Name: The Soul of an Octopus
Author: Sy Montgomery

What’s in it for me? Delve into the fascinating world of octopuses.

It’s easy for people to relate to cats or dogs, as they’re often cute and cuddly, and their warm-blooded bodies – ears, eyes, noses and paws – are familiar to us.

Octopuses, on the other hand, appear totally alien. An octopus has no spine, for instance, and its body is squishy. What’s more, did you know an octopus’s mouth is in its armpit?

Sure, we see cats and dogs every day – but encountering a live octopus in the wild is rare (and poking at a tank at a seafood counter doesn’t exactly count). These blinks will get you acquainted with the fascinating world of octopuses, learning about their personalities and how they perceive the world.

In these blinks, you’ll also find out

why you’d better not let an octopus get bored;
how a mood ring and an octopus has a lot in common; and
how to tell if an octopus is becoming senile.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“Before I read these blinks, I had no idea that octopuses were such intelligent creatures. Far from being simple, unthinking blobs, they are superb problem-solvers with unique personalities.”

– Thomas, English Editorial Lead at Blinkist

Far from being fabled monsters of the sea, octopuses are intelligent, curious creatures.

Most people find octopuses frightening. The tentacles, suction cups and slimy texture of these sea creatures make them seem quite “alien.”

The idea of octopuses as frightening is partly cultural. Many American films have used octopuses or similar shapes that allude to these tentacled animals to create terrifying deep sea monsters.

Society’s view of octopuses as scary monsters has its roots in history. An ancient Icelandic saga called Orvar-Odds tells the tale of a tentacled beast that “swallows men and ships and whales and everything it can reach.”

Despite the bad rap, octopuses are fascinating and intelligent creatures!

Octopuses are the smartest of all invertebrates, or creatures with no backbone. Granted, some invertebrates, like clams, don’t even have a brain.

An octopus has a brain, although it is the size of a walnut. Yet with this small brain, these creatures can do incredible things, such as tell humans apart.

Seattle Aquarium researcher Roland Anderson performed an experiment in which he introduced an octopus to two different people. One person fed the octopus; the other poked it with a stick.

After just one week, the octopus could distinguish the two people by sight. The creature would move toward the person who fed it, and back away from the one who poked it.

Octopuses also crave intellectual stimulation. Without it, they look for something to do.

An octopus once flooded a room adjacent to its own by playing with the valves in its tank. These clever creatures search for entertainment when they're restless or bored.

Sometimes octopuses try to escape from tanks and explore. A researcher at the Marine Biological Station in Plymouth once bumped into an octopus wandering down the stairs, after having escaped from its tank!

An octopus can change color depending on its mood, and can taste with its suckers.

Would you like to be able to change the color of your skin to match your mood? How about learning to become invisible? Octopuses have incredible skills that help them survive in the ocean.

An octopus can change color, to either appear more dangerous or perhaps less tasty if a threat appears. They can also virtually disappear by effortlessly blending into the environment.

Key ideas in The Soul of an Octopus