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The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Paperback – April 5, 2016

by Sy Montgomery (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 10,005 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Invertebrates Zoology
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Finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction * New York Times Bestseller * 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 the Year * An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year

“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

“One of the best science books of the year.” —Science Friday, NPR

A New York Times bestseller from the author of The Good Good Pig, this “fascinating…touching…informative…entertaining” (The Daily Beast) book explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus—a surprisingly complex, intelligent, and spirited creature—and the remarkable connections it makes with humans.

In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.

Scientists have only recently accepted the intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees but now are watching octopuses solve problems and are trying to decipher the meaning of the animal’s color-changing techniques. With her “joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures” (Library Journal Editors’ Spring Pick), Montgomery chronicles the growing appreciation of this mollusk as she tells a unique love story. 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.
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 5, 2016
  4. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.8 x 8.38 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1451697724
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1451697728
  7. See all details
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Enter the mysterious intelligent alien world of the octopus. Experience a real intelligence based on a sense of touch that humans can barely imagine.” -- Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation

"Renowned author Sy Montgomery's latest gem is a must read for those who want to dissolve the human-constructed borders between "them" (other animals) and us. Surely, there are large differences among nonhuman animals and between nonhuman and human animals, but there also are many basic similarities. 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

"Diving deeper than Jules Verne ever dreamed, The Soul of an Octopus is a page-turning adventure that will leave you breathless. 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 Elephant Company

"In The Soul of an Octopus, Sy Montgomery immerses readers into an intriguing, seductive world just beneath the ocean waves and the lives of the creatures living within. 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

“A captivating book on an intelligence as ‘alien’ as one from outer space. And its not science fiction.” -- Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven

"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

"With apparent delight, Montgomery puts readers inside the world of these amazing creatures. A fascinating glimpse into an alien consciousness." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The Soul of an Octopus is one of those works that makes you hope we can save the planet if for no other reason than to preserve the wondrous beasts we are fortunate enough to share it with." -- Steve Lysaker, Outward Hounds

"Sy Montgomery’s joyful passion for these intelligent and fascinating creatures will have you rethinking that order of calamari." ― Library Journal Editors' Spring Pick

"Sweet moments are at the heart of Montgomery's compassionate, wise and tender new book... Only a writer of her talent could make readers care about octopuses as individuals... Joins a growing body of literature that asks us to rethink our connection to nonhumans who may be more like us than we had supposed." ― St. Paul Pioneer Press

"I can't do justice to the wonder of this book, the joy and pain and fellowship and grief that Montgomery brings to life with her words...Completely engrossing and accessible." ― malcolmavenuereview.blog

"Montgomery's passion for other species is infectious...[Her] warmth and exuberance...make good reading, and her awe and admiration are uplifting... I felt informed, moved, and inspird - whieh is all a reader could possibly hope for from a book." ― Union Leader

"An engaging work of natural science... There is clearly something about the octopus’s weird beauty that fires the imaginations of explorers, scientists, writers." ― The Daily Mail - UK

"Delightful." ― NATURE

"Fascinating... touching... informative... Entertaining books like The Soul of an Octopus remind us of just how much we not only have to learn from fellow creatures, but that they can have a positive impact on our lives."

― DAILY BEAST

"A gripping new book bridges the gap between humans and one of this planet's strangest and most wondrous creatures." ― Global Newswire

"Journalistic immersion... allows Montgomery to deliver a deeper understanding of the 'other,' thereby adding to our understanding of ourselves. A good book might illuminate something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn't think possible. The Soul of an Octopus delivers on all three." ― New Scientist

"Charming and moving...with extraordinary scientific research." ― The Guardian (UK)

"[Montgomery's] compassion and respect for the species make for a buoying read." ― Newsday

"Sy Montgomery's The Soul of an Octopus does for the creature whatHelen Macdonald 's H Is for Hawk did for raptors." ― New Statesman (UK)

"Informative and entertaining, part memoir and part scientific exploration, reminds us that if we are the best creatures on the planet at thinking, we can benefit by thinking about the creatures that may be doing it in some other way." ― Columbus Dispatch

"Naturalist Montgomery writes exceptionally affecting and enlightening books inspired by both rigorous scientific curiosity and enraptured wonder and empathy for all living beings...In prose as gripping and entwining as her
subjects’ many arms, Montgomery chronicles the octopus’ phenomenal strength, dexterity, speed... She also tells funny and moving stories about her friendships... Montgomery’s uniquely intimate portrait of the elusive octopus profoundly recalibrates our perception of consciousness, communication, and community." ― Booklist (STARRED review)

“What makes this book unusual is that Montgomery doesn't try to answer this question [about consciousness] by sifting through piles of research. Instead, she ... listens. She develops extensive relationships with a handful of individual octopuses at the New England Aquarium, each with its own personality, its mundane dramas and tragedies. She records every small moment, treating each octopus like a character in a Jane Austen novel. The effect is wonderful. By the end, it's hard to shake the feeling that these bizarre creatures really do have rich internal lives, even if we still lack the imagination to grasp them entirely.“ ― Vox

“Montgomery’s journey of discovery encourages the reader to reflect on his or her own definition of consciousness and 'soul.' In the end, the book leaves one with the impression that our way of interacting with the world is not the only way or the most superior way and that sentience similarly comes in a variety of equally astounding forms, all worthy of recognition and compassion.” ― Science Magazine

“Montgomery’s journey of discovery encourages the reader to reflect on his or her own definition of consciousness and “soul.” In the end, the book leaves one with the impression that our way of interacting with the world is not the only way or the most superior way and that sentience similarly comes in a variety of equally astounding forms, all worthy of recognition and compassion.” ― Shelf Awareness, Best Book of 2015 List

A Notable Book of the Year ― Huffington Post

"The Soul of an Octopus is an astoundingly beautiful read in its entirety, at once scientifically illuminating and deeply poetic, and is indeed a worthy addition to the best science books of the year." ― Science Friday, NPR

"This miraculously insightful and enchanting book expands our understanding of consciousness and sheds light on the very notion of what we call a “soul.”…. The book’s greatest reward isn’t the fascinating science — although that is riveting and ablaze with rigor — but Montgomery’s bewitching prose, pouring from the soul of a literary naturalist who paints the marvels of the ocean’s depths like Thoreau did the marvels of the New England woods." ― Brainpickings

“Award-winning author Montgomery reveals [octopuses’] beauty. The book takes readers on a vivid tour of their complex inner world… explores their proclivities, their relationships and their intelligence and ultimately tries to deduce whether they possess consciousness… It is hard to come away from this book without a new appreciation for these wonderful creatures.” ― Scientific American

2016 Notable Book ― American Library Association

About the Author

Sy Montgomery is a naturalist, adventurer, and author of more than thirty acclaimed books of nonfiction for adults and children, including The Hummingbirds’ Gift, The Hawk’s Way, the National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus, and most recently, Of Time and Turtles, 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Washington Square Press; Reprint edition (April 5, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451697724
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451697728
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 10,005 ratings

About the author

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Sy Montgomery

Sy Montgomery

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"Part Emily Dickinson, part Indiana Jones," as the Boston Globe has called her, Sy Montgomery has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Zaire and swum with piranhas and pink dolphins in the Amazon. To research her books, films and articles, she has worked in a pit swarming with 18,000 snakes in Canada and been hunted by a tiger in India. She has hiked the Altai Mountains of Mongolia's Gobi desert in search of snow leopards and penetrated the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea to radio collar tree kangaroos. No place is too far to go to bring animals' true stories to adults and children around the world.

Th author of the national bestseller, The Good Good Pig, as well as 15 other celebrated nonfiction books, Montgomery writes for print as well as broadcast in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible at what she considers a critical turning point in human history. "We are on the cusp of either destroying this sweet, green Earth or revolutionizing the way we understand the rest of animate creation," she says. "It's an important time to be writing about the connections we share with our fellow creatures. It's a great time to be alive."

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
10,005 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book extremely informative, intelligent, and awe-inspiring. They also describe the writing quality as well-written and poetic. Readers describe octopuses as fascinating and incredible. They find the emotional content deeply touching, uplifting, and delightful. Additionally, they mention the story is heartfelt and enlightens them to the amount of love and commitment that exists behind the scenes.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Information qualityWriting qualityOctopusesEmotional contentHeartfelt storyPersonalityBoredomAutobiographical content
315 customers mention "Information quality"299 positive16 negative

Customers find the book extremely informative, intelligent, and detailed. They say the descriptions are awe-inspiring, provocative, and evocative. Readers also appreciate the length and depth of the research. Additionally, they describe the book as emotional and revelatory about biology, psychology, and neurology.

"...a great, lighthearted style which is both easy to read and yet detailed enough that you feel you are there with her. I highly recommend this book." Read more

"...These are fascinating and informative books about a creature that’s like us in some respects but alien in most, an animal that sees and weighs us..." Read more

"...- with the Octopuses they encounter are very well done and integral to understanding what the author is trying to convey: that these are alien..." Read more

"Enjoyed every word of this book! The photos at the end were wonderful but I wish I had known they were there as I was reading along." Read more

251 customers mention "Writing quality"239 positive12 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written and poetic. They say it reads like a personal story, part octopus memoir written on the octopus' behalf. Readers also mention the author writes from her heart and is passionate about her work.

"...is so interesting and talks about other sea creatures, but is so well written that you can feel the octopuses and see how they can become almost..." Read more

"...Both books are well written and copiously illustrated (photographs and drawings) but what makes them such fascinating reading is the creatures they..." Read more

"...- even relationships - with the Octopuses they encounter are very well done and integral to understanding what the author is trying to convey: that..." Read more

"This book is an incredible read. It is written in a way that's intriguing and easy to digest...." Read more

127 customers mention "Octopuses"123 positive4 negative

Customers find octopuses fascinating and amazing. They say the book deepens and strengthens their knowledge and love of octopuse. Readers mention the book provides academic information about the animals along with emotional ones.

"...The book is so interesting and talks about other sea creatures, but is so well written that you can feel the octopuses and see how they can become..." Read more

"...behaviors, interaction with humans, and fantastic physical capabilities of these fascinating creatures...." Read more

"...This book deepened and strengthened my knowledge and love of octopuses. I thoroughly enjoyed the memoir-like read that wove in information...." Read more

"Fascinating accounts of interactions with octopus and descriptions of them." Read more

97 customers mention "Emotional content"86 positive11 negative

Customers find the book touching, evocative, and inspiring. They say it's thoughtful, well-researched, and fascinating. Readers also mention the book leaves them with an awe and respect for these animals.

"...details her personal interactions with four octopuses in succession: gentle, friendly Athena; playful, inquiring Octavia; the more fiery Kali; and..." Read more

"...you a lot about not just octopuses, but also the surprisingly deep and meaningful connections that can be established between humans and..." Read more

"...A most fascinating, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, always engrossing and enjoyable read...." Read more

"...the whole backdrop of the aquarium — showing off these majestic, thoughtful, amazing creatures like sideshow curios — distressing, especially when..." Read more

28 customers mention "Heartfelt story"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the story heartfelt, touching, and informative. They say it enlightens them to the amount of love and commitment that exist behind the scenes. Readers also mention the characters are lovingly related, intimate, and sweet.

"...They have unique personalities and can develop strong bonds with humans, much more than I would ever have thought possible...." Read more

"...books on the life of an octopus, told in captivating form and with great affection. Highly recommend!" Read more

"...It also enlightens one to the amount of love and commitment that exists behind the scenes in an aquarium, and can potentially change the differing..." Read more

"...Written as intensely as an adventure story, as beautifully as a love story, it is both & more. I will never see this animal the same way...." Read more

28 customers mention "Personality"28 positive0 negative

Customers find the octopuses unique and likable. They say the personification is something to contemplate. Readers also say the book is informative and very human.

"...are octopuses sentient beings, they apparently even have distinct individual personalities (and, arguably, apparently even emotions) that become..." Read more

"So enjoyable with an incredible ending. Love all the characters." Read more

"...At times, you almost forget it's nonfiction. The octopuses have such different personalities, you really get to "know" them through the author's..." Read more

"...I bought one for my 16 year old granddaughter. The octopus is a personality plus, intelligent animal, who can escape from just about any enclosure...." Read more

40 customers mention "Boredom"9 positive31 negative

Customers find the book boring, repetitive, and tedious. They say it's slow to read and just plain dull sometimes. Readers also mention the narrative is superficial and there are too many digressions into the lives of the author's friends.

"...There are too many digressions into the lives of her friends and her own personal experience...." Read more

"Presented interesting info about octopuses, but I thought it was too superficial in its discussion of different theories of self and consciousness,..." Read more

"...me smile, and some aspects are quite sad, but overall, the book was less interesting than I'd expected/hoped...." Read more

"...feel the need once in a while to grab a dictionary, the jargon generally isn't intimidating - even for someone who is more familiar with hockey..." Read more

18 customers mention "Autobiographical content"4 positive14 negative

Customers find the book too autobiographical, self-centered, and superficial. They say it's repetitive and slow. Readers also mention the tone is very narcissistic and there isn't much information about the promised topic.

"...unfortunately comes across as superficially naive with an undercurrent of narcissism that cannot be ignored; you get the sense of "Look at me!"..." Read more

"...one, but this book was not about the promised topic nor did it have any cohesive narrative. I felt a bit ripped off when I finished it...." Read more

"...This book, interesting as is was, is more autobiographical than I would have liked. Nonetheless, I do strongly recommend it." Read more

"...This book is both personal and professional, scientific and emotional. It certainly opened my eyes to the incredible nature of the octopus...." Read more

Best octopus information
5 out of 5 stars
Best octopus information
I became very interested in octopuses after seeing the one in our Mississippi Aquarium. His name is Bubblewrap. This book has so many interesting facts and stories. I very seldom keep books to reread them but this one is not going anywhere. I really learned a lot and it is not written as a text book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Anne A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very engaging book.
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read this right after reading Remarkably Bright Creatures (it was mentioned in that book) because I wanted to know more about octopuses (and yes that is the correct plural). The book is so interesting and talks about other sea creatures, but is so well written that you can feel the octopuses and see how they can become almost friends. Sy Montgomery also wrote The Good, Good Pig which I also really enjoyed. She has so much empathy for all creatures and has a great, lighthearted style which is both easy to read and yet detailed enough that you feel you are there with her. I highly recommend this book.
13 people found this helpful
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David Keymer
5.0 out of 5 stars FASCINATING AND WARM AS WELL AS ENLIGHTENING
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2016
Verified Purchase
MONTGOMERY, Sy. The Soul of an Octopus. Atria. 2015. 261p, illus., bibliog., index.
WILLIAMS, Wendy. Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid. Abrams Image. 2011. 224p, illus., bibliog., index.

These two books are about cephalopods –octopuses (not “octopi,” the word comes from Greek, not Latin) and squid. Both books are well written and copiously illustrated (photographs and drawings) but what makes them such fascinating reading is the creatures they are about. Octopuses and squid offer us our only examples of what intelligence and feeling could be like outside of the vertebrate family.

University of Chicago neuroscientist Cliff Ragsdale comments: “Short of Martians showing up and offering themselves up to science, cephalopods are the only example outside of vertebrates of how to build a complex, clever brain.” Alexa, who works with octopuses as a volunteer, says: “There’s nothing as peculiar as an octopus.” (Both quoted in Montgomery)

There is ample evidence of octopus intelligence. There is general agreement that they are among the smartest animals on earth. But it’s not our kind of intelligence, not even close although there enough points of similarity to convince observers they are reasoning and feeling. To start with, their brains are organized differently, distributed in parts spread across a central brain and eight tentacles rather than consolidated in one central spot like ours is. Furthermore, whatever they think and feel, their actions are so different from ours that in many cases, we don’t have a clue why they react like they do.

Octopuses in captivity, even in the wild, respond differently to different people. With some they’re comfortable, even friendly, with others hostile or defensive. We know from this and from their puzzle-solving ability --they are master locksmiths, for instance, who can get though up to three sealed containers to reach the food within-- that they make inferences and remember what they’ve learned. They get bored, need to keep active. Bored octopuses held captive in tanks get in trouble, much like bored Border collies moping around a house get in trouble, but where the collie will likely chew up rugs and furniture, the octopus will try to escape, maybe migrate to a neighboring tank to eat the creatures inside it. Octopuses in captivity beg for food, appearing in the same part of the tank and adopting the same posture whenever food-bearers arrive. We can read their emotions in broad strokes: red, angry or excited: white, calm or indifferent.

The books are written by seasoned science reporters. This is Montgomery’s ninth natural science book for adult readers and her twenty-first in all. For Williams, it’s her seventh. Both writers have won awards for science reporting. Montgomery’s is the warmer book, as she details her personal interactions with four octopuses in succession: gentle, friendly Athena; playful, inquiring Octavia; the more fiery Kali; and Karma.

These are fascinating and informative books about a creature that’s like us in some respects but alien in most, an animal that sees and weighs us just as do it. Montgomery’s especially is about what it means to respect and love a creature without expecting it to become like us.
17 people found this helpful
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Scott Stratton
4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, interesting, and thoroughly great read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
Wonderful book. Almost everything I was looking for in a non-technical but not casual book on Octopus intelligence. Her writing is excellent, and her descriptions of her own and others emotional reactions to their experiences - even relationships - with the Octopuses they encounter are very well done and integral to understanding what the author is trying to convey: that these are alien creatures - yet nonetheless (to some extent) comprehensible to us, intelligent, communicative (including across the gulf of evolutionary time between our species), individuals beings worthy of our respect and friendship - not that all of nature shouldn't be respected, but in the sense of fellow travelers on the "sentient" pathway through life whether we are worthy of their respect and friendship remains to be seen. It is ironic and amusing to think we may even now be living in and continuing to build the cities - currently coastal and above water - that some far future Cephalopod Civilization may find the perfect homes; or which spur their further development. opOur opposable thumbs make us pretty awesome tool-users; imagine if Octopuses took up tool-use like we did!!!!

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 for a few, relatively subjective reasons (others may find my reasons trifling, and give the full 5 stars):

— i think I wanted more stories/studies/etc. about the octopus, it's intelligence, and the state of research on it. What is currently "generally accepted" as known about them and what is not? There must certainly be many more stories (I hope) and studies demonstrating aspects of their intelligence/consciousness. I may have missed it somehow, but the famous (infamous?) "mirror" test for consciousness wasn't referred to; has it been tried? Why or why not? I suppose I wanted a bit more science and subject-based descriptions and less personal journey. Ditto on the many descriptions of the other animals in the Aquarium; maybe it's a bit OCD of me, but I found them annoying and distracting because I was so interested in reading the other parts of the book. The same could be said of the passages relating the many people that are part of the author's journey and personal life; however, these are kept to a minimum and in many ways enrich our understanding of the main theme; just to say it again: parts of the authors personal journey, and her and other people's emotional lives are integral to the book, and absolutely worth it. I enjoy and read about people, their lives, and much else of science and nature - I just wanted to read a focused book about octopus intelligence, emotions, etc. :-)

despite the foregoing criticism, while this book clearly contains some of that, it is still highly focused on the author's tireless (and courageous) curiosity as well as her relentless (though entirely empathetic) drive to create a bond with an individual of another species. Along the way I did learn and enjoy learning a lot about the Octopus and its mind and way of being in the world. It succeeds admirably - I picked it up one morning to kill a few minutes and couldn't put it down.

The other things that kept it from being a 5 was that her writing, while generally excellent, has the tendency to jump around quite a bit temporally - sometimes in the middle of relating sequential events. Combined with the necessary and interesting digressions into philosophy, cephalopod biology, etc. it can be confusing. It is as if she were torn between writing about Octopus souls and consciousness, etc. sprinkled with a few enlivening personal anecdotes vs. writing a straightforward, linear story of her life over this period of time. It is more the latter, but enough of the former to make it a mixture that is neither.

Finally, and this may bear on the other issues, is that it reads somewhat as if it were several articles/papers written over a period of time but stitched together - but stitched together pretty well, I should add, better than most I have read. Several chapters end on cliffhanger-type sentences; several start with fairly obvious "hook" sentences or paragraphs. Some seem much more like a magazine article relating a particular period in her life (like the scuba-diving stuff), and others more like typical "division of the content into chunks" type chapters. I don't begrudge an author needing to selling chunks of content first, especially given how long it may take a book to emerge and then survive the publishing endurance trial. I point it out mostly in the vain hope more authors will take better pains to write their _books_ as a self-consistent whole; certainly with prior material reused appropriately, but it shouldn't be noticeable as such. I also mention it because this author does seem to have tried to do just that and succeeded more than many.

As it often seems to be the case, my few nit picks take up most of the review. Give the wrong impression, I want to say again it was a wonderful, enjoyable read.
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Bonnie Brugger
5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable creatures
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2024
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Enjoyed every word of this book! The photos at the end were wonderful but I wish I had known they were there as I was reading along.
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Ziv S
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical and touching
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
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This book is an incredible read. It is written in a way that's intriguing and easy to digest.

It will teach you a lot about not just octopuses, but also the surprisingly deep and meaningful connections that can be established between humans and octopuses.

It goes beyond just octopuses but that is definitely the spotlight of the book (as the name suggests). And a creature that well deserves this kind of spotlight at that.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Espetacular
Reviewed in Brazil on June 29, 2024
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Amei o livro....
Eu o recomendo a todos. É maravilhoso !
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Jed Peters
5.0 out of 5 stars this is a wonderful book
Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2022
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this is a tremendous, sensitive and compassionate review of such an interesting and compelling creature. So much we dont know. This has become one of my favourites up there with Barry Lopez's 'of wolves and men' as both approach animals under such extreme misconceptions and offer enlightenment. Cannot say enough good things about soul of an octopus. I expect i shall re read it several times so i grasp it thoroughly.
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cubby
5.0 out of 5 stars A Revelation
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2024
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A fantastic book about some of the most beautiful, intelligent creatures on this planet.
I hope anyone who reads this book now has a deeper understanding of the Octopus. I bought a copy for my friend who also has a deep love of all creatures non human.
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Margarita Zimmermann
5.0 out of 5 stars Gute Empfehlung!
Reviewed in Germany on February 1, 2024
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Ein sehr interessantes und informatives Buch!
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Greg Noel
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
Reviewed in Mexico on September 21, 2020
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Fascinante!!
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