Frans de Waal, New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned primatologist, tracks dramatic changes in humanity's view of animals over the past half-century.
Humans' view of animals - and our place among them - has undergone a radical transformation. The famous primatologist Frans de Waal, who broke with ancient scientific taboos and never hesitated to delve into controversial topics, was at the forefront of this revolution, a fighter against claims of human superiority.The Minds I Met traces this radical shift in how science perceives animals, from de Waal's early studies in the Netherlands to his five-decade-long career in the United States.
De Waal's pioneering work challenged the traditional view of animals as living machines, and contributed to the formation of a new image of animals as conscious agents with minds of their own, capable of remarkable cognitive achievements, showing empathy and self-awareness, and expressing feelings and consciousness.His recent published work, “The Minds I Met,” celebrates the amazing abilities of animals and traces the complete transformation of one of the fiercest scientific debates of our time, bringing humans closer than ever to the rest of the animal world and animals closer to us.
