Following Fifi: My Adventures Among Wild Chimpanzees; Lessons from Our Closest Relatives

In this autobiographical account, Seattle-based family physician Crocker fondly recalls his experiences as one of several student research assistants working under legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. In 1974, as a 22-year-old Stanford undergraduate, Crocker traveled to Gombe National Park in Tanzania to assist in observing the Kasekela chimpanzee community. Students were paired with local Tanzanian field guides and assigned to follow specific chimps. Crocker was especially impressed by chimp mother Fifi's nurturing behavior toward her young son Freud. The author recounts how this formative experience shaped his perspective on the world and his approach to medicine. The lessons he gleaned from watching Fifi as a parent, and the insight he gained into human evolution have influenced his treatment of ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Thirty-five years later, Crocker returned to Gombe with his teenage son to revisit the place that has meant so much to him. Fast-moving and readable, the narrative provides engaging anecdotal examples from both chimps and human patients.