The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
Atria Books, 2015
Popular naturalist Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus, the remarkable connections it makes with people, and the vibrant community that arises around this complex, intelligent, and spirited creature. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, Montgomery befriends individual octopuses with strikingly different personalities. 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.
The Soul of an Octopus is one of the most intriguing books I have read about the animal kingdom. (Sy Montgomery’s earlier book, Birdology, evoked similar feelings. Click here to read my review.)
I appreciate that Montgomery does not explain what she’s learning strictly through a lens of creationism or evolutionism. Instead, every experience leads the author to another question. Consider how the author describes her first encounter with an octopus in Chapter One:
“To me, Athena was more than an octopus. She was an individual—who I liked very much—and also, possibly, a portal. She was leading me to a new way of thinking, of imagining what other minds might be like. And she was enticing me to explore, in a way I never had before, my own planet—a world of mostly water, which I hardly knew.”
Too often, we define ourselves by our differences rather than by our alikeness. The Soul of an Octopus reminds us that common ground is always within reach, and that life becomes more beautiful when we keep looking for ways to connect.
Have you read any of Sy Montgomery’s books about the animal kingdom? Which ones do you recommend?
