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  • Soul of an Octopus

  • A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
  • Written by: Sy Montgomery
  • Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
  • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (38 ratings)

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Soul of an Octopus

Written by: Sy Montgomery
Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
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Publisher's Summary

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. 

©2015 Recorded by arrangement with Atria, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

What listeners say about Soul of an Octopus

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Wanted less human moments and more octopus moments

You can feel the passion & excitement from the author as she narrates the book.
I enjoyed all the bits surrounding octopuses and learning new stuff about these amazing creatures.
I was less enthused by the weird (and unnecessary in most cases) human stories.
I don't care about the people you work with and their personal stories that are completely unrelated to octopuses.
Tell me more about the octopuses!!!
Decent book, but lots of filler stuff that had it been left out, I think this book would have been the better for it.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

got through it

found it a little too gushy and emotional... cool stories but language used was overly exuberant and I wish it dove a little deeper into the discussions about consciousness of other beings

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story about a beautiful relationship!

I loved it. The performance was real, calm and well articulated. the story and passion about octopuses and what we do not know about them was really fascinating and enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What a sensational nonfiction story

In this nonfiction story telling of the Octopus, Sy Montgomery writes the book as if you the reader are actually there and experiencing what she is experiencing. I loved this book because of the invaluable information and insights into Octopuses and other marine life, but also the emotional connections that were made in Sy Montgomery’s journey.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A beautiful story.

you will fall in love with octopuses. Author has a beautiful voice.
I recommend this audiobook.

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