Page 8 - The Shores of Jupiter - October '22
P. 8

Page 8, The Shores
      Book Review



      Ape House                                          were they letting                                 accept, but this is, according to Gruen, fact in the science
                                                         me come in, they                                  of research with this species of great apes.
      By Nils A. Shapiro                                 were insisting….                                    The important characters in the story include a reporter,
        My plan was to review                            The experience was                                John Thigpen, who is fascinated by the bonobos, thinks
      a different book for this                          astonishing—to this                               highly of the project, is fully supportive of it and, truth
      month’s column, but an odd                         day I cannot think                                be told, is kind of fascinated by the research scientist,
      experience  changed  my                            about it without                                  Isabel, herself, which serves to hint at a romantic subplot,
      selection. I had just ordered                      getting goose                                     although he is happily married.
      online a newly published                           bumps. You  cannot                                  Suddenly, the laboratory is bombed, Isabel is seriously
      book on a subject of great                         have a two-way                                    injured and the bonobos escape into neighboring trees.
      interest  to  me,  a  work  of                     conversation with a                               Unlike chimpanzees, which have a violent streak when
      nonfiction that I am very                          great ape, or even                                they reach maturity—making them dangerous to keep
      anxious to read and bring                          just look one straight                            as pets, as many families have learned to their dismay—
      to your attention, but which                       in the eye, close up,                             bonobos experience the same shock, fear and confusion
      will not be delivered to me for a week or longer. For some   w ithout coming                         that humans would feel when their world is torn asunder.
      reason I can’t explain, that new book stirred in me the   away changed…. I                             What happens next—who committed this horrific
      memory of a novel that I read and loved many years ago.   was told that the next                     act; the way in which the bonobos become pawns in a
      So, I researched the computer files of my 150-plus past   day Panbanisha (one                        greedy  attempt  to  garner  national TV  ratings;  Isabel’s
      Book Reviews—which are arranged chronologically, not   of the bonobos) said to one of the scientists, “Where’s   frantic efforts to rescue her apes from a dangerous and
      by book title—and finally, after more than an hour, came   Sara? Build her nest. When’s she coming back?”  life-threatening condition, and the role of the reporter in
      upon the one for which I was searching. The following     After having had such an experience, it is no wonder   trying to help her—form the threads of this story that is
      appeared in this column 11 years ago. I commend this   that Gruen next used it to full advantage in writing the   beautifully written and very suspenseful. I was hooked
      book to you again, wholeheartedly. You will understand   novel Ape House. This is the story of an animal behavioral   from the very beginning. And when you get to almost the
      how it relates to the new book that I am awaiting when   research scientist, Isabel Duncan, who has been working   last page, a box of facial tissues will come in very handy.
      I review that one in a future column.              with a group of bonobos using the ASL communication.   By  then,  those  bonobos  will  have  won  a  very  special
                           *****                         Living under the auspices of a U.S. university under   place in your heart, and you will be aching for them to
        The common wisdom used to be that chimpanzees    excellent, positive and thoroughly humane conditions,   be reunited with Isabel.
      were the animal world’s closest relatives to humans.   the bonobos are extremely happy and well cared for,     Does all turn out well in the end or not? I would
      That is no longer the case. We now know that another   yet a small band of well-intentioned—but misguided—  sign language the answer to you, but I don’t know
      species of great apes—bonobos, which are native to the   protesters continue to march outside the laboratory walls.  how. Perhaps I am not as intelligent as a bonobo. You
      Congo—share a remarkable 98.7 percent of the human     The capability of bonobos to utilize sign language,   will have to read the book to find out. If Gruen had an
      DNA. Though similar in size to chimpanzees, they differ   according  to  Gruen,  is  reflected  throughout  the  book,   unforgettable experience actually meeting the bonobos, I
      somewhat in their physical features. Most importantly,   as when, for example, Bonzi—the female head of the   am one reviewer who has had an unforgettable experience
      bonobos in research studies have learned to understand   bonobo matriarchal society—is asking for coffee with a   reading her book.
      the meanings of as many as 3,000 English words, and   lot of sugar. She signs: “Want candy coffee. Isabel go.     After all, 11 years later another completely different
      have actually been taught to communicate with humans in   Hurry gimme.” It may be difficult for some readers to   book reminded me how much I loved it.
      full two-way conversation using the same sign language
      —American Sign Language (ASL)—that deaf humans
        Sara Gruen, author of Ape House, first heard about  It’s The Law!
      use to communicate!

      bonobos in an email from her mother soon after completing
      her major bestselling book, Water for Elephants, (which   Did You Know That, In                      homestead real estate, which is sometimes handled
      was made into a hit motion picture), and decided to learn                                            differently).
      more about these fascinating animals. When she contacted   Florida…                                    A registered agent is appointed by a corporation,
      the leading research institute, the Great Ape Trust, she                                             foreign or within the state of Florida, to accept service
      was told that she would first have to do some studying   By Adam S. Gumson,                          of process, notices or demands received.
      about linguistics in Toronto, and then—believe it or not,   Esq.                                       Looking to start a partnership? An  operating
      but true— she would have to get permission from the     Real estate purchased                        agreement memorializes all of the “handshake”
      bonobos themselves in order to be able to visit them! After   prior to a marriage may                agreements as to what happens if one of the owners
      completing her homework, she put together a backpack   not always be considered                      becomes disabled, divorces or dies, and will prevent
      that contained such goodies as bouncy balls, fleece   a non-marital asset if                         confusion down the road because both parties understand
      blankets, M&M’s, xylophones, Mr. Potato Head toys, etc.,   marital funds were used                   the agreed-upon rules before the situation arises.
      and asked the people at the Great Ape Trust to inform   for mortgage payments.                         Jupiter Law Center is a private neighborhood law
      the bonobos that she had some “surprises” for them. As   It i s i mport ant to                       firm  located  in  the  RiverPlace  Professional  Center,
      Gruen relates it, the response she got was that “not only   maintain good records                    1003 W. Indiantown Road, Suite 210, Jupiter, Fla.,
                                                           so that you can trace the                       (561) 744-4600, jupiterlawcenter.com. The firm
                                                           funds and show that no                          provides peace of mind by solving problems with
                                                           monies were commingled.                         integrity and compassion in the areas of estate planning
                                                             If a child is adopted by someone other than the   (wills and trusts, powers of attorney, health care
                                                           biological father, liability of the biological father for   surrogates, living wills, probate estates, succession
                                                           child support is terminated.                    planning, contracts and purchase/sale agreements),
                                                             A  personal representative is required to settle   family law (divorce, paternity, child support and time
                                                           and distribute an estate according to the terms of the   sharing, alimony, property distribution, modifications,
                                                           decedent’s will and the Florida Statutes. Unless the will   collaborative law, pre/post nuptial agreements) and
                                                           states differently, the personal representative will take   real estate (community association law, residential and
                                                           possession and control of the decedent’s property (except   commercial transactions, deeds, closings).





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