A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons
By: Robert M. Sapolsky / Narrated By: Mike Chamberlain
Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
I felt so sorry for myself that Sapolsky didn’t narrate this, but then I got over it and had a really good time!
I really think this would’ve been a near perfect book… had Sapolsky narrated it himself. I truly love his Great Courses (And recently, our little audiobook club listened to Being Human which was a rip-roarin’ good time, fraught with primate discontent, human emotions, and parasites galore!), and I’d gotten used to his rapid-fire delivery, and his lightning-quick wit. Plus, I’m well aware of the fact that some of his other audiobooks have gotten panned due to narration issues. So I’m MOST sad that he didn’t do this himself, but lemme suck it up here, and let’s get on with the book!
In this, A Primate’s Memoir, Sapolsky takes us waaaaay back to his days as a barely young adult(ish) guy who treks off to Africa with a few bucks in his pocket, one kinda sorta reference, and maybe some beans, rice, a couple o’ cans of mackerel/salmon (I can’t remember which cuz the very thought of canned fish made me instantly wrinkle my nose and repress the heck outta any and all statements regarding all such smelly things).
Sure, his life amongst the baboons is chronicled in great detail, each is spoken of and we’re given enough information about them to really care about each individual. Uhm, to the point where things get sad at times (Also, it turns out that male baboons can be real schmucks to the females, raping them when angry… Grrrr…). We’re given really humorous descriptions of how they manage their relationships as parents/children and as potential love partners.
But it’s not only baboons: Sapolsky has a lot to do with the people of various of tribes and is rather unceremoniously introduced to their customs. There is also tribal warfare; and this is outside of the civil wars that Sapolsky has to navigate his way through, attempting to NOT piss off either side: He just wants to do research, for cripes sake!
Then there are resorts that thrive on tourists out to see wildlife—and their garbage makes the baboons sick, draws them near to the resorts, resulting in them being killed as threats. Then there are wardens of game preserves—and most of these guys are poachers or operate on bribes. You add all this to the pervasive poverty, the rampant disease, the corruption that’s EVERYwhere, and ya wonder why Sapolsky loves his memories of the place.
But seriously. The man writes this Memoir with such love for the people (Even tho’ he still SEEEEETHES when he speaks of some of them), and he definitely felt deeply about the animals he cared for. The whole book is affectionate and wonderfully amusing. His sidekicks are spoken of with love and with humor, and when he himself falls in love? Well, she sounds like one really special person, unfazed by, well, pretty much anything.
Okay, now for the narration. I’ve already whined about it not being author-narrated, so obviously poor Mike Chamberlain had a lot going against him as I judged his narration. Still, I gotta admit that once I stopped sniffling and whinging, the guy’s voice grew on me. I guess what he really has going for him is that this book is of Sapolsky’s early life, and Chamberlain very much has the tones of a young man. …and that’s the best I can say for him… Don’t get me wrong, though. He does most of it well; it’s just that we’re missing Sapolsky’s delivery of zingers so that some humor gets lost.
All in all, however: I STILL love all things Sapolsky and am eyeing those GLORIOUS Great Courses!
Gimme those NOW, please!!!
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