Do animals experience pride, shame, guilt, or disgust, just like we humans do? Do they have a sense of justice and gratitude? Can dogs laugh and mourn, can elephants console each other, or can monkeys envy, plot and plot revenge? Do fish feel pain and can birds love? What do the behavior of alpha male chimpanzees and modern politicians have in common? In this kind and intelligent book, in addition to the touching story of a chimpanzee named Mama, the famous primatologist Frans de Waal talks about his many observations and experiments on the study of the emotions of various animals. Along with anger and hatred, leading even to the deliberate killing of their own kind, animals show an amazing capacity for compassion, reconciliation and forgiveness. They, like us, are capable of empathy, mutual assistance and close social interaction. The author considers human feelings in an evolutionary context as a direct continuation of the emotions of animals and calls to realize our inextricable connection with all creatures on the planet and, ultimately, better understand ourselves.
