“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.”
—Vicki Constantine Croke, author of the New York Times bestseller Elephant Company
“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.”
—Vint Virga, DVM, The Soul of All Living Creatures
“Surely there are large differences among nonhuman animals and between nonhuman and human animals, but there also are many basic similarities. If you have trouble imagining a very smart and deeply emotional octopus, substitute ‘dog’ for ‘octopus’ and read on, but keep in mind that it is octopus about whom Ms. Montgomery is writing. 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.”
—Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals, Why Dogs Hump and Bees Get Depressed, and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence
“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.”
—Virginia Morell, author of Animal Wise: How We Know Animals Think and Feel