Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist

Frans de Waal A lecture
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | 7:00pm Mark Taper Auditorium-Central Library

Click here to listen to a recording of the program.

“This surprising look at the nature of primates has a lot to say about what it means to be human.”― Publishers Weekly  

Renowned primatologist and bestselling author Frans de Waal has spent thousands of hours observing apes and monkeys both in the wild and in captivity. In his new book (now out in paperback), Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist, de Waal challenges widely held beliefs about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about authority, leadership, cooperation, competition, filial bonds, sexual orientation, gender identity, and the limitations of the gender binary, exceptions to which are also found in other primates. With humor, clarity, and compassion, Different seeks to broaden the conversation about human gender dynamics by promoting an inclusive model that embraces differences. 

Frans de Waal

Frans de Waal, author of Mama’s Last Hug, is C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus of Primate Behavior at Emory University and the former director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Photo Credit: Frans de Waal © Catherine Marin

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