This book is a memoir of more than twenty years of acquaintance of the famous primatologist Robert Sapolsky with East Africa. As a very young scientist, the author first came to the reserve in Kenya with the intention of testing his hunches about the nature of stress in humans on wild baboons, which is not surprising, given how similar primates are to humans in their biological and psychological reactions. Actually, Sapolsky does not separate himself from his wards - experimental animals, which is already obvious from the title of the book. And this gives the story a special charm and power. Together with the author, who gave his favorites biblical names, we learn about their lives, suffering, love, rivalry, power struggles, illnesses and death. No less striking characters in the book are local residents: farmers, huntsmen, petty bosses and simple hard workers. In his two decades in Africa, Sapolsky experiences his own dangerous adventures, the tragedies of friends, and the change of political regimes - and writes about it in such a way that you almost feel like a participant in the events.