The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee, Jared Diamond
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1mirrani
This was my book for the third month of the year. I was surprised by how interesting it was most of the way. To the end though it got to be annoyingly repetitive. I don't know if that's because I wasn't as interested in hearing about the demise of the world or if it just felt like being bombarded... But I enjoyed the first half quite a lot and learned a lot as well. The explanations are fun, sometimes amusing and help you to understand and think about what is being mentioned.
Along with drinking a strychnine cocktail, poking and adult rhinoceros or Cape buffalo with a spear ranks also one of the most effective means of suicide that I know. p39
There's an example of one of the few times I found myself laughing out loud at something.
Would the visitor have foreseen the change that would soon make us the first species, in the history of life on hearth, capable of destroying all life? p48
Here's an example of the creative writing that sort of wanders away as you read. It's part of what makes the beginning interesting, but the ending sort of monotonous.
On page 67 there's a great explanation about human mating practices and how they developed away from chimps. It takes people, presumes they'd mate like chimps after evolution takes place, and makes a soap opera out of it. Awesome stuff and very well explained.
Do freckles and red hair help Irishmen catch leprechauns? p101
This I found a little offensive because everything else was a real-life situation... hunting things, catching fish, whatever... That leprechauns were the only things the Irish would be catching bothered me.
On a funny note, two pages stuck together as I was reading so I ended up with the following sentence... "Naturally, it would be suicidal for an Iyau man to address his mother-in-law as 'beloved interrogative particles."
Thus, bower-building provides a comprehensive test of male genes. It is as if women put each of their suitors in sequence through a weight-lifting contest, sewing contest, chess tournament, eye test, and boxing tournament, and finally wen to bed with the winner. By comparison with bowerbirds, our efforts to identify mates with good genes are pathetic. p158
I just liked this bit. And the comparison with bowerbirds was good too... this was still in the worthy-of-reading section.
Earth's really successful species have instead been dumb and clumsy rats and beetles, who found better routs to their current dominance. p193
I took SERIOUS offence at this. Rats are HARDLY dumb or clumsy!
And as I said the last 100 pages just went downhill, so that's it really.
Along with drinking a strychnine cocktail, poking and adult rhinoceros or Cape buffalo with a spear ranks also one of the most effective means of suicide that I know. p39
There's an example of one of the few times I found myself laughing out loud at something.
Would the visitor have foreseen the change that would soon make us the first species, in the history of life on hearth, capable of destroying all life? p48
Here's an example of the creative writing that sort of wanders away as you read. It's part of what makes the beginning interesting, but the ending sort of monotonous.
On page 67 there's a great explanation about human mating practices and how they developed away from chimps. It takes people, presumes they'd mate like chimps after evolution takes place, and makes a soap opera out of it. Awesome stuff and very well explained.
Do freckles and red hair help Irishmen catch leprechauns? p101
This I found a little offensive because everything else was a real-life situation... hunting things, catching fish, whatever... That leprechauns were the only things the Irish would be catching bothered me.
On a funny note, two pages stuck together as I was reading so I ended up with the following sentence... "Naturally, it would be suicidal for an Iyau man to address his mother-in-law as 'beloved interrogative particles."
Thus, bower-building provides a comprehensive test of male genes. It is as if women put each of their suitors in sequence through a weight-lifting contest, sewing contest, chess tournament, eye test, and boxing tournament, and finally wen to bed with the winner. By comparison with bowerbirds, our efforts to identify mates with good genes are pathetic. p158
I just liked this bit. And the comparison with bowerbirds was good too... this was still in the worthy-of-reading section.
Earth's really successful species have instead been dumb and clumsy rats and beetles, who found better routs to their current dominance. p193
I took SERIOUS offence at this. Rats are HARDLY dumb or clumsy!
And as I said the last 100 pages just went downhill, so that's it really.
2cedargrove
Now see, your very first note had me laughing. Who would have thought a non fiction book could be written with such wit. :) It was refreshing to see that.
I might actually like to read this book... but of course that adds to my ever lengthening list of books to read. LOL
On a funny note, two pages stuck together as I was reading so I ended up with the following sentence... "Naturally, it would be suicidal for an Iyau man to address his mother-in-law as 'beloved interrogative particles." This made me crack up. That's like when you change TV or Radio channels and what's being said goes together to make a funny sentence or conversation.
I took offense at the rat comment too.
I might actually like to read this book... but of course that adds to my ever lengthening list of books to read. LOL
On a funny note, two pages stuck together as I was reading so I ended up with the following sentence... "Naturally, it would be suicidal for an Iyau man to address his mother-in-law as 'beloved interrogative particles." This made me crack up. That's like when you change TV or Radio channels and what's being said goes together to make a funny sentence or conversation.
I took offense at the rat comment too.
