Almost Chimpanzee: Redrawing the Lines That Separate Us from Them

In the autumn of 2005, researchers cracked the code of the chimpanzee genome and provided a startling new window into the differences between humans and our closest primate cousins. For the past several years, acclaimed “Science” reporter Jon Cohen has been following the DNA hunt, as well as eye-opening new studies in ape communication, human evolution, disease, diet, and more. In “Almost Chimpanzee”, Cohen invites us on a captivating scientific journey, taking us behind the scenes in cutting-edge genetics labs, rain forests in Uganda, sanctuaries in Iowa, experimental enclaves in Japan, even the Detroit Zoo. Cohen offers a fresh and humorous insider’s tour of the latest research, which promises to lead to everything from insights about the unique ways our bodies work to shedding light on human-only problems, ranging from infertility and asthma to speech disorders. And in the end, Cohen explains why it’s time to move on from Jane Goodall’s plea that we focus on how the two species are alike and turn to examining why our differences matter in vital ways.