Sy Montgomery.
The Soul of an Octopus: a surprising exploration of one of the world's most intrguing creatures.
Simon and Schuster. 2015
Popular naturalist Sy Montgomery explores the emotional
and physical world of the octopus – and the remarkable
connections this astonishingly complex, spirited creature makes with humans.
She has practised true immersion journalism in pursuit of
these wild, solitary, predatory molluscs.
And she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities:
gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali and joyful Karma.
They show their cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures, employing endless trickery to get food, and jetting water to bounce balls. The intelligence of dogs, birds and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who are now watching octopuses solve problems and interpreting the meaning of their colour-changing techniques. Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of the octopus, and also tells a love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching and profound, The Soul of an Octopus reveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds…