Research Catalog

Details

Description

1. xii, 369 p. : ill.; 22 cm.

Summary

1. Could a chimpanzee raised from infancy by a human family bridge the gap between species--and change the way we think about the boundaries between animal and human? Here is the strange and moving account of an experiment intended to answer these questions, and of the chimp who was chosen to see it through. Columbia University psychologist Herbert S. Terrace's goal was to teach a chimpanzee American Sign Language in order to refute Noam Chomsky's assertion that language is an exclusively human trait. Nim Chimpsky, the baby chimp, was "adopted" by a graduate student. At first his progress exceeded all expectations--his charm and mischievous sense of humor endeared him to everyone. But no one had thought through the long-term consequences of raising a chimp in the human world. Nim's story will move and entertain at the same time that it challenges us to ask what it means to be human.--From publisher description.

Subject

1. Chimpsky, Nim (Chimpanzee), 1973-2000
2. Sign Language
3. Animal Experimentation
4. Behavior, Animal
5. Pan troglodytes
6. Nim Chimpsky (Chimpanzee)
7. Chimpanzees > Psychology
8. Human-animal communication
9. Sign language
10. Chimpanzees > Biography

Genre/Form

1. Biographies

Contents

1. Prologue: the unexpected birth of Nim Chimpsky -- Introduction: chimps are us -- Project Nim: New York City. Early days on the chimp farm -- Launching project Nim -- "Brady Bunch -- plus chimp" -- Trouble in the family -- The master of Delafield -- "Pull tickle" -- The Institute for Primate Studies: Norman Oklahoma. Meanwhile, back on the farm -- Captivity -- Becoming a Norman chimp -- The fall of IPS -- Inside LEMSIP -- Sanctuary: Murchison, Texas. The Black Beauty Ranch -- When Nim met Sally.

Owning institution

1. Harvard Library

Bibliography (note)

1. Includes bibliographical references (p. [353]-356) and index.

Processing action (note)

1. committed to retain