Our cousins the apes have been getting a bad rap for decades. Victorian scientists derided the notion that such primitive animals might be related to the lofty Homo sapiens. Savants regularly dismissed as hoaxes reports of a man-like creature living in the tropics until confronted with proof of the orangutan’s existence. Making a case for the apes today is noted author and scientist Robert Sapolsky, who discovered through years of psychological study that the creatures lead remarkably ordered and intelligent lives. Sapolsky shares his findings in A Primate’s Memoir, a lively account of the time he spent on the Kenyan plains studying these complex, highly evolved animals. Sapolsky first met his baboon troop as a young student fulfilling a lifelong ambition to study primates. He quickly discovered that his Brooklyn upbringing ill prepared him for life on the Serengeti plains and in the cities of Kenya. He writes about this clash of cultures with great wit and sensitivity. As a stranger in a strange land (he lived in the middle of the plains with no radio, electricity or running water) Sapolsky had many hair-raising encounters. He was, by turns, kidnapped and held at gunpoint discouraging initiations into African culture, but, thanks to the author’s skill, incidents that make for great reading.

Spending more time in the company of baboons than with humans, Sapolsky began to recognize individual personalities and complex social interaction among members of the troop. In clear, entertaining prose, he relates fascinating findings like the discovery that lower-ranking members of a troop have higher stress levels, which seem to adversely affect their health. The fact that stress affects the health of humans as well is taken for granted today, but Sapolsky was among the first researchers to document the connection between these two elements. One of our foremost science writers, Robert Sapolsky is the author of The Trouble with Testosterone and Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. With A Primate’s Memoir he has given us another accessible, work full of humor and profound insight.

Gregory Harris is a writer and editor in Indianapolis.

The wild life Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat: Understanding and Caring for the Tiger Within and Wild Discovery Guide to Your Dog: Understanding and Caring for the Wolf Within ($24.95, 1563318059) are the perfect gifts for pet lovers, but they offer something for everyone. The 300 superb photographs of dogs and cats in domestic life and in the wild provide visual delight for any age reader. For the student, the books offer clear, authoritative information for a school report. Would-be and new pet owners can learn everything they need to know in detailed instructions on how to select, care for, and understand dogs or cats. Author Margaret E. Lewis, Ph.

D., specializes in the behavior and evolution of carnivores and provides scientific information for dog and cat fanciers. In her introduction, Elizabeth Marshall, Thomas, anthropologist and author of popular books on dogs and cats, writes [this] new material with old wisdom . . . is a window on the natural world.

The wild life Wild Discovery Guide to Your Cat: Understanding and Caring for the Tiger Within and Wild Discovery Guide to Your Dog: Understanding and Caring for the Wolf Within ($24.95, 1563318059) are the perfect gifts for pet lovers, but they offer something for everyone. The 300 superb photographs of dogs and cats in domestic life and in the wild provide visual delight for any age reader. For the student, the books offer clear, authoritative information for a school report. Would-be and new pet owners can learn everything they need to know in detailed instructions on how to select, care for, and understand dogs or cats. Author Margaret E. Lewis, Ph.

D., specializes in the behavior and evolution of carnivores and provides scientific information for dog and cat fanciers. In her introduction, Elizabeth Marshall, Thomas, anthropologist and author of popular books on dogs and cats, writes [this] new material with old wisdom . . . is a window on the natural world.

Why do we need another bird guide? Isn’t there one sticking out of the back pocket of every binoculars-owner in the world? Changes in range and modifications of taxonomy require updated editions of existing guides, but why a new one? Because, like species themselves, guides exist for different reasons, in different eras, and frequently profit from studying their competitors.

The new guide by distinguished birder, illustrator and writer David Allen Sibley, The Sibley Guide to Birds, has magnum opus and labor of love stamped all over it. To begin with, some statistics: 554 gorgeous pages in an oversized weather-resistant flex-paper format, describing 810 species and 350 regional populations, with more than 6,600 illustrations. The artwork is gorgeous and the writing clear and crisp. Species are shown both flying and perched or swimming, usually in every seasonal and juvenile variation of their plumage. Every species gets its own range map and detailed voice description. Families are introduced with pages of side-by-side comparison. And the format is identical throughout. No other bird guide is easier to get used to or more comprehensive than The Sibley Guide to Birds.

Much less comprehensive and more condensed than Sibley’s book but still valuable, especially for beginners is Kenn Kaufman’s Birds of North America. Kaufman has taken 2,000 photographs and digitally revised and enhanced them to clarify identification. There are two schools of thought about field guides. One maintains that paintings permit a more representative picture of a bird’s likely overall plumage; the other insists that photographs work better than paintings, by providing a single example of a real bird, not a synthesis of traits. By exploiting the technological possibilities of the computer age, Kaufman aimed for the virtues of both methods. He has largely succeeded, and in the process created a handy, pocket-size guide that is easy to use.

Aunt Agnes’s daughter Nadine married your former neighbor’s son Neville recently. Nadine and Neville, the ambitious newlyweds, are hosting a housewarming party and you’re invited. What housewarming gift comes in a variety of colors, matches every period piece in every room, and can accentuate even the most sparse decor? Why, books, of course! Nadine had to part with Fluffy, her pampered, prize-winning Persian, due to Neville’s allergies. To help ease the pain caused by Fluffy’s absence, why not give her a copy of Cat: Wild Cats and Pampered Pets. Author Andrew Edney, who is also a veterinarian, includes more than 300 depictions of felines slinking, sleeping, socializing, and so much more! This 400-page oblong book offers a unique addition to a cat lover’s coffee table or library.

What kind of gift is given away, but meant to be returned? Tommy Nelson, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., has developed Grandmother’s Memories to Her Grandchild ($12.99, 084995911X) and Grandfather’s Memories to His Grandchild ($12.99, 0849959128) for just such a purpose. These make wonderful keepsakes, especially when completed and given away. Set in journal format against a backdrop of renowned artist Thomas Kinkade’s breathtaking landscapes, headings for each section include Me, My Hometown, Early School Years, My First Romance, etc. Each section is broken into segments, with titles like A time I had to stand up for my beliefs, or Something I want you to remember about me when you are grown up, and space is provided for folks to write their responses. Grandparents with multiple grandchildren, beware you may unwrap several of these! Nadine’s recollections from her wedding are, no doubt, still fresh on her mind. Why not encourage her to laugh about them with This Is Your Day! But Everybody Has An Opinion (Villard, $14.95, 0375502653)? Perfect for newlywed brides or brides-to-be, author Lisa K. Weiss offers humorous tidbits of pre- and post-wedding truisms. Victoria Roberts’s cartoony illustrations complement tongue-in-cheek advice cliches, such as Now that you’re married, it will be easy to fine-tune his wardrobe, and Including your pets in the ceremony can add a warm, cozy touch. A definite garnish to the Emily Post and Amy Vanderbilt books, it is a perfect gift for those who tend to take life (and life’s events) too seriously.

Anne Boleyn is an unlikely target for the tabloids. Chances are even slimmer for a tell-all book about Guy de Maupassant. London writer Mark Bryant, however, has compiled all sorts of entertaining facts about 200 well-known figures in Private Lives: Curious Facts About the Famous and Infamous (Cassell/Sterling Publications, $29.95, 0304343153). For example, did you know that Queen Elizabeth I drank beer for breakfast? Or that Walt Disney wasn’t the first person to draw Mickey Mouse? Private Lives is also available in paperback ($14.95, 0304349232), and makes a wonderful gift for trivia buffs and researchers.

Who said, It is more blessed to give than to receive ? (Well, okay, besides your Gift Gallery helpers!) The quote actually originated with Aristotle but has been paraphrased by others, including Jesus. Anyone who loves to quote, but has difficulty remembering whom they are quoting, will appreciate Random House’s all-new Webster’s Quotationary ($45, 0679448500). Author Leonard Roy Frank has assembled over 20,000 quotations by subject, but makes it easy to locate a quote through cross-referencing as well. Varied profundities from Plato to Oprah make this one of the most comprehensive reference books around. You may want to study it ahead of time and wow Nadine and Neville’s party guests!

April Frost is one of a growing number of teachers who are refining and enhancing traditional methods of working with animals. She has developed Awareness Training, a solid method of training dogs which builds a bond through clear, consistent communication, discipline, and respect. In her book Beyond Obedience, she leads her readers through the process of choosing the animal best suited to their households and needs, and she outlines very definite steps of training and living with the animal successfully.

Frost has been working with dogs and horses for over 30 years. Her range of experiences includes watching how a few hours of contact with her dog Strut was able to bring peace to a raging woman in a convalescent home to rescuing 13 dogs from a feral pack who lived in a pen without adequate food for years. She has seen countless animals pay the price of their owner’s irresponsibility and ignorance. Realizing that good training and manners are an animal’s best ticket to a safe, happy home, she developed Awareness Training. Departing from fear-based training methods, Frost advocates harnessing the power of human and animal hearts in conjunction with their minds to obtain cooperation instead of coercion. Frost challenges her readers to open their minds about what is possible when they work with their dogs. Attitude is a crucial ingredient in her method; she encourages visualization and developing a strong intention while working with one’s animals. In addition to these techniques, she uses the more familiar training tools of the voice, vocabulary, hand signals, crates, collars, and leashes. Although she presents a series of progressive training steps, she encourages her readers to alter her methods to fit the needs of their dogs and situations. Throughout the book, Frost gives a wealth of information and stories to enable her readers to better understand how their dogs experience life. Her stories are inspiring and convey the deep emotions of which animals are capable. She draws upon her many years of conducting classes and workshops for stories to illustrate common training problems and how she worked out their solutions. For those who wish to supplement their conventional veterinary care, Frost summarizes several alternative therapies: bach flower remedies, herbs, homeopathic remedies, therapeutic touch, and reiki among others. She also raises some pertinent questions about our current dog food production, inoculation, and parasite control practices. Even if you are not primarily interested in trailblazing dog thinking, Frost’s method for teaching your pet the basics is reputable and will teach you how to lay a firm foundation with the beginning cues of walk, come, and wait. But, just as your Spot has an vast reservoir of potential within patiently waiting for your notice and appreciation, so does this book. Sharon Kozy is an avid animal lover.

ÊTalk about an unscheduled change of plans: Four and a half years ago, Alan Green set out to explore the possibility of writing a behind-the-scenes book about the new incarnation of zoos how they had begun to transform themselves from concrete-and-steel menageries to education-oriented bioparks. For Green, a veteran journalist based in Washington, D.C., the proposed investigation seemed like a natural: A few years earlier, he had worked as a volunteer in the Great Ape House at the National Zoo, and had actually twice considered chucking his writing career for a job as an orangutan keeper.

But when Green began examining box-loads of legal documents chronicling the affairs of a local petting zoo, he found something startling: paperwork showing that the National Zoo had sent some of its surplus animals to this same roadside zoo a practice that’s supposedly a no-no for reputable zoological parks. Thus began a four-year investigation of the domestic exotic-animal industry, an all-encompassing odyssey whose scope kept broadening until it not only included high-profile metropolitan zoos and low-rent roadside attractions, but also an elaborate network of breeders, dealers, and middlemen, as well as Harvard University Medical School and other prestigious schools. What Green found was that all these institutions seemed to be linked as trading partners, moving their unwanted animals from place to place, as if involved in an elaborate shell game. In the end, however, it seemed that the paper trails invariably grew cold and the animals simply disappeared.

In an effort to get at the truth, Green began a manic search for records that took him to 27 state capitals and had him hiring researchers elsewhere. With the backing of The Center for Public Integrity, a research organization known for its investigative reporting, Green culled through a few million documents until he was able to finally start piecing together those elusive paper trails. In the process, he unearthed startling often troubling revelations about the exotic-animal business and the self-appointed guardians of rare and endangered species. Bottom line, he discovered: While these caretakers of exotic creatures publicly trumpet their accomplishments about saving the species, they’re privately offloading other animals that land in basement cages, auction-house rings, and even so-called canned hunts. This is no animal-rights manifesto. It is rather painstaking and evenhanded investigative reporting in the grand tradition of the early 20th-century muckrakers a compelling behind-the-scenes look at a business whose operators have, until now, managed to conduct their seamy affairs entirely in secret. The reporting is so comprehensive that the revelations sometimes unfold in one sentence after another; reading some chapters can feel like being continuously pummeled in a boxing ring, as the you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me stories keep getting hurled your way. It is often troubling reading, but it’s too gripping to abandon. And hopefully, it will be a catalyst for dramatic change. Because as the book makes abundantly clear, change is certainly needed.

Lorraine Rose is a writer and psychotherapist in Washington, D.C.

It’s a wild world In case you need to be reminded that the third rock from the sun is a strange and wonderful world, turn to the Simon ∧ Schuster Encyclopedia of Animals: A Visual Who’s Who of the World’s Creatures ($50, 0684852373), edited by Philip Whitfield. A brief introduction explains classification by evolutionary kinship, and the rest is pure fun. The 2,000+ illustrations are lovely, the information astonishing, the very names worthy of Lewis Carroll: bandicoot, pudu, stink badger, greater racquet-tailed drongo, crested serpent eagle, marbled salamander, secretary bird. (Quick: How can you tell a dibatag from a gerenuk?) The king cobra’s head can be as big as a human’s, and it is the only snake known to create a nest for its eggs. The young of the Nile mouthbrooder fish hatch inside the mother’s mouth and return to it when frightened. The naked mole rat’s social structure is more like that of insects than of mammals. This is not trivia. This is a gorgeous family album our own.

As author and journalist Shana Alexander notes at the start of this lively and well-researched tribute, elephants have fascinated mankind for centuries. Writers from Aristotle to Cicero to Chaucer to Donne have stopped to scratch their heads and nibble their quills on the subject of these great beasts. Alexander’s own obsession began in the Portland Zoo in the early 1960s. A determined Life reporter, she made four sudden flights from New York to Portland awaiting the arrival of 225-pound Packy, the first elephant born in America since prehistoric times. Playing midwife to an elephant proved fascinating, and she was hooked. Today, Packy is likely the world’s largest Asian elephant, and Alexander is a self-described informed amateur, a word rooted in lover. Doubtless she is not alone in her enthusiasm. Sadly, however, human fascination has not always been a good thing for the elephants. For many years, Alexander argues, elephant abuse at the hands of circus masters was commonplace. Most striking is her account of the systematic execution of dozens of male circus elephants, which were shot, poisoned, stabbed, and even hanged between 1880 and 1925. The killings came in response to periodic hormonal changes, which render bulls extremely violent. The females were given male names, and audiences were none the wiser. In recent years, pioneering scientists have turned their attention to better understanding and protecting these unusual creatures. Alexander presents a litany of intriguing elephant facts and figures: These enormous animals (mature African males sometimes weigh more than 15,000 pounds) are highly intelligent, never clumsy, and unique in their gentleness, tenderness, and affection with one another. Today, scientists are turning to artificial insemination to save both the African and Asian species, which have been decimated by ivory poaching and habitat destruction.

Alexander gives readers a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at the National Zoo in Washington, D.

C., as Shanthi, a 23-year-old Asian elephant, is artificially inseminated. Unique experiences like this one distinguish the book, but it is the fascinating nature of elephants themselves that will keep readers turning the pages.

Beth Duris works for The Nature Conservancy in Arlington, Virginia.