The Naked Ape (book)

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Marquis de Sade: Man or monster?
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The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal (Hardback: ISBN 0070431744; Reprint: ISBN 0-385-33430-3) is a 1967 book by Desmond Morris which looks at humans as a species and compares them to other animals. It depicts human behavior as largely evolved to meet the challenges of prehistoric life as a hunter-gatherer (see nature versus nurture).

The book was serialised in the Daily Mirror newspaper, and has been translated into 23 languages.

The Human Zoo, a followup book by Desmond Morris which examined the behaviour of people in cities, was published in 1969.

Movie adaptations

A 1973 movie directed by Donald Driver — based on the book — was made starring Johnny Crawford and Victoria Principal.

In 2006 an independent movie was made, based loosely on the book, written and directed by Daniel Mellitz, starring Josh Wise, Chelse Swain, Sean Shanks, Amanda MacDonald, Tony LaThanh, Corbin Bernsen.