Summary
Sapolsky is a biologist specializing in neurology. Ever since he was a child, he has been obsessed with primates, so shortly after graduating from Harvard, he travels to Kenya to begin his studies on a troop of baboons. His study focused on the effect that stress has on the development and overall well-being of a physical system and eventually spanned around 25 years, where he would spend four months in the field and the rest of the year analyzing his findings in the States. The book is separated into sections that align his own maturity with those of the baboons, such as adolescent, young adult, etc. With this handy narrative device, the reader is able to witness the maturation of the author simultaneously with his subjects.
Thoughts
This book was much more entertaining than it should have been. The scientific findings and theories in this book are pushed into the background, as the real interest comes from Sapolsky getting into all sorts of trouble and just barely managing to talk his way out of these situations. He is witty, self-deprecating, and self-aggrandizing all at the same time, in a way that is hard to resist. I really admired the way he was willing to lean into the vagabond traveler mystique with an almost rampant disregard for his own safety. A brilliant scientific communicator, he manages to strike a balance between joyful moments and realistic cynicism, quite the difficult tightrope to walk. I will be excited to read more of his books and would highly recommend this book.
#book
#sapolsky #neurology #primatology #baboons #kenya_research #stress_impact #scientific_study #biological_research #scientific_communication #travel_adventures #personal_growth
People/Robert Sapolsky