"An important and timely message about the biological roots of
human kindness."
--Desmond Morris, author of "The Naked Ape"
Are we our brothers' keepers? Do we have an instinct for
compassion? Or are we, as is often assumed, only on earth to serve
our own survival and interests? In this thought-provoking book, the
acclaimed author of "Our Inner Ape" examines how empathy comes
naturally to a great variety of animals, including humans.
By studying social behaviors in animals, such as bonding, the herd
instinct, the forming of trusting alliances, expressions of
consolation, and conflict resolution, Frans de Waal demonstrates
that animals-and humans-are "preprogrammed to reach out." He has
found that chimpanzees care for mates that are wounded by leopards,
elephants offer "reassuring rumbles" to youngsters in distress, and
dolphins support sick companions near the water's surface to
prevent them from drowning. From day one humans have innate
sensitivities to faces, bodies, and voices; we've been designed to
feel for one another.
De Waal's theory runs counter to the assumption that humans are
inherently selfish, which can be seen in the fields of politics,
law, and finance, and whichseems to be evidenced by the current
greed-driven stock market collapse. But he cites the public's
outrage at the U.S. government's lack of empathy in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina as a significant shift in perspective-one that
helped Barack Obama become elected and ushered in what may well
become an Age of Empathy. Through a better understanding of
empathy's survival value in evolution, de Waal suggests, we can
work together toward a more just society based on a more generous
and accurate view of human nature.
Written in layman's prose with a wealth of anecdotes, wry humor,
and incisive intelligence, "The Age of Empathy" is essential
reading for our embattled times.
"From the Hardcover edition."
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