The Soul of an Octopus

by Sy Montgomery

Sy Montgomery's beloved book grew from her time volunteering at the New England Aquarium, where she formed unexpected and profound relationships with four giant Pacific octopuses named Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma. She writes about the animals' startling intelligence and individual personalities while also meditating on friendship, mortality, and what it means to truly encounter another kind of consciousness. The book is simultaneously rigorous natural history and tender personal memoir. It has introduced a generation of readers to the idea that minds come in more shapes than we imagined.