The Last Embrace of Mom. What Animal Emotions Teach Us

Do animals experience pride, shame, guilt, or disgust like us, humans? Do they have a sense of justice and gratitude? Can dogs laugh and mourn, can elephants comfort each other, and can monkeys feel envy, weave intrigues, and plot revenge?... Do fish feel pain and can birds love? What do alpha male chimpanzees and modern politicians have in common? In this kind and intelligent book, in addition to the touching story of a chimpanzee named Mom, renowned primatologist Frans de Waal shares his numerous observations and experiments on the study of emotions in various animals. Alongside anger and hatred, which can lead to deliberate murder of their kind, animals exhibit an astonishing capacity for compassion, reconciliation, and forgiveness. They, like us, are capable of empathy, mutual aid, and close social interaction.