Dale Peterson
Eating Apes
$35.00, £24.95 hardcover
9780520230903
Available Now
$17.95, £12.50 paperback
9780520243323
Available Now
333 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 16 color photographs, 6 maps
May 2003, Available worldwide
Also in: Zoology
May 2003, Available worldwide
Also in: Zoology
Eating Apes is an eloquent book about a disturbing secret: the looming extinction of humanity's closest relatives, the African great apes—chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas. Dale Peterson's impassioned exposé details how, with the unprecedented opening of African forests by European and Asian logging companies, the traditional consumption of wild animal meat in Central Africa has suddenly exploded in scope and impact, moving from what was recently a subsistence activity to an enormous and completely unsustainable commercial enterprise. Although the three African great apes account for only about one percent of the commercial bush meat trade, today's rate of slaughter could bring about their extinction in the next few decades. Supported by compelling color photographs by award-winning photographer Karl Ammann, Eating Apes documents the when, where, how, and why of this rapidly accelerating disaster.
Eating Apes persuasively argues that the American conservation media have failed to report the ongoing collapse of the ape population. In bringing the facts of this crisis and these impending extinctions into a single, accessible book, Peterson takes us one step closer to averting one of the most disturbing threats to our closest relatives.
Eating Apes persuasively argues that the American conservation media have failed to report the ongoing collapse of the ape population. In bringing the facts of this crisis and these impending extinctions into a single, accessible book, Peterson takes us one step closer to averting one of the most disturbing threats to our closest relatives.
"A passionate, enthralling book."—Maggie McDonald, New Scientist
"Peterson's outstanding book with its understated title tells about the danger of extinction of African apes, the crisis of conservation in West and Centeral Africa, and the path that led to the current state of affairs. The beautifully written story (of astonishing breadth) is riveting, and thoroughly researched and photographed on the very grounds where the systematic annihilation of apes is a dreadful part of the exploding bush meat trade."—Choice
"A fascinating book. . . . Eating Apes educates us on an important topic neglected by the American conservation media and offers practical advice on what we can do to help stop it."—Lisa Gallo, Animal Guardian
"Our closest primate relatives--chimps, bonobos, and gorillas--may be among the few animals capable of laughter. But there's little mirth in this merciless expose of the exploding African bush-meat trade--fueled, say the authors, by poverty, the logging industry, and wars that crisscross the continent."—Discover, Top Science Books of the Year 2003, January 2004
"As logging continues and the trade in bushmeat becomes an ever bigger commercial enterprise in western and central Africa, our closest living relations--the last gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos--are literally being gobbled up as we stand idly and watch."—The Economist, Books of the Year 2003, December 5, 2003
"The issues [in Eating Apes] are not only more complex; they are also both fascinating and . . . deeply disquieting. It is a tribute to this book, and no doubt a long-overdue reward to the man who inspired it, that it explains them so well."—BBC Wildlife Magazine
"Eating Apes is a serious study. As unpleasant as it is, this is a story that must be told, and more important, a story that must be known."—The Times
"This book, with its critical assessment of the wildlife trade, comes not a moment too soon and carries an important message."—The Economist
"Dale Peterson's ugly, important new book is . . . an examination of the slaughter, for food, of humanity's four closest primate relatives. . . . [Peterson] is an earnest advocate and careful researcher."—New York Times Book Review
"Peterson is never shrill, and rarely does his tone become emotional; he does not overwhelm readers with evidence, yet his evidence is extensive. Ammann's chilling photographs... contribute vastly to this equally distressing and thought-provoking survey."—Publishers Weekly
"Riveting…Eating Apes addresses compelling material, and deserves a wide public."—Washington Post
"Eating Apes describes a tragedy we haven't been allowed to read about and see before in such great and tragic detail."—Boulder Daily Camera
"Peterson deconstructs the complexity of the Central and West African bushmeat trade and its role in the destruction of the great apes. Eating Apes is by far his best work to date: It has breadth and depth; the writing is crisp, clear and engaging."—The Globe And Mail
"Eating Apes is informative, clear, and precise on the nature and origins of the crisis... and if you never read a word of it, then at least stop to look at Karl Ammann's photographs in the middle to see why this crisis should no longer be ignored."—International Herald Tribune
"A fascinating account. . . . Eating Apes is a strange stew—an emotive account of the bushmeat trade, and the threat it poses to the African apes, that is both popular and polemic. . . . An absorbing mixture of biography, biology, anthropology, politics, economics and ethics. It is also thoroughly researched."—Guy Cowlishaw, Nature
"The author argues persuasively that conservationists have failed to report the demise of Africa's great apes, humanity's closest relatives."—Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Opens onto a broader indictment of institutional feel-good conservation," which can bear any extinction save that of its donor base. But Peterson doesn't stop at despair; he outlines reasonable measures governments and individuals can take, arguing that since apes constitute just 1 percent of Africa's fast-diminishing meat larder, they, at least, can be saved. All you need is the will, the money, and the unvarnished truth. One out of three is a start."—Seattle Weekly
"Eating Apes describes a tragedy we haven't been allowed to read about in such detail. Buy the book, read it, weep - then seriously consider taking some of the steps Peterson recommends."—Sacramento Bee
"The honesty of the text, which points the finger of culpability directly at some of the world's largest conservation organizations and logging consortiums, is both gutsy and, given the extremely detailed notes at the end of the book, accurate. And the photographs…snuff out any possibility of denial and leave nothing but the honest, brutal, truth on the page."—Hope Walker, Primates On-line
"Peterson's outstanding book with its understated title tells about the danger of extinction of African apes, the crisis of conservation in West and Centeral Africa, and the path that led to the current state of affairs. The beautifully written story (of astonishing breadth) is riveting, and thoroughly researched and photographed on the very grounds where the systematic annihilation of apes is a dreadful part of the exploding bush meat trade."—Choice
"A fascinating book. . . . Eating Apes educates us on an important topic neglected by the American conservation media and offers practical advice on what we can do to help stop it."—Lisa Gallo, Animal Guardian
"Our closest primate relatives--chimps, bonobos, and gorillas--may be among the few animals capable of laughter. But there's little mirth in this merciless expose of the exploding African bush-meat trade--fueled, say the authors, by poverty, the logging industry, and wars that crisscross the continent."—Discover, Top Science Books of the Year 2003, January 2004
"As logging continues and the trade in bushmeat becomes an ever bigger commercial enterprise in western and central Africa, our closest living relations--the last gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos--are literally being gobbled up as we stand idly and watch."—The Economist, Books of the Year 2003, December 5, 2003
"The issues [in Eating Apes] are not only more complex; they are also both fascinating and . . . deeply disquieting. It is a tribute to this book, and no doubt a long-overdue reward to the man who inspired it, that it explains them so well."—BBC Wildlife Magazine
"Eating Apes is a serious study. As unpleasant as it is, this is a story that must be told, and more important, a story that must be known."—The Times
"This book, with its critical assessment of the wildlife trade, comes not a moment too soon and carries an important message."—The Economist
"Dale Peterson's ugly, important new book is . . . an examination of the slaughter, for food, of humanity's four closest primate relatives. . . . [Peterson] is an earnest advocate and careful researcher."—New York Times Book Review
"Peterson is never shrill, and rarely does his tone become emotional; he does not overwhelm readers with evidence, yet his evidence is extensive. Ammann's chilling photographs... contribute vastly to this equally distressing and thought-provoking survey."—Publishers Weekly
"Riveting…Eating Apes addresses compelling material, and deserves a wide public."—Washington Post
"Eating Apes describes a tragedy we haven't been allowed to read about and see before in such great and tragic detail."—Boulder Daily Camera
"Peterson deconstructs the complexity of the Central and West African bushmeat trade and its role in the destruction of the great apes. Eating Apes is by far his best work to date: It has breadth and depth; the writing is crisp, clear and engaging."—The Globe And Mail
"Eating Apes is informative, clear, and precise on the nature and origins of the crisis... and if you never read a word of it, then at least stop to look at Karl Ammann's photographs in the middle to see why this crisis should no longer be ignored."—International Herald Tribune
"A fascinating account. . . . Eating Apes is a strange stew—an emotive account of the bushmeat trade, and the threat it poses to the African apes, that is both popular and polemic. . . . An absorbing mixture of biography, biology, anthropology, politics, economics and ethics. It is also thoroughly researched."—Guy Cowlishaw, Nature
"The author argues persuasively that conservationists have failed to report the demise of Africa's great apes, humanity's closest relatives."—Atlanta Journal Constitution
"Opens onto a broader indictment of institutional feel-good conservation," which can bear any extinction save that of its donor base. But Peterson doesn't stop at despair; he outlines reasonable measures governments and individuals can take, arguing that since apes constitute just 1 percent of Africa's fast-diminishing meat larder, they, at least, can be saved. All you need is the will, the money, and the unvarnished truth. One out of three is a start."—Seattle Weekly
"Eating Apes describes a tragedy we haven't been allowed to read about in such detail. Buy the book, read it, weep - then seriously consider taking some of the steps Peterson recommends."—Sacramento Bee
"The honesty of the text, which points the finger of culpability directly at some of the world's largest conservation organizations and logging consortiums, is both gutsy and, given the extremely detailed notes at the end of the book, accurate. And the photographs…snuff out any possibility of denial and leave nothing but the honest, brutal, truth on the page."—Hope Walker, Primates On-line
"A beautifully written book about an ongoing tragedy of global significance. Dale Peterson's account sweeps across broad issues of conservation and animal welfare that are linked to human welfare and should be the concern of everyone everywhere."—Edward O. Wilson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning On Human Nature
"I applaud Dale Peterson for taking on this challenging subject with courage and honesty. In identifying development, in the form of logging, as the primary threat to biodiversity in Africa, this book gets it right, and I recommend it most highly to anyone who wishes to be let in on the secrets of Africa's biggest conservation crisis."—Marcellin Agnagna, former Director of Wildlife and National Parks for the Republic of Congo
"The African Great Apes, our closest living relatives, are in imminent danger of extinction. Eating Apes, in beautiful prose, exposes the enormity and complexity of this conservation crisis. It took great courage to gather and present this information. You must read this book."—Jane Goodall
"It is with joy that I welcome this beautifully written and persuasive book that I pray should be read not only in America and Europe but also in Africa. We are facing an environmental crisis because of those few political and corporate opportunists who take advantage of weak political institutions lacking legitimacy for the indigenous peoples of Central and West Africa."—Ajume H. Wingo, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Research Fellow of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute, Harvard University
"What is happening to our nearest relatives, the African great apes, in their last remaining strongholds, is appalling, yet most of us know nothing about it. We should all thank Dale Peterson and Karl Ammann for this powerful book, which should end that ignorance. Everyone should read it, and then insist that their governments act before it is too late."—Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation and Ethics
"In Eating Apes, Dale Peterson becomes the Hercule Poirot of the tropics. When he heard that in the equatorial forests apes have become meat for loggers, Peterson set off to part the curtain on a world of jungle tragedy where cultures collide, where innocence is eroded by money and power, and where conservation all too often collapses into politics. What he found is shocking, but his detective work means that ignorance is no longer an excuse for the world's inaction. Will the apes survive? Eating Apes is a brilliant, intimate guide to the challenge--and a launching-pad for the rescue mission."—Richard Wrangham, author of Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
"Peterson and Amman's book is a bold and brave j'accuse of the logging and conservation organizations who are spearheading this latest attack. You must read this book. And then you must follow the advice of Peterson and Amman as to what you can do to help stop it."—Roger Fouts, author of Next of Kin
"I applaud Dale Peterson for taking on this challenging subject with courage and honesty. In identifying development, in the form of logging, as the primary threat to biodiversity in Africa, this book gets it right, and I recommend it most highly to anyone who wishes to be let in on the secrets of Africa's biggest conservation crisis."—Marcellin Agnagna, former Director of Wildlife and National Parks for the Republic of Congo
"The African Great Apes, our closest living relatives, are in imminent danger of extinction. Eating Apes, in beautiful prose, exposes the enormity and complexity of this conservation crisis. It took great courage to gather and present this information. You must read this book."—Jane Goodall
"It is with joy that I welcome this beautifully written and persuasive book that I pray should be read not only in America and Europe but also in Africa. We are facing an environmental crisis because of those few political and corporate opportunists who take advantage of weak political institutions lacking legitimacy for the indigenous peoples of Central and West Africa."—Ajume H. Wingo, Professor of Political Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Research Fellow of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute, Harvard University
"What is happening to our nearest relatives, the African great apes, in their last remaining strongholds, is appalling, yet most of us know nothing about it. We should all thank Dale Peterson and Karl Ammann for this powerful book, which should end that ignorance. Everyone should read it, and then insist that their governments act before it is too late."—Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation and Ethics
"In Eating Apes, Dale Peterson becomes the Hercule Poirot of the tropics. When he heard that in the equatorial forests apes have become meat for loggers, Peterson set off to part the curtain on a world of jungle tragedy where cultures collide, where innocence is eroded by money and power, and where conservation all too often collapses into politics. What he found is shocking, but his detective work means that ignorance is no longer an excuse for the world's inaction. Will the apes survive? Eating Apes is a brilliant, intimate guide to the challenge--and a launching-pad for the rescue mission."—Richard Wrangham, author of Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
"Peterson and Amman's book is a bold and brave j'accuse of the logging and conservation organizations who are spearheading this latest attack. You must read this book. And then you must follow the advice of Peterson and Amman as to what you can do to help stop it."—Roger Fouts, author of Next of Kin
Discover Magazine's Top Science Books of the Year, January 2004
Full text of Globe and Mail review, June 7, 2003
Full text of Globe and Mail review, June 7, 2003
Named a Discover Magazine Top Science Book of the Year, 2003
Natural History: Animal Bestsellers
