Wild Man from Borneo: A Cultural History of the Orangutan

This is a history of the human-orangutan encounterhow we have envisioned, studies, and treated themover the course of four centuries. It examines the scenic discovery of the red ape and the ways in which its human attributes have been both recognized and denied in science, philosophy, travel literature, popular science, literature, theater, museums, and film. The book offers a provocative analysis of the origin of the name orangutan, traces the way in which the ape has been recruited to arguments on topics as diverse as slavery and rape, and outlines the history of attempts to save the animal from extinction