The Arrogant Ape

A groundbreaking and inspiring call for a radical shift in how we understand our own species - and all those we share our planet with

Provocative, moving ... deeply felt, searching but rigorous

Excellent

A timely, intelligent and entertaining book that deserves our attention

I wish this book had been published five hundred years ago and been compulsory reading ever since

A thrilling, disconcerting, ultimately hopeful exposé of our species' self-regarding prejudices. Webb puts us in our place (and a fine place that is, in fact), showing us how much more fascinating the world is if we see it as it is, rather than denigrating it and using it as a mere resource. A crucial and transformative read

In her landmark book, Christine Webb makes clear that the notion that we're the most important show in town - smarter than, better than, more important than, uniquely exceptional, above, and separate from other animals - has got it all wrong. This distorted view of humans in which we use ourselves as some sort of standard to which individuals of other species should strive is not only arrogant, but singularly ill-informed. I highly recommend The Arrogant Ape. We need a new mindset, a paradigm shift in which we decenter ourselves and work alongside other species to change the dismal road on which we are currently and recklessly traveling

The Arrogant Ape is a multidisciplinary takedown of anthropocentrism. Bursting with vivid firsthand accounts of encounters with wild animals and a survey of cutting-edge research into animal cognition, Webb offers a deeply considered, self-reflective, and undeniably philosophical approach to the scientific study of animal behavior. Christine Webb is spearheading a paradigm shift in science; deftly folding in Indigenous and phenomenological perspectives to forge a hybrid approach to empirical knowledge-seeking. Her book is a modern exploration of the ancient speciesism problem, leading the reader toward a hopeful appeal that we can dispel our culturally acquired forms of anthropocentrism in service of a humbler path to understanding both the animal mind and humanity's connection to the natural world. Webb will leave you in awe

Christine Webb's powerful new book is both a carefully crafted unpacking of the errors behind human exceptionalism and a practical guide to how we can unlearn our species arrogance. She draws from her intimate knowledge of great apes and a deep and evidenced empathy for other living beings. Building on the legacy of her mentor, Frans de Waal, Webb's book is a passionate call on us to shape a better world as the 'humble' apes of the future

Inspiring and potentially life-changing. After reading Webb's book, it is hard to think of nonhuman animals in the same way. What makes Webb's account novel and fresh is the sheer wealth of detail that she offers about the capabilities of nonhuman animals, and her use of that detail to support her plea for humility and awe. Her ultimate goal for arrogant apes, including scientists, is resonant. It is nothing less than a re-enchantment of the world

Christine Webb, PhD, is a broadly trained primatologist at Harvard's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, with expertise in social behavior, cognition, and emotion. She works with nonhuman primates in diverse settings and collaborates with scholars from the social sciences and humanities to reimagine the role of science in the growing charge to grant moral status to other animals. Her work has been covered by popular outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and the BBC.