The Soul of an Octopus
This awe striking, almost alien trip, draws us into the otherworldly watery realm of cephalopods --- except they aren't alien. Octopuses (not octopi, as the author informs) may arguably be as intelligent, as highly curious, and absolutely more dexterous than human beings. Sy Montgomery introduces us to these creatures with their fascinating and individual personalities.
Stats for nerds
8recommend
12mentions
11people
2015–2024years
75% recommend25% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- Agree it seems odd. One thing the children in my life are NOT lacking is random interests. Sports books are a great avenue and often highly accessible for younger readers. Pretty much any hobby/niche interest has books that are suitable. Kid likes animals? Give them 'The Soul of an Octopus'. Kid likes scifi movies? Give em 'Childhood's End'. Its really not a challenge when you know them well.
- Some books I cannot help but recommend:
Non-Fiction:
- Sy Montgomery: The Soul of an Octopus
- Peter Godfrey-Smith: Other Minds
Fiction:
- Shelby Van Pelt: Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Ray Naylor: The Mountain in the Sea
They are each fantastic, and anyone curious or a fan of cephalopods should read 'em.
- My wife sent me these that she has read and recommends:
Textbooks:
Cephalopod Cognition by Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq (Editor), Ludovic Dickel (Editor), Jennifer Mather (Editor)
Cephalopod Behaviour 2nd Edition by Roger T. Hanlon (Author), John B. Messenger (Author)
Personal anecdotes:
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Paperback by Sy Montgomery
- If you're interested in human octopus interactions I recommend Sy Montgomery's Soul Of An Octopus.
- I strongly recommend both of these books. The Soul of an Octopus is more anecdotal and Other Minds is more academic; in sum they offer not just a fascinating picture of octopuses, but a larger discussion on consciousness and foreign intelligence.
- Other Minds is very good. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery is similar but covers some different topics, including the author's relationship with a couple different octopuses.
