Congo

Why people recommend it

Congo by Michael Crichton is a techno-thriller novel following an expedition into the dangerous African jungle to find a lost city and research mysterious ape behavior. On various episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, host Joe Rogan repeatedly brought up the book while chatting with different guests. During an episode featuring Andrew Schulz, Rogan referenced Michael Crichton's novel alongside the author's other famous work, Jurassic Park. In a conversation with Aron Snyder, Rogan and his guest talked about the book when discussing giant apes in the region. Similarly, when talking to guest Forrest Galante, Rogan noted that reports of giant chimpanzees tie directly into a part of Crichton's narrative. Earlier, in an appearance with Action Bronson, Rogan reflected on how giant apes had been legends for a very long time before appearing in Crichton's story and its subsequent film adaptation. Rogan also raised the novel in an episode with Cara Santamaria, remarking that the story featured a creature similar to mysterious African ape subspecies, noting that while the film adaptation received mixed reviews, the book itself was reportedly very good. Across these multiple podcast appearances, Rogan utilized the novel as a familiar pop culture touchstone for discussing cryptozoology, large primates, and rainforest wildlife.