my thoughts of this wonderful warm story is that what a incrediably woman Jane must be. We had this book as children and was the one that was favoured by all in our family. Its is a story of feeling and close bond of her and her family. To put yourself and family out with nature and the wild bush must be invigourating. I am only sorry that my children have never felt what her son did. It is a story of great respect and courage, I congratulate you Jane.

Just so you know, Jane van Lawick-Goodall is more commonly known as Jane Goodall - yes, the one that works with chimpazees. Hugo van Lawick-Goodall was the photographer as well as her husband during the chimpazee studies.

This book manages to make 3 animals that most folks do not have a lot of love for and make them interesting reading. I don't particularly like hyenas and the description of how they eat their prey alive is unnerving but it is also fascinating. Hyenas (as well as jackals and wild dogs) kill their prey with a method known as rapid disembowelment. The prey dies very quickly as opposed to the methods lions (as well as cheetahs and leopards) use which is suffocation. Suffocation can take at least ten minutes if not longer to kill the prey. I won't presume to know which is the most painful way, but rapid disembowelment would seem more efficent from the predator's point of view.

They spend over two years studying spotted hyenas, golden jackals and wild dogs. The information about the social structure the animals participate in as well as their hunting methods are described in great detail. You don't have to be a zoologist or have specialized training to appreciate this book, but I think being an animal lover would be a great help.

One of the more interesting parts to me was when M's van Lawick-Goodall talks about taking her baby son along on this expedition. She details how she tried to make it as safe as possible for Grublin and how he grew up with the animals.

The black and white photographs are excellent. The bat eared foxes are quite photogenic, as well as the cheetah cubs at play.The pictures of the books subjects are equally good.

M's van Lawick-Goodall does an excellent great job giving the reader a different viewpoint of these much maligned animals. Read the book and learn all about these "innocent killers".

This is a great book about wildlife researchers who rescue and raise a wild dog pup and then successfully release it into the wild. It was produced as a wildlife film under another name. The pictures are wonderful and it is well written. Overall a very enjoyable book and a pleasant way to learn about the wild dogs of Africa.

This book tells you what Jane Gooddall went through to learn about the animals she loved. It is NOT the scientific account of that research, you can find that elsewhere. It's a fascinating story. I found myself caught up in the lives of the different chimps, wondering what Flo, David, Flint and Fifi were going to do next.

As a student of biology I feel it really narrows in on what it is like to be a field biologist--fascination!

IN THE SHADOW OF MAN, first published in 1971, remains one of the most extraordinary observations of chimpanzee behavior in the wild. Goodall begins with the story of how she arrived in Africa and her first days there, but wisely switches the attention from herself to the endangered chimpanzees she studies. She not only recognizes individuals but learns their distinctive personalities, describing in compelling detail the smallest of moments that illuminate who these great animals are. Unlike most scientists of the time, Goodall documents emotions and complex political behavior, the social hierarchy and parenting abilities, the aggression and the bonds formed between chimps that can only be described as friendships. In eloquent prose, Goodall tells the stories of these chimps - most notably that of Flo and her family - and will forever change the way you view chimpanzees.

The book contains several black and white photographs of the chimps, a real treat after getting to "know" these chimps in writing.

If you have any interest at all in primates or in animals generally, this is a must-have book.

If you have some time this summer, let Jane Goodall motivate you with her enlightening stories of chimpanzees. The book will make readers aware of the fascinating similarities between man and chimp. Dr. Goodall portrays her stay in Africa vividly, and is truly inspirational. "In the Shadow of Man" is a wonderful book!

Peter Mattheissen ("The Tree Where Man was born," "At Play in the Fields of the Lord," "The Snow Leopard") takes the reader on a safari into the Selous, the grandest piece of truly wild real estate left in Africa. Along for the ride in western Tanzania is the last great warden of this famous park, a direct descendant, in a way, of Frederick Cortenay Selous himself, for whom the park is named. Matthiessen is low key, unpretentious, straightforward and fresh in his descriptions. Yet, as the safari moves deeper and deeper into the bush, one wonders, as one found in Matthiessen's classic "The Snow Leopard", whether we're really going to see any big animals after all. And whether or not Matthiessen and the crusty old game warden are going to resolve their apprehensions about each other. Suffice it to say that at no level is this fine book a disappointment, including the excellent photography of Hugo Van Lawick, who accompanied the private safari, driving his own Land Rover down from the Serengeti. If you ever thought you might like to take a walk in Africa, the old Africa, this is your book.