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2.84k reviews for:
Rendezvous mit einem Oktopus: Extrem schlau und unglaublich empfindsam: Das erstaunliche Seelenleben der Kraken
Sy Montgomery
3.89 AVERAGE
2.84k reviews for:
Rendezvous mit einem Oktopus: Extrem schlau und unglaublich empfindsam: Das erstaunliche Seelenleben der Kraken
Sy Montgomery
3.89 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Despite containing some interesting octopus facts, I cannot recommend this book to anyone who actually cares for octopuses as a whole. The author (who I’ve since learned is a naturalist, NOT a biologist or conservationist) discusses the species’ sentience without actually making any connections about it. Despite sharing her story of TWO octopuses at an aquarium that died trying to escape captivity (a measly pickle barrel), the author goes on to defend snatching these creatures from their natural habitat so people like her can fall in love with them (even if aquariums do not have the resources or space for them). In fact, the only the reason the author does not own a pet octopus, according to her, is because it would put a strain on her marriage. I found this cognitive dissonance jarring and made the entire book feel exploitative of such brilliant creatures that deserve more than being confined to jail cells for entertainment.
If you do want to know more about octopuses, I would recommend an author that is a biologist, conservationist, or ecologist rather than just someone who wants one à la Veruca Salt.
If you do want to know more about octopuses, I would recommend an author that is a biologist, conservationist, or ecologist rather than just someone who wants one à la Veruca Salt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
i cant imagine the insane levels of anthropocentric hubris required to be able to write this book. makes a total mockery of other books in this genre, many of which are thoughtful, detailed, and nuanced. this one cites youtube videos and claims that putting octopuses in zoos is a good thing because at least the octopus got to see the faces of the author and her friends. a total joke.
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This one was definitely a disappointment for me. If you know a bit about this species, this book did not have a lot more to offer. The title itself doesn’t accurately reflect the contents of this book. What it turned out to was more of a memoir of the author, during her time playing, not volunteering, at an aquarium and learning to scuba dive. A good portion felt repetitive and other parts were just uninteresting. Much of the time the descriptions felt like it was describing a kid who just wanted “to play with puppies” rather than a journalist that was trying to explore the deeper questions surrounding a creature’s intelligence, consciousness, and soul. At one point she has her friend shove hands in to the tank to pet the octopus to whom she is a stranger, without any preamble or perceived caution. I also think it’s a huge failing on the part of a journalist to not explore the ethical implications of purchasing wild-caught individuals for aquarium display tanks. No matter what side of the argument you are on, it is very concerning to hear that a young (and still growing) octopus was kept in a barrel for several months because the older display octopus did not die as fast as expected. Then when this poor creature died trying to escape, another was purchased right away despite still not having a tank available for each of the two of them. So once again, one of these poor creatures is destined to live in a barrel for indefinite period of time. Listening to this was heart-breaking. It should be noted that the postscript did acknowledge that aquarium has rectified this situation with a second tank. I should have DNF’d this at some point. Overall, I can’t recommend this one.
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced