Elizabeth Berg once said, “We are readers probably more than anything else.” Since time is a limited resource, we should carefully choose the articles we give that time to. Frans B.M. de Waal’s article about human connection, titled “Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect,” is certainly worth your time. The author’s background contributes to the quality of this article.
De Waal’s background qualifies him to write about this topic because he has trained in biology, is the director of the Living Links Center at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and is a published author. De Waal is informing his readers about the social behaviors of humans and primates. De Waal uses humor to entertain the readers along with an informal tone established by directly addressing readers with easily accessible vocabulary. Although he references Köhler’s studies, de Waal relies on his own expertise and experience to prove his points. This means that his article is not a reliable source for a research paper, but it is useful for readers who want basic knowledge. The format lends itself to this as well.
The only clues readers have about what the article is about is the title. There are no section titles. De Waal’s main claim didn’t come in until later in the article, and it was hard to find because the introduction is indirect. The introduction is entertaining when he tries to connect to the reader. I think that the organization is good with clear points that connect in a logical order to prove his main claim. His content is also worthwhile.
The introduction to the article has a compelling hook that reveals the main claim. The main claim is also restated in the conclusion in a clear and concise manner. The article explains that people are impacted by one another. De Waal provides examples among chimps and humans of imitation to explain this biological phenomenon. De Waal also connects this to the way humans and monkeys learn and connect. He ends with his main claim: that primates are impacted by other primates on many levels. I think that this article should be used for educational purposes because there's not enough for a research paper. De Waal is qualified to write this paper because he’s an expert in the field of biology, but this means he doesn’t use outside resources. De Waal’s format is his weakest point because he doesn’t give us any subheadings to clarify his main points. The content is strong, since de Waal proves his point well by using his own personal experience and studies as evidence. Frans de Waal’s article “Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Connect” is worth your time if you’re just looking to inform yourself.
Article Review Reflection
Please answer all questions in complete, grammatically correct sentences.
1. Explain the process you went through to write this paper. Please be specific. Answer: First I needed to make an outline, then I put the outline into a rough draft, and finally I revised the review.
2. What qualifies this paper as an informative essay? What are the requirements for a review and how did you meet them? Answer: This paper qualifies as an informative essay because it was used from a expert in the subject. I needed to find the about the author, the format the author uses, and the content in the article.
3. What one piece of advice would you give someone writing a review for the first time? Why? Answer: Make an outline with Ms. Lehmann and have help you because she is a very good teacher.