There are two types of people: those who know that octopuses are among the weirdest, most intelligent life forms on Earth, and those who haven’t discovered it yet. Or to put it another way, those who have seen the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher and those who haven’t.
In the 2020 film a diver falls in love with, sorry, forms an unusual friendship with an octopus who shares some of the mysteries of her world. In this non-fiction book the Czech author Michael Stavaric marvels at the abilities of a creature that can solve complex tasks, imitate other species and recognise individual humans.
Don’t expect the calm authority of David Attenborough. The author’s unconventional, scattergun style may put off anyone looking for a deeper, scientific
