Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir Of Love And Adventure In The Congo Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
In 2005, Vanessa Woods accepted a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew and agreed to join him on a research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country reeling from a brutal decade-long war that had claimed the lives of millions. Settling in at a bonobo sanctuary in Congo's capital, Vanessa and her fiance entered the world of a rare ape with whom we share 98.7 percent of our DNA. She soon discovered that many of the inhabitants of the sanctuary-ape and human alike-are refugees from unspeakable violence, yet bonobos live in a peaceful society in which females are in charge, war is nonexistent, and sex is as common and friendly as a handshake. A fascinating memoir of hope and adventure, Bonobo Handshake traces Woods's self-discovery as she finds herself falling deeply in love with her husband, the apes, and her new surroundings while probing life's greatest question: What ultimately makes us human? Courageous and extraordinary, this true story of revelation and transformation in a fragile corner of Africa is about looking past the differences between animals and ourselves, and finding in them the same extraordinary courage and will to survive. For Vanessa, it is about finding her own path as a writer and scientist, falling in love, and finding a home.
MP3 CD
Publisher: Tantor Audio; MP3 - Unabridged CD edition (May 31, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400167450
ISBN-13: 978-1400167456
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 7.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #718,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #111 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Apes & Monkeys #190 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Endangered Species #293 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Social Scientists & Psychologists
I just finished reading Bonobo Handshake by Vanessa Woods. A triple story of her love life, bonobos lives, and the political situations in DRC. The research her husband conducted explained some of the nature of bonobos and their tolerance for each other and their sexual communications. The difficult part of the book concerned the politics of DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda. I thought I was getting the picture about who was fighting whom but as the rebel groups increased I lost track of the reasons for the fighting and became horrified by what the assailants did to the villagers. I've known about such acts but this author tried to explain how the rebel groups formed and then how some turn against their own people. Even the author couldn't keep it straight. It is truly difficult to imagine humans acting so brutally. But the author also said that when you live among people who have jobs and a purpose she described the people as intelligent and caring. Do I think that our nature is any different than the rebels---I don't think so. But when you don't have food, shelter, water, education, and hope, we could all become brutal. The research pointed out the combative nature of chimps vs the tolerant nature of bonobos. That was the most interesting part of the book. Chimps see others as "them" and bonobos see others as "us". I'm afraid humans still see others as "them" although we can learn to accept others as "us". Bonobos truly seem to have a natural tolerance of strangers. I didn't realize that there are so few bonobos in the world and they live basically in a small area.I looked up the website: [...] and saw the pictures of the people and bonobos in the book.
Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo Barred for Life: How Black Flag's Iconic Logo Became Punk Rock's Secret Handshake Congo Kitabu: An Exciting Autobiographical Account of Twelve Adventure-filled Years in Central Africa Aloha: Love, Suite Love/Fixed by Love/Game of Love/It All Adds Up to Love (Inspirational Romance Collection) Love's Unending Legacy/Love's Unfolding Dream/Love Takes Wing/Love Finds a Home (Love Comes Softly Series 5-8) The Congo and the Founding of its Free State: A Story of Work and Exploration (Cambridge Library Collection - African Studies) Heart of Darkness & Selections from The Congo Diary Congo Journey (Popular Penguins) Curating Kinshasa: City Notebook For Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: A D.I.Y. City Guide In Lists (Curate Your World) Spies in the Congo: America's Atomic Mission in World War II Congo Mercenary Congo It's Cool to Learn About Countries: Democratic Republic of Congo (Explorer Library: Social Studies Explorer) The Magic Tree: A Tale from the Congo Love & Hip Hop: Unsung All Exclusive Access: New York Atlanta Hollywood Unauthorized Version (Love & Hip Hop, Vh1 Love & Hip Hop WEDDING, Love & Hip Hop ... Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 DVD Prime Instant Video) With the Possum and the Eagle: The Memoir of a Navigator’s War over Germany and Japan (North Texas Military Biography and Memoir) Barbarians on Bikes: Bikers and Motorcycle Gangs in Men's Pulp Adventure Magazines (Men's Adventure Library) Of Men and Mountains: The Classic Memoir of Wilderness Adventure Adventure, romance and war in the Far East: The Iris Hay-Edie Diary: A historical memoir Attack of the Ender Dragon: An Unofficial Minetrapped Adventure, #6 (The Unofficial Minetrapped Adventure Series)
