Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees

Description: In the tradition of "When Elephants Weep" comes the captivating story of the man who has made scientific history by talking to chimpanzees--man's closest biological relative. of photos.

Brief description:

Roger S. Fouts is a retired American primate researcher. He was co-founder and co-director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI) in Washington, and a professor of psychology at the Central Washington University. He is best known for his role in teaching Washoe the chimpanzee to communicate using a set of signs taken from American sign language.

Fouts is an animal rights advocate, citing the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act as a model for legal rights for the Great Apes (Hominidae), and campaigning with British primatologist Jane Goodall for improved conditions for chimpanzees. He has written on animal law and on the ethics of animal testing. He is also an adviser to the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.

Stephen Mills has advised and written for an array of public interest organizations in the fields of human rights, civil liberties, and health care. Since 1983, he has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council, building campaigns that have mobilized millions of people in support of environmental protection. He lives in California with his wife, Susan.

Review Quotes: "Engrossing...alternately hilarious and heartbreaking." --"San Francisco Chronicle""Beyond its exuberant storytelling value, this book contains ideas as revolutionary as any since "The Origin of Species." --Seattle Times"

"A startling, compassionate, honest, heart-wrenching book." --Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, coauthor of "When Elephants Weep"