The Third Chimpanzee

The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal

By: Jared Diamond

Narrated by: Rob Shapiro

The Development of an Extraordinary Species....

We human beings share 98 percent of our genes with chimpanzees. Yet humans are the dominant species on the planet - having founded civilizations and religions, developed intricate and diverse forms of communication, learned science, built cities, and created breathtaking works of art - while chimps remain animals concerned primarily with the basic necessities of survival. What is it about that two percent difference in DNA that has created such a divergence between evolutionary cousins?

In this fascinating, provocative, passionate, funny, endlessly entertaining work, renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning author and scientist Jared Diamond explores how the extraordinary human animal, in a remarkably short time, developed the capacity to rule the world...and the means to irrevocably destroy it.

©2006 Jared Diamond (P)2012 Random House Audio

Completely fascinating and absorbing

This was the second Jared Diamond I've read and the first in his series of three. It was written in the early 90's and while some things have changed, the overall message is very much the same and of course the history is the same history.

The conclusions he draws are pessimistic and a cause for worry in the 90's, and they still are, but I do think that more people are hearing the ecologists warnings and taking heed - I sure hope so for his forecast of doom for half our species worldwide is a hell of an inheritance to hand over.

Its a book that makes you stop and think and hopefully react too - it has me and I hope it does you too. Highly recommended and should be compulsory reading for leaders of nations and corporate decision makers!

Nothing learnt, everything forgotten?

Loved the story. Found so many answers about our origins and got many clues about our future. Highly recommend to all intellectually curious people.

Too cool!

Awesome, another Jared diamond gem. A must read for anyone who loves his analitical style.

surprisingly contemporary

I didn't realize until the narrator read the original publish date at the end that this book is from 1992. often times, books like this show their age in the shadow of a changing word--not this book... well worth the read/listen.

Awesome

absolutely enjoyed this book... despite being dated and pre internet and cell phones his discussion on climate change and human evolution and race with sexual selection is needed to be ead by the mainstream members of society.

It's an eye opener

I really enjoyed listening to this book.. It helped me understand a few things about my own life.. And the direction we're taking as a whole.

Up to the usual high standard

Jared Diamond is one of my favourite writers, and in 'Guns Germs and Steel' and then 'Collapse' he transformed my views of the history and future of civilisation, respectively.

This is an earlier book (1991), containing themes to be expanded in both of his later books, in addition to the main topic; how modern man emerged from being just another animal.

Because the book is 20 years old, you always worry that some more recent evidence may have arisen to strengthen or weaken his arguments, but if you can ignore this relatively minor qualm, and you enjoy popular science, then this is an absolutely fantastic listen.

A primer to Diamond's other works?

This broad ranging book reads to me like a an overview of Jared Diamond's other books, covering each of his pet topics: Our similarity to chimps, a circumstantial (rather than racist) explanation for the success of European conquerors, the breadcrumb trail that is Proto-Indo-European linguistics, Papua New Guinea anecdotes, bird taxonomy, man's long history of environmental degradation and species eradication.
Mr. Diamond seems less assured as a writer here, and there are some rather daft tangents, (warning, at one point, of the existential danger of searching for alien life.) but overall it is a fun and enlightening book and may be a helpful primer anyone not steeled for the epic slog through Guns, Germs, and Steel or Collapse.

new favourite book

I think this book should be read by all high school students. everyone actually.

Review

Great subject and synthesis coupled to excellent insights based in part on first hand field experience by Jared Diamond. However, at times the writing is too extensive leaving the impression that the subject could have been dealt with as effectively in a more succinct fashion.