes the ways that many scientific studies are biased against other species and reveals 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 compelling stories and fresh research, The Arrogant Ape gives us a paradigm-shifting way of looking at other organisms - and ourselves - that is essential if we are to heal and rejuvenate our shared planet.