Through a Window: My Thirty Years With the Chimpanzees of Gombe

By Jane Goodall/Houghton Mifflin, 48 pages

In 1990, at the time of this book’s publishing, Jane Goodall had been researching chimpanzees in Gombe for 30 years. She had previously written, In the Shadow of Man, which chronicled the first 10 years of research. Through a Window continues where the first left off and covers the next 20 years.

Some may be wondering what this book has to do with sasquatch research. The simple answer is that it contains information on the most successful, longest running, non-human primate research to ever take place. There is much to be learned about primate behavior and research methods within the pages.

It is the desire and goal of many sasquatch researchers to document and study this yet unknown creature. Dr. Goodall found many parallels between the behavior of chimpanzees and humans. If they truly exist, how many more parallels might we learn from sasquatch? Who wouldn’t love to observe the behavior of such an elusive creature?

This book reads much like a novel. Not only is Dr. Goodall an excellent researcher, she is also a very descriptive and talented writer. Several chapters in the book are biographies of individual chimpanzees and she does a great job of getting the reader emotionally attached.

Throughout this book, you will learn about the struggles for dominance among the Gombe males. You can expect to learn about the rise and fall of alpha males, such as Evered and Goblin. You also learn about wars that took place between rival chimpanzee clans in Gombe. One such war wiped out a good portion of the chimps Dr. Goodall and her associates were studying.

Also covered in the book are the mating habits of chimpanzees and the displays and courting rituals that go along with them. Surprisingly, you will also learn of a sterile female named Gigi that seemed to fit the profile of a pedophile. At least I thought she did.

Parenting skills and how they differ between individuals is thoroughly covered in Through a Window. With 30 years of research, Dr. Goodall was able to see how child-rearing techniques affected the adult life of a chimpanzee. She was able to clearly demonstrate the nurture side of the classic nature vs. nurture debate. She clearly documents the successes of chimps that had good mothers versus the trials and tribulations of chimps that had poor mothers.

As with humans, some chimpanzees are quite docile, while others are aggressive. There is one chapter in the book that chronicles the activities of a mother and daughter duo named Passion and Pom, respectively. Dr. Goodall and fellow researchers were horrified to learn that these chimpanzees were cannibals. To make matters worse, their victims were infant chimpanzees, which they would violently steal from their mothers.

The book closes on a note of conservation. Dr. Goodall educates the reader to the conditions many captive chimpanzees live under and talks about her efforts to protect them. She also touches on other environmental concerns such as global warming. I found her thoughts and theories in this area a little dramatic, political, and not based on hard science. Her evolutionary theorizing put me off somewhat, but I am sure the Darwinists out there will eat it right up.

All in all, I found this a fascinating read. It truly is a window into the lives of chimpanzees at Gombe. Dr. Goodall and associates have spent countless hours and many years quietly studying chimps. The work they have done is arguably one of the most well documented scientific research studies to ever occur. I feel most sasquatch researchers will enjoy and appreciate this book.

ISBN 0395599253
48 pages
5 1/2 x 9 inches, Paperback.

Houghton Mifflin
215 Park Ave South
New York, NY 10003