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fraeyalise's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
I liked learning more about cephalopod life, but this book is incredibly repetitive and rambling. It is continuously referencing other chapters, complete with recaps of those chapters. At the end there's a "save the oceans" message tacked on that seems a bit disingenuous. Don't get me wrong, I'm all here for saving the oceans. But it seemed a little... weird that we are going through all this philosophy just so he can say "by the way, save the oceans".
It feels like the author was enraptured by cephalopods (and really, who wouldn't be?), but his day job is philosophy, so this is a way to explore his work and his hobby at the same time. I think this would be much better as a lecture given at a school instead of a book. I learned a little about evolution, about nature, and about cephalopods. My favorite part by far was when he discusses studies of octopuses and the octopus mischief they enact on their researchers.
Note for the e-book version: this book has no footnotes and at the end, the publishers just tell you to search individual phrases in the book to figure out what the footnote is talking about. That's absolutely ridiculous! That's not how footnotes work.
It feels like the author was enraptured by cephalopods (and really, who wouldn't be?), but his day job is philosophy, so this is a way to explore his work and his hobby at the same time. I think this would be much better as a lecture given at a school instead of a book. I learned a little about evolution, about nature, and about cephalopods. My favorite part by far was when he discusses studies of octopuses and the octopus mischief they enact on their researchers.
Note for the e-book version: this book has no footnotes and at the end, the publishers just tell you to search individual phrases in the book to figure out what the footnote is talking about. That's absolutely ridiculous! That's not how footnotes work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
You can't talk about researching animals without talking about the history of the horrible treatment of animals by researchers.rhi_'s review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty and Medical content
readingelli's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Nature and predator/ prey relationshipsmaddox22's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
tassillow's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
ailsaod's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
A couple years ago I watched the BBC documentary 'The Octopus In My House' which introduced me to the idea that cephalopods are far more intelligent than we often give them credit for but oh wow this book was still eye-opening!
This book mixes together evolutionary biology, psychology, philosophy and cephalopod biology very well - though I will say some of the philosophy heavy sections were a little hard to get through and are the reason I'm rating this book 4 stars as opposed to 5.
I learned a lot from this book and while Godfrey-Smith makes sure the reader is aware of any gaps in evidence or theories he still makes an effort at explaining slippery topics such as consciousness/subjective experience in a much more practical way than I have previously seen. I think certain parts of this book could go some people a lot of good to read to show them that humans are not some kind of special animal, separated by some kind of evolutionary wall from everything else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
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