The Book

Table of Contents
&
Chapter Excerpts

Reviews & News Reports

Lectures

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            The Author

 

   Dario Maestripieri is a Professor at
    The University of Chicago, where he
    teaches and conducts research
    on the biological bases of social behavior
    in human and nonhuman primates.

    http://www.dariomaestripieri.com

 

 

                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                               

 

                        Have said about it:

               “Rhesus monkeys and humans are highly successful survivors in a complex and sometimes cruel world.
               Macachiavellian Intelligence
, a good read about the nitty-gritty details of how rhesus monkeys make it, tells
               us a lot about ourselves. It's often not a pretty picture to read about manipulative social opportunism, but if we
               ignore the important message of this book we, not the monkeys or other animals, will be the big losers.”
                     <Marc Bekoff, author of Minding Animals and The Emotional Lives of Animals>

               “Macachiavellian Intelligence provides deep insights into the fascinating psychology of both rhesus
               macaques and humans. Written in an engaging style with gripping examples that highlight key principles, it
               gives readers a profound understanding of the things we all care about—sex, status, dominance, aggression,
               kin, cooperation, and conflict.  Macachiavellian Intelligence is a must-read for anyone interested in the
               strategies we primates use to navigate the complexities of social living.”
                    <David M. Buss, author of The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating and The Murderer
                      Next Door: Why the Mind is Designed to Kill
>

              "Dario Maestripieri has spent more than 20 years studying rhesus macaques; he knows what he is talking
               about. Maestripieri tells the story with incisive prose, sharp wit and admirable brevity. He also has perfect
               timing. The idea that our human brains evolved largely to deal with the demands of society is very much in
               fashion."
                   <Alison Jolly, The Times - Higher Education Supplement>

              "Primate books are good for us. They remind us that we're primates, too. And the embarassing primate
               books are best. Macachiavellian Intelligence is an excellently embarassing primate book, and just
               the thing to make us blush and shuffle our feet."
                  <Michael Bywater, The Telegraph>

              "Maestripieri has studied rhesus macaques all over the world, and his knowledge of and fascination with this
               species make this book a delight to read. ... His claim that the "monkey in the mirror" looking back at us may
               look surprisingly like a rhesus macaque is highly compelling. ...One of the great joys of this book is Maestripieri's
               use of pop culture-based metaphors: he illustrates the workings of a dominance hierarchy by using Hollywood
               tough guys Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood and Steven Seagal, and the image of a young rhesus male dressed
               as Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, ready to kick major monkey booty, is forever imprinted on my mind."
                  <Carissa Leeson, Evolutionary Psychology>

             "Macachiavellian Intelligence is written in a lively and frequently conversational way...Maestripieri commonly
             makes direct and helpful comparisons between human and macaque behaviour and social groups, and often
             uses his own behaviour, experiences and thoughts to illustrate points. The book is also wonderfully concise".
               <Todd Freeberg, Animal Behaviour>