Brutal Kinship explores the relationship between humankind and its closest relative, the chimpanzee, presenting these extraordinary animals in the wild, in captivity, and in protective sanctuaries. In photographs and commentary Michael Nichols and Jane Goodall show us that chimpanzees are physically, emotionally, and intellectually closer to us than we imagined and that we have forced them into a more human yet less humane existence.
"At first glance, Brutal Kinship looks like a simple picture-book: a collection of magnificent, thoughtful photographs of chimpanzees in various situations. It is that, but it is also something more. The text is mostly by Michael Nichols, who took the photographs, but partly also by Jane Goodall, who accompanied him. They describe the life of the apes in the wild and contrast it, quietly and factually, with the details of the apes' conditions in various kinds of captivity – zoos, circuses, laboratories, breeding facilities, holding stations, backyards in African villages and private homes. Once grasped, this contrast cannot fail to be shocking. The writers do not ham up the facts, because they do not need to."
- Mary Midgley, Nature