{"product_id":"9781451697728","title":"The Soul of an Octopus : A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Sy Montgomery\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction * \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBestseller * Starred \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003eEditors’ Spring Pick * A \u003ci\u003eHuffington Post\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year * One of the Best Books of the Month on \u003ci\u003eGoodreads * Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003eBest Sci-Tech Book of the Year * An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e“Sy Montgomery’s \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e does for the creature what Helen Macdonald’s \u003ci\u003eH Is for Hawk\u003c\/i\u003e did for raptors.” —\u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e, UK\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e“One of the best science books of the year.” —\u003ci\u003eScience Friday\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eAnother \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller from the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Good Good Pig\u003c\/i\u003e, this “fascinating…touching…informative…entertaining” (\u003ci\u003eThe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eDaily Beast\u003c\/i\u003e) book explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus—a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature—and the remarkable connections it makes with humans.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eScientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus \u003c\/i\u003ereveals what octopuses can teach us about the meeting of two very different minds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e“Enter the mysterious intelligent alien world of the octopus. Experience a real intelligence based on a sense of touch that humans can barely imagine.”\u003cbr\u003e\"Renowned author Sy Montgomery's latest gem is a must read for those who want to dissolve the human-constructed borders between \"them\" (other animals) and us. Surely, there are large differences among nonhuman animals and between nonhuman and human animals, but there also are many basic similarities. Connecting with other animals is part of the essential and personal process of rewilding and reconnecting with other animals, and The Soul of an Octopus is just what is needed to close the gap.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Diving deeper than Jules Verne ever dreamed, The Soul of an Octopus is a page-turning adventure that will leave you breathless. Has science ever been this deliciously hallucinatory? Boneless and beautiful, the characters here are not only big-hearted, they're multi-hearted, as well as smart, charming, affectionate...and, of course, ambidextrous. If there is a Mother Nature, her name is Sy Montgomery.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e, Sy Montgomery immerses readers into an intriguing, seductive world just beneath the ocean waves and the lives of the creatures living within. In this beautifully written book, she brings empathy, insight, and an enchanting sense of wonderment to the bonds we inherently share with other beings—even those seeming far different from us.\"\u003cbr\u003e“A captivating book on an intelligence as ‘alien’ as one from outer space. And its not science fiction.”\u003cbr\u003e\"Can an octopus have a mind and emotions, let alone a soul? Sy Montgomery faces these questions head-on in her engaging new book as she explores the world of octopuses, making friends with several and finding heartbreak when they die. They aren't, she discovers, simply brainless invertebrates, but personable, playful, conscious beings. Montgomery's enthusiasm for animals most of us rarely see is infectious, and readers will come away with a new appreciation for what it means to be an octopus.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"With apparent delight, Montgomery puts readers inside the world of these amazing creatures. A fascinating glimpse into an alien consciousness.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/books.simonandschuster.com\/The-Soul-of-an-Octopus\/Sy-Montgomery\/9781451697711\" target=\"_blank\" sl-processed=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is one of those works that makes you hope we can save the planet if for no other reason than to preserve the wondrous beasts we are fortunate enough to share it with.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Sy Montgomery’s joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures will have you rethinking that order of calamari.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Sweet moments are at the heart of Montgomery's compassionate, wise and tender new book... Only a writer of her talent could make readers care about octopuses as individuals... Joins a growing body of literature that asks us to rethink our connection to nonhumans who may be more like us than we had supposed.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"I can't do justice to the wonder of this book, the joy and pain and fellowship and grief that Montgomery brings to life with her words...Completely engrossing and accessible.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Montgomery's passion for other species is infectious...[Her] warmth and exuberance...make good reading, and her awe and admiration are uplifting... I felt informed, moved, and inspird - whieh is all a reader could possibly hope for from a book.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"An engaging work of natural science... There is clearly something about the octopus’s weird beauty that fires the imaginations of explorers, scientists, writers.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Delightful.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Fascinating... touching... informative... Entertaining books like \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e remind us of just how much we not only have to learn from fellow creatures, but that they can have a positive impact on our lives.\" \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cfooter\u003e\u003c\/footer\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003ca aria-hidden=\"true\" data-web-analytics=\"{\" eventname the octopus have a soul data-page-name=\"\" db article does data-description=\"They’re slippery, clever, and adaptable, and a fascinating new book showcases evidence that these eight-legged terrors of the deep may even be able to think and feel.\" data-name=\"Does the Octopus Have a Soul?\" data-picture=\"http:\/\/cdn.thedailybeast.com\/content\/dailybeast\/articles\/2015\/05\/22\/does-the-octopus-have-a-soul\/jcr:content\/image.img.200.jpg\/1432476956054.cached.jpg\" data-link=\"http%3A%2F%2Fthebea.st%2F1Aj7l3e\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A gripping new book bridges the gap between humans and one of this planet's strangest and most wondrous creatures.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Journalistic immersion... allows Montgomery to deliver a deeper understanding of the 'other,' thereby adding to our understanding of ourselves. A good book might illuminate something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn't think possible. \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e delivers on all three.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Charming and moving...with extraordinary scientific research.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"[Montgomery's] compassion and respect for the species make for a buoying read.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Sy Montgomery's \u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus \u003c\/i\u003edoes for the creature what\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eHelen Macdonald 's \u003ci\u003eH Is for Hawk\u003c\/i\u003e did for raptors.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Informative and entertaining, part memoir and part scientific exploration, reminds us that if we are the best creatures on the planet at thinking, we can benefit by thinking about the creatures that may be doing it in some other way.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Naturalist Montgomery writes exceptionally affecting and enlightening books inspired by both rigorous scientific curiosity and enraptured wonder and empathy for all living beings...In prose as gripping and entwining as her \u003cbr\u003e subjects’ many arms, Montgomery chronicles the octopus’ phenomenal strength, dexterity, speed... She also tells funny and moving stories about her friendships... Montgomery’s uniquely intimate portrait of the elusive octopus profoundly recalibrates our perception of consciousness, communication, and community.\"\u003cbr\u003e“What makes this book \u003cb\u003eunusual\u003c\/b\u003e is that Montgomery doesn't try to answer this question [about consciousness] by sifting through piles of research. Instead, she ... listens. She develops extensive relationships with a handful of individual octopuses at the New England Aquarium, each with its own personality, its mundane dramas and tragedies. She records every small moment, \u003cb\u003etreating each octopus like a character in a Jane Austen novel.\u003c\/b\u003e The effect is \u003cb\u003ewonderful\u003c\/b\u003e. By the end, it's hard to shake the feeling that these bizarre creatures really do have rich internal lives, even if we still lack the imagination to grasp them entirely.“\u003cbr\u003e“Montgomery’s journey of discovery encourages the reader to reflect on his or her own definition of consciousness and 'soul.' In the end, the book leaves one with the impression that our way of interacting with the world is not the only way or the most superior way and that sentience similarly comes in a variety of equally astounding forms, all worthy of recognition and compassion.”\u003cbr\u003e“Montgomery’s journey of discovery encourages the reader to reflect on his or her own definition of consciousness and “soul.” In the end, the book leaves one with the impression that our way of interacting with the world is not the only way or the most superior way and that sentience similarly comes in a variety of equally astounding forms, all worthy of recognition and compassion.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Notable Book of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1451697716\/braipick-20\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Soul of an Octopus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is an astoundingly beautiful read in its entirety, at once scientifically illuminating and deeply poetic, and is indeed a worthy addition to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.brainpickings.org\/2015\/12\/11\/best-science-books-2015\"\u003ethe best science books of the year\u003c\/a\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"This miraculously insightful and enchanting book expands our understanding of consciousness and sheds light on the very notion of what we call a “soul.”…. The book’s greatest reward isn’t the fascinating science — although that is riveting and ablaze with rigor — but Montgomery’s bewitching prose, pouring from the soul of a literary naturalist who paints the marvels of the ocean’s depths like Thoreau did the marvels of the New England woods.\"\u003cbr\u003e“Award-winning author Montgomery reveals [octopuses’] beauty. The book takes readers on a vivid tour of their complex inner world… explores their proclivities, their relationships and their intelligence and ultimately tries to deduce whether they possess consciousness… It is hard to come away from this book without a new appreciation for these wonderful creatures.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e2016 Notable Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781451697728\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Atria Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40984790597838,"sku":"9781451697728","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_2766e2cb-b385-41f7-b16b-93c46caa8058.jpg?v=1646778273","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781451697728","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}