PublishedSimon & Schuster, June 2016 |
ISBN9781471146756 |
FormatSoftcover, 272 pages |
Dimensions19.8cm × 13cm |
'Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus does for the creature what Helen Macdonald's H Is for Hawk did for raptors' New Statesman
'Charming and moving...with extraordinary scientific research' Guardian
'An engaging work of natural science... There is clearly something about the octopus's weird beauty that fires the imaginations of explorers, scientists, writers' Daily Mail
In 2011 Sy Montgomery wrote a feature for Orion magazine entitled 'Deep Intellect' about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death. It went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then, Sy has practised 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 colour-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.
Barb takes care of the web orders here at Boffins, and is your contact for book club enquiries. She spends all her spare time curled up on the couch reading and for the last several years has reviewed books on the Afternoon Program on ABC radio Perth.
Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery chronicles the lives of the octopuses she gets to know over several years' of visiting the New England Aquarium in Boston. Along the way she befriends a diverse range of workers and volunteers, learns to scuba dive and becomes completely convinced that octopuses do indeed have souls. Her descriptions of her weekly 'date' with various octopuses, arms submerged in icy water, engulfed by eight sucker-covered tentacles will make you want to rush to the nearest aquarium to follow suit. Athena, Kali, Karma and Octavia each have different personalities. Sometimes cheeky and playful, sometimes withdrawn and quiet, always curious and intelligent, the octopuses teach her as much about herself and other humans as they do about themselves. This is interesting, thought provoking and fun reading.
