Beauty and the beasts - Carole Jahme

Steaming jungles, hirsute primates, attractive women - a photogenic cocktail which aspiring writers and Hollywood directors have been drawn to for decades. But how much truth do these fictionalised images hold? From Jane Goodall to Dian Fossey, primatology is one of the only areas of science in which women actually dominate. Yet while the discoveries of female primatologists has lain the foundation of what is now know of ape behaviour, the methodology has often been criticised for being over-emotional, unscientific and in many cases plain mad. And yet women continue to find out more about ape behaviour than their male counterparts and our knowledge of ourselves continues to be strengthened by their research. Beauty and the Beasts is an in-depth look at the pioneering work of women in this field and the first book to unite the plethora of material that lies behind the key players. It debates some fairly controversial theories about their motivation and methodology - escapist Tarzan fantasy? Spiritual quest? Soap opera fixation? Warped motherhood/sexuality drive? and comes to some surprising conclusions.