The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections by a Primatologist

Frans de Waal

Basic Books, 2001 - Science - 433 pages

What if apes had their own culture rather than an imposed human version? What if they reacted to situations with behavior learned through observation of their elders (culture) rather than with pure genetically coded instinct (nature)? In answering these questions, eminent primatologist Frans de Waal corrects our arrogant assumption that humans are the only creatures to have made the leap from the natural to the cultural domain.The book's title derives from an analogy de Waal draws between the way behavior is transmitted in ape society and the way sushi-making skills are passed down from sushi master to apprentice. Like the apprentice, young apes watch their group mates at close range, absorbing the methods and lessons of each of their elders' actions. Responses long thought to be instinctive are actually learned behavior, de Waal argues, and constitute ape culture.A delightful mix of intriguing anecdote, rigorous clinical study, adventurous field work, and fascinating speculation, The Ape and the Sushi Master shows that apes are not human caricatures but members of our extended family with their own resourcefulness and dignity.

What people are saying

Review: The Ape And The Sushi Master Reflections Of A Primatologist

User Review  - Leo Morales-Egizi - Goodreads

An interesting read, but I felt like it was more about the culture of the sciences than it was about the culture of non-human animals. That's not a bad thing, but I'm not sure it's what de Waal was ...

Review: The Ape And The Sushi Master Reflections Of A Primatologist

User Review - Goodreads

Even more than an exploration of what we can learn about ourselves by studying other creatures with fewer preconceived Western notions about the differences between humans and other primates (not to ...

About the author

Frans B. M. de Waal, Ph.D. is the C. H. Candler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University and Director of the Living Links Center. He is one of the world's leading primate behavior experts. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections by a Primatologist
• Author: Frans de Waal
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Basic Books, 2001
• ISBN: 0465041760, 9780465041763
• Length: 433 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / General; Nature / Animals / Primates; Science / Life Sciences / Biology; Social Science / Anthropology / Physical