The Third Chimpanzee

The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal

Jared Diamond

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"The Third Chimpanzee" by Jared Diamond explores the fascinating similarities and differences between humans and our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees. Diamond, a renowned biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner, delves into the question of why humans have achieved such remarkable success, while our chimp relatives remain confined to the trees.

Through engaging prose, Diamond uncovers our species' unique qualities, including our ability to create art, engage in language, and manipulate the environment to meet our needs. He also examines our less admirable traits, such as our penchant for violence and destruction.

Drawing on extensive research from various disciplines, including anthropology, genetics, and history, Diamond charts the evolution of human traits and behaviors. He highlights the role of sexual selection, ecological factors, and genetics in shaping our species' trajectory.

Diamond further explores how human societies have spread across the globe, impacting not only the planet's ecosystems but also the diverse cultures and civilizations that have emerged. He delves into the consequences of our exponential population growth, our impact on other species, and the environmental concerns that threaten our future survival.

"The Third Chimpanzee" challenges readers to reconsider their perceptions of what it truly means to be human. Diamond's thought-provoking analysis offers a fresh perspective on our place in the animal kingdom, urging us to reflect on our choices and behaviors, and ultimately inspiring hope for a more sustainable future.

Explore More Books

See All
Euclid's Elements
The Case Against Sugar
Fables
Flowers for Algernon
For The Love Of Physics
The Humane Economy
Memoirs
The Great Mental Models
Think and Grow Rich
History Has Begun
The Story of Civilization: Rousseau and Revolution
The Social Animal
The Worlds I See
Mismatch
The E-Myth Revisited
Citizen Coke
Last Chance to See
The World Without Us
A Confederacy of Dunces
It's Not How Good You Are - It's How Good You Want To Be
Pre-Suasion
The Art of Stillness
What We Owe the Future
Maverick
Letters to a Young Poet
You
Black Box Thinking
Being Nixon
The Black Book of Communism
In Patagonia
Deep Learning
Economics in One Lesson
Monetizing Innovation
Deep Learning
The Dream of Reason
Why Minsky Matters
Everything All At Once
Gay Like Me
Benjamin Franklin
Why Information Grows
The Sympathizer
Home Game
Dancing In The Glory Of Monsters
Go To
The Water Dancer
The Myth of the Strong Leader
Where Do School Funds Go?
So Good They Can't Ignore You
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Best Evidence
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
Gang Leader for a Day
Gridiron Genius
T
Who Am I
Shook One
Letters of Note
Algorithms to Live By
The Psychology of Money
The Quest for El Cid
This Explains Everything
Spain in Our Hearts
Night Sky with Exit Wounds
Apollo's Arrow
Bitcoin
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It
The Great Revolt
Unstoppable Prosperity
A Pattern Language
Red Star Over The Pacific
Collected Fictions
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Life After Power
Who Is Michael Ovitz
On Immunity
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
Let Your Life Speak
The End of Power
Secrets of Closing the Sale
Lincoln In The Bardo
Chaos
Well
How to Teach Your Baby Math
Dead Wake
What Technology Wants
A Universe From Nothing
Fall of Constantinople
Simple Rules
The New Jim Crow
A Very Expensive Poison
Never Eat Alone
Hold 'em Poker
Born To Run
Devouring Freedom
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The War of Art
René Girard's Mimetic Theory
Radical Son
How To Be a No Limit Person
On Drugs