If you enjoy reading about the behaviors of
animals from the perspective of a compassionate naturalist, you will enjoy this
one. The Book of Hope inspired me to search for her first book, which
was published in 1970, after her pioneer work with chimpanzees in the forests
of Gombe in Tanzania, far away from the comforts of human civilization.
I was
impressed by her writing skills. It is an engaging adventure shared with
evocative power. It activates our senses and awakens our curiosity to learn and
love the natural world. As readers we effortlessly soak up her motivation and
passion for the study of chimpanzees and wildlife while absorbing the beauty of
the setting.
Chimpanzees have complex relationships and
societies. Her detailed observations reveal the intricacies of the bond between
a mother and her child. She watched several mothers in the groups and she
delved into the ways in which those relationships can be different based on the mothers' personalities. For example, the bond between Flo and her kids is one Dr. Goodall carefully followed and documented, and it was
fascinating to see how the mother-child bond generated respect in the group.
There are chance interactions as well as firm
friendships. There are humorous situations and some dramatic ones. There are
setbacks and frustrations, but also opportunities to learn and get closer to
the chimpanzees, to understand them better.
I was reluctant to believe that there could be
parallelisms between the behaviors of humans and chimpanzees, but I was shocked
to notice some parallelisms. Human beings are animals after all. One of these
examples is the one illustrated by a situation of possible jealousy and competition of
females. I have witnessed it myself ten years ago when I lived in a place
ravaged by prejudices and provincial attitudes. I did not expect to remember
this when reading about chimpanzees, but the read summoned up memories. Anyway, I do not believe that the cruelty of humans bears any resemblance to the behaviors of chimpanzees.
The most challenging days of Jane Goodall’s
research were the days of the unexpected outbreak of polio in the region. Jane
Goodall had to figure out how to provide the oral polio vaccine to the
chimpanzees in order to protect them. She and her partner, Hugo, had to take the vaccine too. Unfortunately,
the polio outbreak in a human community had spread to the chimpanzees and had
devastating consequences for them.
One
of the main accomplishments of the book is the way it immerses the reader in
the experience of being a naturalist living close to the chimpanzees. (This was
her first book, so you will find some outdated statements). You can visit the
Jane Goodall Institute for updated information on the work they do.
In The Shadow of Man made me reflect on Jane Goodall’s
accomplishments and impact. Her legacy continues to inspire me to be active in
every way I can.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you check
my writing on the following books:
I encourage you to do your part to support life and the planet we inhabit. You may find these links helpful:
https://www.idausa.org/take-action/
A message of
support
My heart is with the family of Renee Nicole
Good and with the people of Minneapolis. I was sad and horrified to
learn about the shooting of an innocent woman who had just dropped her child in
school. It was terrifying to watch. Her
vehicle was not blocking anybody. She was simply trying to drive away when the
cowardly ICE agent shot her in the face. It was an act of misogyny and I
am surprised that nobody is using this word,
To add
insult to injury we had to hear Donald Trump and Vance making false accusations
about the victim of this horrific act. They falsely claimed that she was a
radical extremist and that she had tried to run over the agent. We clearly see in
the video that this is not true, but the false accusations against the innocent victim are not surprising. This is exactly what Putin does in Russia.
This is the russification of the United States of America by the tyrant in
power. They are excusing the execution of a person in public and they slander the
innocent person to justify their brutality. Feel free to read my writing on the
book Patriot by Alexei Navalny to get an understanding of what tyrants
do.
Let’s
be clear on this: ICE agents are not police officers. They do not have the training of a police officer. The incompetence and lack of professionalism of ICE agents are deeply disturbing. Renee was given different instructions by different agents at the same
time. The cowardly ICE agent who shot Renee Good even insulted her after
shooting her in the face. I will not repeat his words but they are a
clear indicator of the agent’s misogyny. Furthermore, this ICE "agent" did not allow her to have the urgent medical attention she needed. A doctor showed up and volunteered to provide aid and the despicable officer did not allow him to provide it. This is criminal behavior. First he shot her and insulted her and then he prevented a physician from helping her.
Not only did the cowardly ICE agent shoot Renee
in the face, but he also slandered and insulted her. Dog killer Kristi Noem said
that this was an act of domestic terrorism. Indeed, the domestic terrorist, an
ICE agent, shot an innocent woman who was simply trying to drive away to
return home. She was not blocking
the ICE agents in any way. There is no evidence of this in the videos.
Let this sink in: the ICE agents are the
puppets of an incompetent administration that is trying to operate like Putin
does in Russia. Now the agents of the trump regime spread lies and propaganda
to excuse their hateful crimes.
Renee Nicole Good was a poet, a writer, a mother, and she was the member of a loving community. Let’s show trump and his sycophants that we are united against trump’s hate and shameless lies. We are driven by love, empathy, respect and integrity.
If the trump regime is allowed to normalize the murder of Renee Good and the ICE
agent is not convicted, there will be no limits to this
regime. This ICE agent did not follow the Rule of Law. He is a danger to
society. Let's demand justice for Renee Nicole Good. Every voice matters.
I am sharing relevant reporting here by
independent journalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er1rMAt_mqM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhxeLpEdyg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1SksU91xoE
https://www.theglobalist.com/trumps-disgraceful-and-destructive-use-of-presidential-pardons/
Thank you for reading this. I appreciate your
visit.
These are
some of the books I am planning to read in 2026:
The
Penguin book of Italian Short Stories, edited by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Forty
Rules of Love by
Elif Shafak
Raising
Hare: A Memoir by
Chloe Dalton
El Aleph by Jorge Luis Borges
Looking
for the Hidden Folk
by Nancy Marie Brown
Do it
Like a Woman by
Caroline Criado Perez
Lost Boys by James Garbarino (I do not have
sons, but I want to understand the roots of male violence to study how this can
be prevented).
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
And the list
goes on but I will stop here for now…
Till next
time.
