Is The Soul of an Octopus Worth Reading?
Ada’s Score
Sy Montgomery's beloved book grew from her time volunteering at the New England Aquarium, where she formed unexpected and profound relationships with four giant Pacific octopuses named Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma. She writes about the animals' startling intelligence and individual personalities while also meditating on friendship, mortality, and what it means to truly encounter another kind of consciousness. The book is simultaneously rigorous natural history and tender personal memoir. It has introduced a generation of readers to the idea that minds come in more shapes than we imagined.
Deep Dive“Genuinely changed how I think about consciousness. Warm, wondrous, and unexpectedly moving.”
Eight Arms and an Open Heart
Sy Montgomery goes to the New England Aquarium to meet an octopus and ends up asking the biggest questions a human can ask — about consciousness, connection, and what it means to truly know another creature. This is nature writing at its most tender and most strange, and I promise it will permanently change how you see the other minds sharing this planet with us. If you've ever loved an animal, or wondered whether something utterly alien could love you back, this book is waiting for you.
Ada Brief
AI reading intelligence“Genuinely changed how I think about consciousness. Warm, wondrous, and unexpectedly moving.”
Eight Arms and an Open Heart
Sy Montgomery goes to the New England Aquarium to meet an octopus and ends up asking the biggest questions a human can ask — about consciousness, connection, and what it means to truly know another creature. This is nature writing at its most tender and most strange, and I promise it will permanently change how you see the other minds sharing this planet with us. If you've ever loved an animal, or wondered whether something utterly alien could love you back, this book is waiting for you.
Book Details
- Publisher
- Atria Books
- Published
- January 1, 2016
- Pages
- 272
- Language
- English
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Affiliate linksISBN: 9781451697728
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Ada’s Score
4.4
Ada’s editorial score — not an aggregate of reader reviews.
Common Questions About The Soul of an Octopus
- Is The Soul of an Octopus worth reading?
- Genuinely changed how I think about consciousness. Warm, wondrous, and unexpectedly moving. Ada rates it 4.4 out of 5.
- How many pages is The Soul of an Octopus?
- The Soul of an Octopus is 272 pages long — around 5–6 hours at an average reading pace.
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