Birute M.F. Galdikas is a founding director of Orangutan Foundation International, a worldwide conservation organization. A protege of Louis Leakey and the first to study orangutans in the wild, Galdikas established Camp Leakey, the centre from which her research on orangutans was conducted, in Borneo in the early 1970s. It is still in operation and going strong to this day. Karl Ammann is a wildlife photographer and conservation activist. He is an advisory director to many organizations, including the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Great Ape Fund, and the Bonobo Protection Fund. His photographs have been featured in the New York Times Magazine, Stern, Natural History, Outdoor Photographer, and many other publications. His photography also appeared in Orangutan Odyssey (Abrams, 2000) and the critically acclaimed Eating Apes (University of California Press, 2001). Jane Goodall is the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees, a world-renowned conservationist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, and author of many books and countless articles that have appeared in National Geographic and scientific journals

This book explores each of the great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees - including bonobos - and orangutans), interpreting the latest research and describing relationships among the different species, all in the context of the mounting threat of extinction. The 125 up-close images by internationally renowned wildlife photographer Karl Ammann illustrate the behaviours of these intriguing, humanlike animals. The result is a compelling overview of what we have learned about these fascinating creatures, and in turn, what they can teach us about ourselves.