Octopus!: The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea Hardcover – October 31, 2013

This is an educational tome about the wonders of the cuttlefish, squid, and especially the octopus that has the starring role. I learned a bunch about these fascinating creatures that I previously was unaware of, and have a new level of respect and admiration for these guys. Many intriguing facts are related to the reader about the many facets of the eight-armed beasts, leading to the development of a healthy respect for the capabilities and characteristics of the way of life and the coping mechanisms these mollusks use for survival. I had no idea how widespread the fishery is for these creatures, and how many are consumed across the globe. The book moves along well, and covers much ground, all presented in an easy to read and enjoyable book. I think most people who like to learn more about the natural world we live in will enjoy the in-depth look into these wonderful cephalopods.

With eight arms, a bulbous head, the ability to change color and shape, and a gift for problem solving, the octopus has fascinated humanity for thousands of years. Katherine Harmon Courage’s “Octopus, The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea,” sketches this intelligent invertebrate’s history on the planet and our own briefer relationship with this submarine “beast” that we’ve both deified and vilified in literature and lore.The author travels the world in search of the octopus, accompanying fishermen, marine biologists and even chefs to understand more about this largely reserved and solitary creature which spends much of its short life hiding in its den and focusing on the basic biological functions such as finding food, reproducing and dying, with only some time for tool use and play. Crafty enough to sneak in and out of a crab trap or its tank at the local aquarium, the octopus has oft been labeled the smartest invertebrate on the planet, and it has demonstrated the ability to tell the difference between individual people, eerily scrutinizing us while we study them. We even study them for what they anatomically teach us toward robotic engineering and neurology, although these intelligent, eight-armed test subjects have easily foiled our attempts at keeping electrodes fastened to them. However, these signs of intelligence and other admirable traits don’t prevent octopuses and other soft-bodied mollusks from being a delicacy on our menus.Along the way, Ms. Courage introduces us to an interesting cast of scientists, naturalists, trappers and culinary experts and also reveals herself through her lively prose, sense of humor and honest treatment of the subject matter and her own very human flaws, such as a sloppy bout of seasickness. This honesty and her flair for non-technical content is why this book makes for such a fine introduction to the octopus world. The book is courageous enough to admit that there is still much about octopuses (and our impact on them and vice-versa) that we need to discover and that this is just the beginning of the journey.

Octopusses are fascinating, highly intelligent and alluring animals. Not nearly enough of that comes through in this book, which emphasizes the culinary delight of dining on calamari, the details of octopus harvesting, and the complex chemistry of the animal's various organs. Yes, there's information about their behavior and intelligence too, especially in the second half-hence three stars instead of two.The dry, scientific tone often lacks immediacy and liveliness, and at several points I found myself counting the pages to the next chapter. There's a bit more humor and verve in the second half. And the book is well-researched.But did we really need to know about a diving expedition during which the author saw not a single octopus? Did we really need to hear the author enthuse about her experience of dining on a fresh, still wriggling octopus tentacle-a practice and mode of preparation condemned by PETA?In most of the book, Ms. Courage maintains a tone of aloof detachment that I found off-putting. (In the interests of full disclosure, I'm the author of a book on octopuses for children, but I wrote my book long after I wrote this review.)

Katherine Courage has crafted a well-researched, enthralling, and playful look at the Octopus – The Most Mysterious Creature in the Sea. I found it to be a delightful mix of scientific inquiry, travel log, and epicurean adventure. Katherine’s easygoing style and her warm and honest invitation to experience the Octopus from its niche in the sea to our plate on the table is a fresh approach that I found pleasurable and as entertaining as it was informative. A highly illuminating and entertaining read.

This was written by a non-scientist magazine writer for the non-scientist. It is easy to read and normally fun but just a bit too many attempts at octo-humor. I would have preferred a more in-depth study and less on eating octopus. I don't read cookbooks. I'm no where near a PETA person but I'm sure this book will drive them crazy as eating Octopus seems to be a main theme including the entire first chapter. The treatment of the Giant Squid in "Kraken: The Curious, Exciting, and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid" by Wendy Williams is more what I was expecting of this book. Don't misread me - the book was interesting, informative and fun to read and I give it four stars for that, HOWEVER, the sparse black and white pictures were both horrible quality and rarely added to the story. They seemed very random and unnecessary. I'd have kept this review at 4 stars sans "photos" or whatever they were. (Black and White Blurry unimportant images would be a better term) I'd check this one out from the library and not add it to your own.

Awful unscientific book that mainly focuses around how to fish, cook and use octopuses for human consumption. Writing style is very magazine-like, detached and repetitive. Any chapter which is focused on the actual life of octopuses is very basic, and lacking in meaningful detail which is a pity since the cover, title and description promises an in-depth portrait of octopus life. However, details about human consumption of octopus are covered ad nauseam in each and every chapter. This book could possibly prove useful if you are a chef interested in discovering novel ways of cooking and consuming octopus though.For readers hoping to find information on these highly intelligent and incredibly fascinating creatures should steer clear of this book and try the sublime "Octopus, The Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate" by Anderson and Mather where octopuses are celebrated and revered as magnificent creatures in their own right, not merely as a delicacy for humans as this author seems to expound at each and every opportunity.  OctopusOctopus

Très beau livre instructif.

Anche se è scritto in inglese è uno strumento molto utile per conoscere in modo più approfondito il mondo di queste misteriose creature.

Very insightful and interesting :)

A*