Synopses & Reviews
Alison Jolly believes that biologists have an important story to tell about being human--not the all-too-familiar tale of selfishness, competition, and biology as destiny but rather one of cooperation and interdependence, from the first merging of molecules to the rise of a species inextricably linked by language, culture, and group living. This is the story that unfolds in Lucy's Legacy, the saga of human evolution as told by a world-renowned primatologist who works among the female-dominant ringtailed lemurs of Madagascar.
We cannot be certain that Lucy was female--the bones themselves do not tell us. However, we do know, as Jolly points out in this erudite, funny, and informative book, that the females who came after Lucy--more adept than their males in verbal facility, sharing food, forging links between generations, migrating among places and groups, and devising creative mating strategies--played as crucial a role in the human evolutionary process as "man" ever did. In a book that takes us from the first cell to global society, Jolly shows us that to learn where we came from and where we go next, we need to understand how sex and intelligence, cooperation and love, emerged from the harsh Darwinian struggle in the past, and how these natural powers may continue to evolve in the future.
Review
[Jolly's] inspiring account of our past and potential future...shows how...the epic story of our evolution can be told as much in terms of co-operative interplay as competition...Jolly guides us through these debates and others with a delightful mixture of common sense, panache, and up-to-date erudition...[Lucy's Legacy] is stuffed with a wonderful array of facts that ground Jolly's assertions. Don Johanson, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University
Review
Lucy's Legacy is really a compendium of all that has been accomplished in animal behavior and evolutionary biology since 1960
Here we have all the major achievements from the past few decades and, taken together, as they are in this book, the whole is impressive
Jolly is at her best when writing about humans. Gilbert Taylor - Booklist
Review
This is an engaging romp through the human story and a thoughtful exploration of who we are as both a biological and a cultural species. Although Jolly covers a considerable diversity of topics in four major sections, each chapter of the story is woven together with a unifying theme of cooperation...Jolly does an elegant job weaving biology, history, art poetry, anecdotes and facts alike to unfold the tapestry of who we are as a species. This book provides a thoughtful review of many decades of research by biologists, primatologists, sociobiologists and evolutionary psychologists, although Jolly's original ideas pepper the discussion. It is an erudite and witty think piece, liberally seasoned with insights and illustrations gleaned from throughout the humanities and sciences--an appropriate blend from the author who bemoans the arbitrary dichotomization of human biology and human culture. Indeed, for those of us who believe that both biology and culture can contribute to our understanding of who we are as a species, this book is an amusing read and a refreshing antidote to the estrangement of the natural and social sciences. Adrian Barnett - New Scientist
Review
In clear and clever prose, Jolly shows us how we got started, what sex had to do with it, and how our brains have become the central force in evolution. With the recent decision of the Kansas Board of Education to play down the teaching of evolution, this may be the time to stock up on good sources that tell the remarkable story of how we became human. Kirkus Reviews
Review
If you want to know how you became the most intelligent and sexiest creature on Earth, this is the book for you. Alison Jolly, one of the world's leading primatologists, provokes us to think deeply and clearly about our place in nature--our origins, our primacy on the planet, and even where we may be heading as a species. Written with grace and wit, Lucy's Legacy offers refreshing and challenging insights into what it means to be human. Donna Haraway, University of California, Santa Cruz
Review
Jolly has made two of the most significant contributions to paradigm shifts in primatology. She was the first to recognise the social power of females in groups, and she formulated the first statement of the social intelligence hypothesis, which argues that intelligence and mentality are consequences of social opportunities, not by-products of tool use, bipedalism or human language... Lucy's Legacy is beautifully written, elegant, poetic and artistic as well as deeply knowledgeable. Andrew Whiten - Times Literary Supplement
Review
This is a book which agrees that nature is often red in tooth and claw, but encourages us to feel good about it all the same...Everybody should understand [sociobiology's] essentials, and Jolly's book provides an excellent outline...She writes with a serenity that is especially pleasing in a field usually harsh with the sound of grinding axes...One of this book's most valuable dimensions is its calm exposition of a worldview which is unequivocally sociobiological, and at the same time sure in its affirmation of feminist and liberal values. Christophe Boesch - Nature
Review
Jolly traces four evolutionary transitions in this compelling book and says we are in the early stages of a fifth...The range of things Jolly knows is stunning, and the connections she finds among those things are often startling. She flavors her gripping tale with lines from poems. Occasionally she throws in a joke..[and] she is hopeful that the fifth transition will turn out well. Michael Ruse - Globe and Mail
Review
In Lucy's Legacy, a charming, eclectic and sensible book, [Jolly] argues that while evolution certainly involves competition, the major transitions have arisen through cooperation...With humor and erudition she leads the reader to an understanding of the biology and behavior of primates, through the evolution of intelligence and into 'the age of humanity,' where evolution is charted chiefly by the human mind. Her genius in this informative, satisfying book is to strip away dogma and politics that have shrouded evolution, to reveal a theory Darwin would recognize as his own. 'There is grandeur in this view of life,' he wrote, and here it is seen marvelously. Ellen Ruppel Shell
Review
Allison Jolly's book is a refreshing and stimulating account of evolution, and especially the evolution of sex and intelligence in humans and primates. One of its strengths is her presentation of the female view. We men have always had a tendency to consider life from our own perspective...Jolly proposes that the traditional feminine viewpoint on evolution is one of cooperative organization and not of competition. This is the counterpart to the fundamental dilemma for anyone trained in Darwinian evolutionary theory, with its emphasis on rampant individualism. New York Times Book Review
Review
One of the things that makes this book so satisfying is the way it clearly and cleverly gets around the whole nature/nurture question by looking at the complex interplay between a mother and baby, in which each is programmed to learn from the other. This is not what anyone would call headline science: it's just well-written, witty, thought-provoking and full of fascinating detail. You don't learn how to do primatology, but you do learn what kind of primate you are, which is, for most people, more valuable. Marek Kohn - The Independent
Review
[Jolly's] method is to offer a host of lively facts to grip the imagination...All this provides a rich mix, which could have ended up as a convoluted tangle of facts. But Jolly bounds from topic to topic with all the assurance of one of her beloved lemurs...Her book is full of wry, ironic humour, as well as knowledgeable remarks about the way science works...Bolstered by acute analysis of the degree of mental sophistication of the great apes, Jolly produces a convincing reappraisal of the position of male and female in human evolution...Lucy's Legacy has the tone of a wise friend reminding you of things you had forgotten while arranging them for you in a delightful, previously unperceived and revelatory way--and doing this for your edification, rather than for their own glory...Jolly's subject is serious, her erudition profound in a book deft and sure enough to engage even those with the briefest of biological backgrounds. She has pulled off the most elegant of scientific popularisation tricks: being light without being lightweight. Andrew Brown - The Guardian
Review
A good book worth reading. Joanna E. Lambert - American Scientist
Review
Jolly's book is an outstanding example of how sociobiology has matured. She is feminist in a relaxed, inclusive, open-minded, and undefensive way. -Scientific American
Review
Jolly suggests that enhanced cooperation, social behavior, and the division of labor have played significant roles [in human evolution]. [She] is sympathetic to a sociobiological approach, which emphasizes the role of evolution-influenced instinct as both an asset and a problem for our species; she provides many interesting insights based on her knowledge of primate intelligence and behavior. She also discusses some interesting fossil evidence of paleontology, muses over the views of various factions on human evolution, and speculates on the future of our species and of our planet. An interesting, well-written, and well-documented book. Mary Ellen Curtin - amazon.com
Review
Princeton primatologist Jolly brings good news from prehistory and delivers it with style. Neither evolutionary theory nor sociobiology, as popularly understood, flatter humanity. Evolution paints a grim picture of survival of the fittest, and sociobiology has more than a few sexist implications. Jolly argues that human development is not the story of battle after battle to determine survival of the fittest...[She] considers neo-Darwinism explanations of human feelings and decisions, from white lies to charitable giving to abortions. As she moves from discussions of human culture to her own research among the Lemurs of Madagascar, Jolly proves an illuminating guide to the complex intersection of nature and nurture...[An] accessible, comprehensive and thought-provoking work. Marit MacArthur - Library Journal
Review
[Jolly] tells a good tale in her quest to explain where we came from and where we're headed...Jolly is an enthusiastic guide; she has fun with all this, and readers will too. Publishers Weekly
Review
One of the best-written, erudite, and informative books I have seen in a long time. Building on her expertise as a primatologist, Alison Jolly addresses an incredible range of topics, from the peculiarities of the Y-chromosome to those of postmodernism. The sex wars are in full swing here, but always presented with balance, humor, and nice bits of poetry. Philip Herbst - Booklist
Review
Alison Jolly is a pioneer in the study of social intelligence and one of primatology's Great Souls. This book is a treasure. Frans de Waal,
Review
Jolly's version of Lucy's Legacy shows a keen intelligence about both sexual and mental life in the compelling worlds of primates. Jolly's accounts mine a deep vein of evolutionary and biobehavioral research to bring the reader into the drama of human evolution and multistranded relation to our near kin. Jolly believes in a rich possible human future for Lucy's descendants. Such visions are crucial in a world that too easily loses track of its biological inheritance. The book's wit alone is worth the price; but best of all, the reader will set the book down with a deeper appreciation of the complexity of primate natures and the richness of our scientific cultures that have let us know more about these important matters. Sarah B. Hrdy,
Review
Primatologist Jolly accents the imperatives of reproduction as an evolutionary force, from the australopithecines onward, particularly as an influence on increasing brainpower. Phyllis Lee - Times Higher Education Supplement
Review
Mention should be made of the graceful embellishment of the text with poems. A rich tapestry, provocative and fun. Meredith Small - Evolutionary Anthropology
Review
and#8220;A captivating and absorbing account.and#8221;
Review
andquot;Without a doubt one of the very best books about conservation. It ranges from the authorand#39;s work with Madagascarand#39;s fascinating and unique lemurs, efforts at all levels to protect their habitat, sympathetic descriptions of village life, and the often highly amusing stories of what goes on behind the scenes during high level meetings. The information presented in diary form makes you feel you were present, sharing the excitements, disappointments and triumphs that are part of the on going struggle to save the environment. And for those of us who knew and loved Allison, it is as though she is with us still, suggesting we do our best to save this planet for our children. I was truly absorbed from start to finish.andquot;
Review
andquot;A gripping tale of the birthing years of the environmental movement in Madagascar. Jolly is a great story-teller, and brings to life the first studies of the unique wildlife of Madagascar. Sometimes provocative, often funny and always with wisdom about human nature, this tale is history at its best, a first hand view of the intrigues of complex politics and the drive of determined researchers at the frontiers of wild science. The pathos of human poverty and the richness of wildlife are one story, and Jolly brings you Madagascar with all its complexities.andquot;
Review
andquot;Jollyandrsquo;s amazing eyewitness account takes us from the halls of the World Bank to the huts of forest villagers - and even to the ethics of mining companies. I recommend it especially to the Malagasy friends and colleagues who struggle for sustainability for our country.andquot;
Synopsis
Alison Jolly believes that biologists have an important story to tell about being human--not the all-too-familiar tale of selfishness, competition, and biology as destiny but rather one ofcooperation and interdependence, from the first merging of molecules to the rise of a species inextricably linked by language, culture, and group living. This is the story that unfolds in Lucy's Legacy, the saga of human evolution astold by a world-renowned primatologist who works among the female-dominant ringtailed lemurs of Madagascar.
We cannot be certain that Lucy was female--the bones themselves do not tell us. However, wedo know, as Jolly points out in this erudite, funny, and informative book, that the females who came after Lucy--more adept than their males in verbal facility, sharing food, forging links between generations, migrating among places andgroups, and devising creative mating strategies--played as crucial a role in the human evolutionary process as "man" ever did. In a book that takes us from the first cell to global society, Jolly shows us that to learn where we camefrom and where we go next, we need to understand how sex and intelligence, cooperation and love, emerged from the harsh Darwinian struggle in the past, and how these natural powers may continue to evolve in the future.
Synopsis
We cannot be certain that Lucy was female--the bones themselves do not tell us. However, we do know, as Alison Jolly points out, that the females who came after Lucy--more adept than their males in verbal facility, sharing food, and migrating among places and groups--played as crucial a role in the human evolutionary process as "man" ever did. In a book that takes us from the first cell to global society, Jolly shows us that to learn where we came from and where we go next, we need to understand how sex and intelligence, cooperation and love, emerged from the harsh Darwinian struggle in the past.
Synopsis
Honorable Mention, 1999 Association of American Publishers PSP Award, Sociology and Anthropology Category
Synopsis
Finalist, 1999 Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Synopsis
Saving Madagascar is an eyewitness account of a First World conservationistsand#8217; attempts to rescue the extraordinary biodiversity of Madagascar - and the environment of its people. At the bookand#8217;s heart is a conflict between three different views of nature. Is the extraordinary forest treasure-house of Madagascar, with its beauty and evolved fascination for science, a heritage for the entire world? Is it instead a legacy of the forest dwellersand#8217; ancestors, bequeathed to serve the needs of their living descendants? Or is it an economic resource to pillage for short-term gain, to preserve only in the measure of return in environmental services for those with political power?
Beautifully written, this book is a diary of people and animals of Madagascar
Synopsis
Madagascar is home to one of the worldandrsquo;s greatest concentration of biodiversityandmdash;but that biodiversity is also among the most threatened on the planet. For decades, conservationists from the developed world have been working to protect those riches, for the earth and for the people of Madagascar. This diary from the late Alison Jolly, who was one of the leading figures in that movement, captures the successes and failures of those efforts, as well as the complicated, fundamental questions that they raise.
Offering a rich account of the lives of people who live on Madagascar, and the daily work of conservation science, Jolly reveals the beauty and tragedy of the islandandrsquo;s biological richness. To whom, she asks, does that richness belong? Is it a heritage for the entire world? A legacy of the forest dwellersandrsquo; ancestors, bequeathed to todayandrsquo;s people to serve their needs? Or is it an economic resource, to be pillaged for short-term gain, preserved only to the extent that it offers some sort of financial return for those who wield political and economic power? Negotiating the pitfalls of conservation efforts driven by these questions, Jolly presents an unflinching portrait of contemporary conservation in action, of its possibilities and problems alike.
About the Author
Alison Jolly (1937-2014) was a primatologist known for her studies of lemur biology, and she conducted extensive fieldwork in Madagascar.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword - Hilary Bradt
Introduction - Margaretta Jolly
My adventurous and astonishing mother
Chronology of events
Dramatis personae xxix
Map of madagascar
1. and#39;Our country is committing Suicideand#39;
Part I: Villages
2. Dancing in the Rainforest
3. Burning Baobabs, Death of Children
4. David Attenborough, Madame Bertheand#39;s Mouse lemur, and School among the Baobabs
5. Eleanor and the Aye-Ayes
Part II: Politics: Saving Madagascar
6. Where Indri Sing
7. Napoleon versus the Zoos
8. The Bank Corrals the Donors
9. Dishing out the Dough
10. Our Cash killed Bedo
11. The Bank Goes to the Forest
Part III: Research and Development
12. Golden Bamboo Lemurs of Ranomafana
13. Patricia Walked the Boundaries
14. The Village of the Fig Tree
15. Development Meltdown
16: Real Life And DreamWorks.
17. President Ratsiraka
18. Madame Berthe was Dancing
Part IV: Weather
19. Famine in the South
20. Lemurs coping
21. Scientists, People, Lemurs: Berenty, Bezandagrave; Mahafaly and Tsimanampetsotsa
22. Climate Change
Part V: Money
23. Durban Vision: Rosewood Massacre
24. The New Mines
25. Where are We Now?
References
Photographic credits
Index