Here’s an interesting read from biologist Robert M. Sapolsky. A real fish-out-of-water story, it’s filled with amusing anecdotes based on his twenty-plus years’ experience in Kenya studying the behavior of baboon tribes and how their social hierarchy affects the stress levels, and therefore the health, of individuals.
Sapolsky somehow developed real personal relationships with the animals. Baboons have personalities? Who knew! He draws wonderful characterizations — and some probably unscientific anthorpomorphisms — from his observations. He also comes close to making risky comparisons in tales of his dealing with various human Africans. Life there is appararently a maze of corruption, close families, tribalism and con games.
But it all provides fodder for wonderful narratives: the drive through a violent tribal homeland in a gas tanker; a truck ride across the desert, and up onto a wonderful rainforest plateau where the inhabitants can scarcely believe their good fortune to have a home there; being virtually kidnapped for several days, drinking and endless supply of Coca-Cola; living for years on Taiwanese mackerel in tomato sauce; and other culinary adventures undertaken by Sapolsky, raised in an orthodox Jewish home with a picky appetite, suddenly faced with the fact that over there you eat what’s put in front of you, be it a tureen of congealed cow blood or a raw zebra leg.
Sapolsky is a MacArthur Grant recipient, so he’s someone at least I feel I should take seriously. At the book group where we discussed this someone found some video of him on YouTube. He’s a pretty out-there guy, as best I could tell.