The Soul of an Octopus A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness

When naturalist Sy Montgomery first reaches into a tank at the New England Aquarium and lets an octopus named Athena taste her with hundreds of suckers, she begins a years-long education in one of the ocean's most alien and intelligent animals. Across encounters with Athena, Octavia, Kali, and Karma—each with a distinct personality, mood, and mischief—Montgomery explores what science is only beginning to grasp: that octopuses recognize individual humans, solve problems, feel, play, and remember, their neurons distributed so that each arm nearly thinks for itself.

A finalist for the National Book Award, The Soul of an Octopus is a moving blend of popular science, natural history, and personal reflection. Through the aquarium's tanks and the wider world of divers and researchers, Montgomery asks whether consciousness—and something like a soul—might belong to creatures profoundly unlike ourselves, and what our answer says about how we regard all life.