Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves

This is a beautiful, engaging book supporting the argument I have long held, that consciousness arose early in organisms and is a consequence of integrated perception. De Waal makes many powerfully research-supported arguments for this. Most of what we do does not require human intelligence.One quibble about de Waal. He is strongly partisan politically, so partisan that it does not trouble him to take digs at conservative politicians like Margaret Thatcher in this book. He concludes his research supports his disagreement with, for instance, free markets. While the parallels he draws are well worth consideration, it appears that he may not understand subjects outside his field as thoroughly and in as nuanced a way as his own.The overt bias unfortunately makes his conclusions more suspect. It was unnecessary to insert partisan views into a wonderful book, and I was sorry to see him do it. Another book dedicated to that specific argument would have been more intellectually honest in my view.

I’m a great fan of his work and he does not disappoint here. Through great storytelling full of moving accounts of chimpanzee and other animal behaviors, both anecdotes and rigorous experiments, he easily convinces the reader that animals almost certainly experience emotions, and that primates specifically and mammals in general have a very similar emotional repertoire as humans. He clearly distinguishes emotions, which can usually be read in the body, and feelings, which are internal representations of and about our emotions. Since we cannot linguistically interrogate most animals about their feelings (with a handful of exceptions in sign language trained apes and talkative parrots), it’s is currently not possible to ascertain whether they have feelings or not. But by the end of this book you will agree that it would be bizarre indeed if they didn’t. As highly social primates ourselves, we have a lot to learn about our own nature from the study of animals. I always find De Waal’s insights tremendously helpful in forming a better understanding of myself and fellow humans, in addition to better understanding non-human animals. This book is a joy to read for anyone with an interest in animal and human behavior.

Frans de Waal, in “Mama’s Last Hug,” occasionally drifts into sensitive subjects that might appear sexist or political, but I encourage dissenters to fit these digressions into his primary intentions, rather than simply dismiss them. Humans, both male and female, have distinct characteristics that define their appeal and to deny that is folly. The author recognizes the same characteristics in the primates he studies and, because his book explains how our behaviors often mirror each other, he would be remiss in not mentioning the male/female equation or political posturing.I see nothing wrong with likening the wearing of vivid lipstick by human females to the development of the bright red rear end by the female primate as she moves to entice a male to her love chamber. In fact, I find it rather amusing. Is there any other reason to smear the sticky condiment on a mouth that doesn’t really need further enhancement? DeWaal might linger a little too long on the subject, but his premise is spot on. And, it’s his book.Shame and embarrassment are not unique to humans. All animals express the same emotions although they are displayed in quite different forms. The author explores the similarities and the differences using expressive writing techniques. Although the differences are, for the most part, vastly different in their expression, some have remarkable similarity. As an example, the human characteristic of covering the face or turning the head away from observers when embarrassed is remarkably similar to the reaction of apes when something unusual or unexpected occurs.Sexual proclivities of apes are rampantly on display while those of humans are discretely hidden from view. It seems monkey love follows the dictate that if it feels good, then just do it. That’s not the norm in the people I associate with. Neither is the habit of grooming each other, something the apes associate with family and friends having a good time. We like to have snacks together, but not from each other’s hair.This book is amazing both in its writing and in its concept. Not only are animal emotions depicted in both scientific and amusing ways, the reader will always find something revolutionary in the way the author explains them. I urge you to read this book, keeping in mind that some things we humans do would probably cause blushes on the faces of our relatives, the primates, if they were capable of blushing.The elephant in the room here is Donald Trump. I agree with some reviewers that the author’s rant against the President is off base and not on subject. But, again, it’s his book and, as some readers have commented, they chose to scrap his effort in disgust. If nothing else, his lesson on emotions has been well applied.Schuyler T WallaceAuthor of TIN LIZARD TALES

The book is amazingly well written. It brings big insights on Humanoid natural behaviour and higlights what is nature/instincts and what is 'socially constructed' behaviour. Simply beautiful to read and very pleasureble.

Llegó en perfecto estado

Sehr interessantes Buch über Emotionen bei Tieren. Leichtgängig und gut verständlich geschrieben.

Mama made me cry.At the same time she opened my eyes to the possibility that we (Homo Sapiens ) could have the same compassion and love for each other and other species going forward. I live in hope!

Unique, spéciale, à garder pour lire et relire. Emouvant et élucidant.