Soul of an Octopus

A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness

De: Sy Montgomery

Narrado por: Sy Montgomery

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.

©2015 Recorded by arrangement with Atria, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Something different

A family member's obsession with cephalopods brought me to this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It opened up a whole new world for me and I didn't find it overly sweetened or pedestrian. If I was forced to quibble, it would be about the nature of consciousness being glossed over too much. But the content was well presented.

Great idea with mediocre-poor execution.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. While the subject matter is fascinating, the author's diction was not on par with it. The diction is mousy and dull.

Has Soul of An Octopus turned you off from other books in this genre?

I'm not really sure what genre this falls under.It reads like a dull person's journal.

Which scene was your favorite?

Stopped it because it wasn't worth listening to.

Do you think Soul of An Octopus needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. This author sucks, and managed to make a fascinating subject boring and 2-dimensional.

Plunging the depths

Deep in the GOT, the author drags us into her lair, decorated with captivating characters I cared about more than I could have imagined.

Loved the author as the Narrator

Far from my normal genre, this book captured my attention immediately and held it the whole time. Part of what made it so fun was the fact that the author is the who reads us the story. You get to hear how excited she was at every single thing that took place in this booj and you know that it is the exact correct emotion.

Great, just great!

I loved this book! Her voice is wonderful and so lively, which matches her writing. I learned a lot and enjoyed the ride. A must listen!