Overview
Up Close: Jane Goodall by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen Up Close: Thurgood Marshall by Chris Crowe A trailblazing scientist made famous by her favorite primates.
Jane Goodall will forever be linked with the chimpanzees that she's studied for over fifty years. A pioneer in scientific research, she revolutionized longstanding views about chimps, forest conservation, and women in scientific fields. This Up Close biography tells the story of how a demure young woman from London went to Africa and changed the world.
Synopsis
Up Close: Jane Goodall by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen Up Close: Thurgood Marshall by Chris Crowe A trailblazing scientist made famous by her favorite primates.
Jane Goodall will forever be linked with the chimpanzees that she's studied for over fifty years. A pioneer in scientific research, she revolutionized longstanding views about chimps, forest conservation, and women in scientific fields. This Up Close biography tells the story of how a demure young woman from London went to Africa and changed the world.
Children's Literature
Part of the "Up Close" series of biographies, this one starts with the meeting of Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall's parents and quickly progresses to Ms. Goodall's departure for Africa. She used the money she had laboriously saved to fulfill her dream. In Kenya, East Africa, she eventually gets to know famed anthropologist Louis Leakey. It is he who arranges for her to study chimpanzees in the Gombe preserve. Most young woman might be scared by the idea of camping and observing these primates in such isolation. Jane's only concern was that she was not qualified to do a good job. But Dr. Leaky wanted an untrained eye, feeling she would not bring any scientific bias to her observations. Jane had no college education at this time since her family could not afford to send her. After her research—which was supposed to only take four months—gained her world-wide fame, Ms. Goodall did indeed receive a Ph.D. Her work with the chimpanzees proved major breakthroughs in animal behavior such as chimps using tools. Before that, scientists believed only humans used tools. Dr. Goodall has spent almost her entire adult life studying chimps and is now the world's leading authority on the subject. For most of her career, she had to constantly request grants to fund her research, leaving her to lead a Spartan life. The book has a lot of interesting information about Jane Goodall's life and gives the reader a good feel for how frustrating and fulfilling her work must be. I personally do not think the reader needs to know about her marital life; suffice it to say she was married twice and had a son with her first husband. There are many photos of Jane working with her chimps. Reviewer: SarahMaury Swan
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Part of the "Up Close" series of biographies, this one starts with the meeting of Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall's parents and quickly progresses to Ms. Goodall's departure for Africa. She used the money she had laboriously saved to fulfill her dream. In Kenya, East Africa, she eventually gets to know famed anthropologist Louis Leakey. It is he who arranges for her to study chimpanzees in the Gombe preserve. Most young woman might be scared by the idea of camping and observing these primates in such isolation. Jane's only concern was that she was not qualified to do a good job. But Dr. Leaky wanted an untrained eye, feeling she would not bring any scientific bias to her observations. Jane had no college education at this time since her family could not afford to send her. After her research—which was supposed to only take four months—gained her world-wide fame, Ms. Goodall did indeed receive a Ph.D. Her work with the chimpanzees proved major breakthroughs in animal behavior such as chimps using tools. Before that, scientists believed only humans used tools. Dr. Goodall has spent almost her entire adult life studying chimps and is now the world's leading authority on the subject. For most of her career, she had to constantly request grants to fund her research, leaving her to lead a Spartan life. The book has a lot of interesting information about Jane Goodall's life and gives the reader a good feel for how frustrating and fulfilling her work must be. I personally do not think the reader needs to know about her marital life; suffice it to say she was married twice and had a son with her first husband. There are many photos of Jane working with her chimps. Reviewer: SarahMaury SwanSchool Library Journal
Gr 6-9
This comprehensive account of Goodall's life and work among the chimpanzees of the Gombe Preserve in Africa will find interest with students who are interested in subjects such as primatology, environmental preservation, animal behavior, and women's studies. Goodall's career path, professional interactions, and research methods are detailed, and her personal life, loves, affairs, and family relationships are described. The validity of her questionable scientific approach and her academic standing are touched upon. Murky photographs of Goodall in Africa illustrate the dry and passionless text.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY