Jane Goodall, who died earlier this month, was a world-renowned primatologist and lifelong advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.
Born in London in 1934, she began researching free-living chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect the species and supports youth projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.
In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, she spoke of the importance of making any kind of difference rather than trying to solve the world’s problems. “We have a window of time to change this planet’s course,” Goodall said.
These are some of the resources by and about Goodall in the library collection. For more, including DVDs, please ask at the Adult & Teen Services desk.
In Her Own Words
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Africa in My Blood: An Autobiography in Letters / Jane Goodall
Letters and commentary cover Jane Goodall’s early years, from childhood to the landmark publication of In the Shadow of Man. This collection follows Goodall as she grows from a schoolgirl into the promising young candidate whom the legendary Louis Leakey sent to a wildlife preserve on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
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In the Shadow of Man / Jane Goodall
Goodall’s adventure began when anthropologist Louis Leakey suggested that a long-term study of chimpanzees in the wild might shed light on the behavior of our closest living relatives. Accompanied by only her mother and African assistants, she set up camp in the remote Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania. For months the project seemed hopeless, yielding only fleeting glimpses of frightened animals. But gradually Goodall won their trust and recorded previously unknown behavior, such as the use and even the making of tools, until then believed to be an exclusive skill of humans. As she came to know the chimps, she began to understand their complicated social hierarchy and observed many extraordinary behaviors, which have forever changed our understanding of the profound connection between humans and chimpanzees.
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Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe / Jane Goodall
The renowned British primatologist continues the engrossing account of her time among the chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania — painting a more complete and vivid portrait of our closest relatives. Through Goodall’s eyes we see young Figan’s relentless rise to power and old Mike’s crushing defeat. We learn how one mother rears her children to succeed and another dooms hers to failure. We witness horrifying murders, touching moments of affection, joyous births, and wrenching deaths. As Goodall compellingly tells the story of this intimately intertwined community, we are shown human emotions stripped to their essence. In the mirror of chimpanzee life, we see ourselves reflected.
Formats: ebook (hoopla), audio (hoopla) -
Beyond Innocence: An Autobiography in Letters / Jane Goodall
Covering the years following Goodall’s publication of her groundbreaking book In the Shadow of Man, this book chronicles some of the eminent scientist’s greatest triumphs and deepest tragedies. These collected letters recount major events in her life and research, including her discoveries about chimpanzee behavior, the birth and raising of her son, the breakup of her marriage to Hugo van Lawick, the kidnapping of a group of her students, her marriage to Derek Bryceson and his death, and her growing concern about the future of her beloved chimpanzees at Gombe and elsewhere in the world.
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Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink / Jane Goodall
With the curiosity and conversational prose that have made her a bestselling author, Goodall — along with Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard —shares fascinating survival stories about the American crocodile, the California condor, the black-footed ferret, and more — all formerly endangered species. Interweaving her own firsthand experiences with the research of premier scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the critical need to protect the habitats of threatened species. A celebration of the animal kingdom, this is also a passionate call to arms.
Format: print, ebook (hoopla) -
Seeds of Hope / Jane Goodall
This book takes us from Goodall’s home in England to her home-away-from-home in Africa, deep inside the Gombe forest, where she and the chimpanzees are enchanted by the fig and plum trees they encounter. She introduces the reader to botanists around the world, as well as places where hope for plants can be found, such as The Millennium Seed Bank. Goodall delivers an enlightening story of the wonders we can find in our own backyards.
Formats: ebook (hoopla), audio (hoopla) -
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times / Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, the book touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? While discussing the experiences that shaped her discoveries and beliefs, Goodall tells the story of how she became a messenger of hope — from living through World War II to her years in Gombe to realizing she had to leave the forest to travel the world in her role as an advocate for environmental justice.
Formats: print, audio (CD, hoopla, libby)
Books about Goodall
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Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man / Dale Peterson
Peterson convincingly shows how remarkable Goodall’s accomplishments were and how unlikely it is that anyone else could have duplicated them. The author details how Goodall not only revolutionized the study of primates, our closest relatives, but how she helped set radically new standards and a new intellectual style in the study of animal behavior. The book follows Goodall’s story from its unlikely origins (Leakey sent her to Africa not because she was already a serious scientist but because he could find no one better qualified to go) through her groundbreaking discoveries to her taking on the role of activist.
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Jane Goodall: 40 Years at Gombe / Jennifer Lindsey
This illustrated volume traces Goodall’s work from its singular beginnings through 4 decades. Includes 65 full-color and 30 duotone photos.
Format: print -
Jane Goodall: 50 Years at Gombe
A photo-filled account of a half century working with chimpanzees in East Africa by the renowned primatologist. Created to honor the field site’s fiftieth anniversary, this is a compelling pictorial tribute to Dr. Goodall’s life, her studies of chimpanzee behavior, and her unflagging efforts to motivate people to make this world a better place.
Format: ebook (hoopla)
