In The Song of the Apes, primatologist Andrew Halloran details his study of chimpanzees while working as a keeper at an animal preserve in southern Florida. By weaving in historical studies, studies of chimpanzees in their natural habitat and the histories of the apes he works with, Halloran is able to illustrate these great creatures' communication systems.
Halloran's first-person, story-telling manner enables him to share humorous as well as heart-breaking accounts of a species that shares much in common with his readers. The importance of the chimps' social system on their language in many ways mirrors the human system, allowing readers to grasp the communication concepts without understanding the grunts, yells and gestures themselves. (In fact, Halloran uses several studies involving humans to parallel the studies of specific apes he writes about.)
The Song of the Ape is a book intended for laypeople who may be intrigued by a species that shares much its DNA with humans. As such, Halloran forgoes scientific jargon in favor of captivating anecdotes and intriguing analogies. His love and awe of the creatures are evident in the passion he shares through this well-documented exploration of how chimpanzees learn, share and use language to thrive in a complex social system. The song of the ape may not be one we understand the words to, but Andrew Halloran shows how understanding the words themselves isn't actually the important part.--Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts