The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society
Written by Frans de Waal
Narrated by Alan Sklar
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Using research from the fields of anthropology, psychology, animal behavior, and neuroscience, Frans de Waal brilliantly argues that humans are group animals-highly cooperative, sensitive to injustice, and mostly peace-loving-just like other primates, elephants, and dolphins. This revelation has profound implications for everything from politics to office culture.
Frans de Waal
Frans de Waal was a Dutch-American primatologist and ethologist. Named as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People, he is the author of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?, among many other works. He was also the C. H. Candler Professor in Emory University's Psychology Department and director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He lived in Atlanta, Georgia and died in 2024.
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Reviews for The Age of Empathy
7 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5De Waal shows that empathy in animals is well-established and is chiefly interested in exploring how it functions. From the average reader's point of view, Chapter 7 is the most interesting, where the author addresses the role of empathy in human society. De Waal is strongly committed to the view that both empathy and gender differences related to it are deeply grounded in evolutionary biology. This makes him optimistic, on the one hand, but also hesitant to endorse any re-engineering of human nature; he does, however, believe our species is capable of more "fellow feeling." But he stops short of proposing "how to achieve this goal"—perhaps reserving it for a future book? Frans de Waal writes in an offhand casual style that belies his immense learning.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the first book I’ve read by Frans de Waal. It is written in simple, accessible language and is positively stuffed with provocative ideas and anecdotal stories. The premise, that empathetic behaviors and tendencies predate our evolutionary pedigree, directly addresses underrepresented views in both evolutionary biology as well as popular conceptions of our own animal nature. I found his unapologetic attitude about the political implications of his work to be personally refreshing and scientifically defensible. However, here’s what really sells the book: in casual conversation I found myself repeatedly (and indirectly) referencing “The Age of Empathy” as a touchstone for an astonishing array of tangential interdisciplinary topics. My only complaint is that I would have preferred a longer, more complex book on the subject.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a clearly written, easily read report of animal studies that show empathy to be an evolutionary necessary, and basic attribute of humanity. Written after the current financial collapse, DeWall shows that following the Milton Friedman, Alan Greenspan, Gordon Gekko assumption that greed is good and a natural underpinning to a self-sustaining economic system is what lead to the collapse of that system. He shows that humans are social creatures, and that society cannot exist unless its members take the well-being of others into account. These are provocative ideas that are well worth pondering at this point in our history.I also like the fact that he debunks the behavorist idea that animals don't have emotions by giving clear examples of those emotions. The fact that the book is so easy to read makes it easier for me to recommend it to people who might be reluctant to read more complicated animal studies.