With African Genesis, Mr. Ardrey stirred up enough storm to last an author, one would think, for a lifetime. In The Territorial Imperative, however, he explores more deeply and incisively man's evolutionary nature and threatens even more forcefully some of our most precious assumptions. In a time when we attribute to man either no instincts at all, or instincts too weak to be of significance, Mr. Ardrey's conclusions concerning the instinctual force exerted on human life by territory will undoubtedly raise an even greater storm.
Like its predecessor, The Territorial Imperative is a work of wit, of literary wealth, of high adventure. Again the author draws on his inexhaustible knowledge of animal ways, and again his wife presents her intriguing sketches of animal life. But this time, Mr. Ardrey takes his listeners on far deeper excursions into the ancient animal world, and on far deeper penetrations of the contemporary human wilderness.
While evolutionary science has advanced markedly since Ardrey's times, his insights on human behavior have a timeless quality, and The Territorial Imperative remains a classic reference for anyone wishing to begin an adventure exploring life's biggest questions.