Sapolsky

There have been at least two incredible things that, if it hadn't been for the accident, I wouldn't have been any the wiser about. The first is The Traveling Wilburys, which will be the subject of a future blog post. The second is the marvellous Professor Robert Sapolsky. Here is a speech he gave . Here's a lecture he gave about religion and the brain. This is more recent, the first of 26 numbered lectures available on youtube.

I can't get enough of the man, I've recently embarked on his bibliography  and this will be a review of his second book, A Primate's Memoir, which I had thought was his first, detailing his time in Kenya studying a troop of baboons. Funnily though, in a recent fan-email I sent to him, I had falsely declared them not baboons, but orangutans. A correction he thoughtfully did not make upon his reply, even though, to a primatologist, that must have been a glaring fumble to make. As well as being my favourite primatologist he's also a neurologist, but only my second favourite. My favourite is this lady, Dr Ottes. Even if your German isn't great you'll see the enthusiasm.

A Primate's Memoir, with witty prose, follows a doctoral student as he struggles with the culture shock of having moved from New York to Kenya; hilarity ensues as well as some African history as Idi Amin clings to power in neighbouring Uganda. This is a fantastic read, that switches between the soap opera that is the politics within the baboon troop, and the personal struggles of an American student in 70s Kenya.

There is also a giveaway of A Primate's Memoir. All you have to do is come up with a primate themed Sillytrain with a score >=4 e.g. A monkey's grandfather interrupted ...

Appendix A
I have hyperlinked the description of a Sillytrain for those of you who missed it.

Appendix B
The deadline for entrants to this competition is Sunday, 3rd of February @23:59.

Appendix C

There is only one book giveaway. The person with the highest scoring sillytrain, currently 8.