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Octopus!

The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea

Katherine Harmon Courage

$39.99

Paperback

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English
Current
28 January 2015
Octopus! Reveals that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs; that two thirds of an octopus's brain capacity is spread through its arms-meaning each one literally has a mind of its own; and that is can change colors with milliseconds to camouflage itself, even though it appear to be colorblind.

Katherine Harmon Courage-a veteran journalist and contributing editor for Scientific American-dives into the amazing underwater world of the octopus. She reports on her global travels, inviting us to experience the scientific discoveries and cultural ties that connect us to the octopus.

Octopus! Reveals that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs; that two thirds of an octopus's brain capacity is spread through its arms-meaning each one literally has a mind of its own; and that is can change colors with milliseconds to camouflage itself, even though it appear to be colorblind.

Courage deftly interweaves personal narrative and interviews with leading octopus experts. The result is an entertaining and scientifically grounded exploration of the octopus and its astoundingly complex world.

'Katherine Harmon Courage's reportage on what the mollusk is teaching us about robotics, invertebrate intelligence and camouflage is excellent' Nature Journal

'Octopus! is crammed with funny,weird, memorable stories about human interactions with cephalopods that start out strange and only get stranger.' NBCNews.com

'Entertaining and eye-opening.' Booklist

'A well-written, accessible book'. Library Journal

'A pleasant, chatty book on a fascinating subject.' Kirkus Reviews

'According to this book, octopuses can sprout temporary horns. Horns! Seriously, you need to read this book.' Will Tracy, Editor in Chief, The Onion

By:  
Imprint:   Current
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 212mm,  Width: 138mm,  Spine: 23mm
Weight:   228g
ISBN:   9781617230141
ISBN 10:   1617230146
Pages:   242
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Katherine Harmon Courage is an award-winning journalist, currently a contributing editor for Scientific American. This is her first book. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews for Octopus!: The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea

The octopus is like an alternate experiment in intelligent life-sophisticated, alluring, and wholly alien. In her fresh, deeply reportedbook, Katherine Harmon Courage makes this creature a little less mysterious, but no less marvelous. -CARL ZIMMER, author of A Planet of Viruses and The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution What is it like to be an octopus? We need to imagine that our arms, all eight of them, can think and that our skin can see. Despite our obvious trouble understanding this invertebrate, no one doubts its intellect. A delightful book about a fascinating creature! -FRANS DE WAAL, author of The Bonobo and the Atheist According to this book, octopuses can sprout temporary horns. Horns! Seriously, you need to read this book. -WILL TRACY, editor in chief, The Onion A pleasant, chatty book on a fascinating subject. -Kirkus [A] well-written, accessible book . -Library Journal Katherine Harmon Courage's reportage on what the mollusk is teaching us about robotics, invertebrate intelligence and camouflage is excellent - Nature Journal In journalist Katherine Harmon Courage's intimate, expansive portrait of these mysterious creatures, she reveals their role in everything from military research to tasty cuisine. - Psychology Today Katherine Harmon Courage's first book Octopus! is crammed with funny, weird, memorable stories about human interactions with cephalopods that start out strange and only get stranger. - NBCNews.com I love Octopus! What creature is more beguiling, expressive and enigmatic? Katherine Harmon Courage's breezy, accessible book introduces us to a top predator, a shape-shifter, a sea mystery that no one can resist. --SY MONTGOMERY, author of Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest


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