Michael Ghiglieri

Michael P. Ghiglieri grew up at Lake Tahoe, Nevada as the great-grandson of a Forty-niner, served as a US Army platoon sergeant during the Vietnam era, then earned his Ph.D. in Ecology in 1979 from the University of California at Davis for his pioneering research on wild chimpanzees in Kiable Forest, Uganda. In addition to teaching university courses in primate behavior and ecology and in human evolution and ecology, he has directed several semesters-overseas centers focusing on sustainable resource management (in Kenya, the Turks & Caicos, Palau, Far North Queensland, and Vancouver Island) and has worked as a wilderness river guide and EMT. 

Since 1974 he has run more than 660 commercial whitewater trips and also treks in Ethiopia, Java, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Sumatra, Tanzania, Turkey, and the USA. These include 140+, 2-week rowing or paddling trips through Grand Canyon and more than 43,000 miles of river overall, a few in the Canyon as an NPS ranger, plus several Kilimanjaro ascents.

Bibliography

  • Non-Fiction
    The Dark Side of Man: Tracing the Origins of Male Violence
    Michael Ghiglieri
  • Non-Fiction
    Canyon
    Michael Ghiglieri
  • Non-Fiction
    East of the Mountains of the Moon: Chimpanzee Society in the African Rain Forest
    Michael Ghiglieri
     

Reviews

Non-Fiction

The Dark Side of Man: Tracing the Origins of Male Violence
“Ghiglieri is not one to shy away from controversy, and it is doubtful that every reader will agree fully with his argument, but he makes it vigorously.”

Scientific American

“A sweeping examintion of world culture and history.”

Boston Herald

“Michael P. Ghiglieri argues persuasively […] The documentation is thorough, the writing lucid, the topic unsettling. THE DARK SIDE OF MAN is bound to provoke some lively controversy.”

The Bloomsbury Review

“When linking violence to biology or evolution, there is always the risk of confusing what might be ‘normal’ […] with what is right […] And yet the issue Ghiglieri raises deserves a place in the discussion.”

Book Review Digest

“The book seized my attention and was difficult to put down […] Ghiglieri’s fascinating parallel treatment of human and chimp violence leaves the reader struck by the similarities […] I highly recommend this book. Ghiglieri’s analysis of male violence goes further than another book about male violence with an evolutionary perspective.”

APA Review

Canyon
“This is a grand tale […] Ghiglieri's storytelling abilities and affection for the region are evident throughout this well-written book […] This is the single best introduction to a myriad of aspects of this 'most impressive place' this reviewer has ever seen. Recommended.”

Library Journal

“Armchair adventurers will applaud the ride and no doubt look forward to the day when they may follow in the oarstrokes of Major Powell and Michael Ghiglieri.”

Journal of Arizona History

“This book should provide exciting reading for the Grand Canyon specialist who wants to know more about work in another field. CANYON will also attract the experienced river rat. It makes one want to turn off the computer and head for Lee’s Ferry. See you down-canyon!”

Environmental History Review

East of the Mountains of the Moon: Chimpanzee Society in the African Rain Forest
“…A heartfelt document for the general reader that “brings it back alive” — the scope, the details, the dramatis personae, chimp and human. The book is quite interesting merely as a travel story, personal odyssey, and an insight into the scientific methods of biologists.”

The New York Times Book Review

“Readers who have enjoyed Goodall on the great apes will find this equally illuminating.”

Publishers Weekly

“An excellent addition to the growing body of scientific literature on primates [...] Ghiglieri adds important insights to the study of chimpanzee ecology and behavior.”

Library Journal

“The charm of this book is Ghiglieri’s ability to place the reader in the midst of the hardships of field work […] and then contrast all that with an almost spiritual feeling for what it’s like to spend one’s day watching chimpanzees.”

American Scientist

“I recommend it for anyone interested in primatology, or in animal behavior and conservation in general, and especially for students considering field research on animals.”

Journal of Anthropological Research

“Michael P. Ghiglieri’s EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON is in the best tradition of Jane Goodall. Quite an addition to being a compelling analysis of why animals act as they do, this book is also a splendid adventure story.”

Life & Leisure