Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses

‘Fascinating. Scheel’s unique perspective on these animals make this the deepest of octopus books.’ Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of runaway bestseller Other Minds: Octopuses and the Evolution of Intelligent Life ‘I was agog at some of his accounts. Mind-blowing and soul-expanding’ Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus _________________ What is it like to be an octopus? The octopus is a highly intelligent and deeply mysterious creature. It can change colour as quickly as it can move, ‘think’ with its tentacles and communicate in sophisticated ways. Marine biologist David Scheel’s lifelong preoccupation with these animals has led to a career of groundbreaking research, from finding previously unknown species to the discovery of signaling communication. In Many Things Under a Rock, Scheel shares his deep scientific understanding of octopuses and recounts his intrepid adventures with these mysterious, charismatic creatures. He investigates four major mysteries about octopuses: what can we know about such elusive and camouflaged creatures? Why are they so extraordinarily resilient? How do their bodies work? And what kind of relationships do they have? In unravelling these mysteries, Dr Scheel shows octopuses to be complex emotional beings and reveals what they can teach us about ourselves.