Publisher's Synopsis
When "The Naked Ape" was first published in 1967, it shocked many people and became the subject of heated debate, the main objection being that Desmond Morris had written about human beings as though they were just another animal species. In addition to breaking religious and sexual taboos, it was claimed that Morris was putting forward the idea that mankind was trapped by brutish animal instincts from which there was no escape. In fact, he refers to the inborn patterns of behaviour we have in common with animals and gives examples of forming loving pair-bonds, caring for our children, curiosity and inventiveness.;"The Human Zoo" examines man as captive animal under the stresses and pressures of urban living.;"Intimate Behaviour" is concerned with sexual relationships within the modern environment, and it looks at how as a species we can enjoy the technical comforts of present-day living, while at the same time obeying our primeval instincts.