# The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness - Hardcover

by **Sy Montgomery** (Author)

****Finalist for the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction****

**_New York Times_** **Bestseller**

**"Sy Montgomery's _The Soul of an Octopus_ does for the creature what Helen Macdonald's _H Is for Hawk_ did for raptors." --_New Statesman_, UK**

**Starred _Booklist_ and _Library Journal_ Editors' Spring Pick**

**"One of the best science books of the year" --_Science Friday_, NPR**

**A _Huffington Post_ Notable Nonfiction Book of the Year**

**One of the Best Books of the Month on _Goodreads_**

**_Library Journal_** **Best Sci-Tech Book of 2015**

**An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year**

In this astonishing book from the author of the bestselling memoir _The Good Good Pig_, Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus--a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature--and the remarkable connections it makes with humans.

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.

### Author Biography

Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and author of thirty-one acclaimed books of nonfiction for adults and children, including _The Hummingbirds' Gift_, the National Book Award finalist _The Soul of an Octopus_, and the memoir _The Good Good Pig_, which was a _New York Times_ bestseller. The recipient of numerous honors, including lifetime achievement awards from the Humane Society and the New England Booksellers Association, she lives in New Hampshire with her husband, writer Howard Mansfield, and a border collie.

**Number of Pages:** 272

**Dimensions:** 1 x 8.7 x 5.7 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** May 12, 2015

**Award:** National Book Awards (2015)

**Award:** ALA Notable Books (2016)

## Details

- **Price:** 28.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness - Hardcover

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