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The Soul of an Octopus : : a Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness

Montgomery, Sy. Book - 2015 Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Animals / Marine Life, 594.56 Mo None on shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 4.4 out of 5

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"In this astonishing book from the author of the bestselling memoir The Good Good Pig, Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus--a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature--and the remarkable connections it makes with humans. Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect," about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters. Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think? The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques. Montgomery chronicles this growing appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about consciousness and the meeting of two very different minds"-- Provided by publisher.

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Excellent Read on the Octopus submitted by Nholtzman on June 26, 2017, 7:19pm If you are interested at all in marine life, this is the book for you!

The Soul of an Octopus is captivating. Writer Sy Montgomery writes about her experiences volunteering for the New England aquarium. The reader gains access to behind the scenes information about the animals. We learn what is it like to feed an octopus, what slithery tentacles feel like when they latch onto an arm. We learn about the personalities of various octopuses, and we learn about the extremely complicated and interesting mind of the octopus. There is also an empathy and an understanding of the octopus and its intelligence that is not often a part of writing on animals.

I would highly recommend this book, even if you think you are not interested in octopuses!

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PUBLISHED
New York : Atria Books, 2015.
Year Published: 2015
Description: 261 pages : color illustrations ; 22 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9781451697728
1451697716

SUBJECTS
Octopuses -- Behavior.