Description
Book SynopsisA behavioral ecologist’s riveting account of his decades-long obsession with octopuses: his discoveries, adventures, and new scientific understanding of their behaviors.
Trade Review"In Scheel’s many years of study and discovery for
Many Things Under a Rock, indigenous science and stories are given equal weight with Western science.... The book abounds with wonders.... It is the elegance of an octopus’s movement, the shape-shifting and colouration of the creatures, that Scheel finds so beguiling." -- Kathleen Jamie - New Statesman
"Includes numerous such dramatic and captivating octopus factoids, but it also presents an accessible and nuanced exploration of the lives of these intriguing invertebrates.... An engaging read." -- Dan Blustein - Science
"David Scheel’s astonishing observations make him one of the most important octopus ethologists working today. He is also, fortunately for us, a sensitive and lyrical writer, bringing knowledge and stories from native cultures to bear on the science he describes. I was agog at some of his accounts: severed arms wincing with pain; octopuses throwing things at each other; and octopuses seemingly standing sentinel over their octopus neighborhoods. This book is mind-blowing and soul-expanding. You’ll be thinking and talking about
Many Things Under a Rock for a long time." -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
"Fascinating. Scheel’s unique perspective on these animals, his evocative writing, and his engagement with the traditional cultures of Alaska make this the deepest of octopus books." -- Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
"Page-turning natural history.... The author’s passion for octopuses, combined with his accessible language and vivid descriptions of his encounters, creates a memorable book that is sure to appeal to fans of underwater adventures and anyone who enjoyed the film
My Octopus Teacher. Laurel Scheel’s simple yet elegant illustrations complement the text. A heartfelt and enlightening look at one of Earth’s most curious creatures." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Fascinating.... A complex portrait of a surprising animal." -- Publishers Weekly
