Linden, Eugene. The Octopus and the Orangutan.

Title

The Octopus and the Orangutan: More True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence and Ingenuity

Author

Linden, Eugene

Publisher

Dutton, New York

Year

2002

ISBN

0525946616 (Hardcover)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix
1. The Power of Stories 1
2. The Riddle of the Octopus: Unlikely Minds 21
3. Octopus Derision, Octopus Decisions: Why the Octopus Has a Brain Instead of a Shell 39
4. The Orca that Fished for Seagulls: Games 55
5. Where the Wild Things Are: Intelligence, Captivity, and Rehabilitation 69
6. Orangutan Thefts and Elephant Demolition: Tools 91
7. The Arsenal of Power from Clubs to Sex: Weapons 109
8. When Elephants Cheat: Deception 137
9. Chimp Solace and Sharing Among the Vampires: Empathy and Cooperation 153
10. The Starling that Charmed Mozart: Animal Arts and Sciences 167
11. Lost Cats and Quantum Mechanics: Language and Communication 177
12. It's Not What You Know, It's Who Believes You: The Long and Short of Intelligence 205
13. Convergence, Emergence, and Beyond: Conclusion 221
Index 229
About the Author 243

Index

Index

Pages

243

Categories

octopuses, orangutans, dolphins, animals, intelligence, behavior, zoology, nature, mammals, biology

Language

English (en)

From the Dust Jacket

Award-winning writer Eugene Linden returns to the animal kingdom in this eagerly awaited follow-up to The Parrot's Lament.
In The Octopus and the Orangutan, Eugene Linden takes readers on another unforgettable journey into the minds and hearts of animals. The Parrot's Lament, his acclaimed previous book, explored the animal intelligence revealed as different creatures negotiated with, fooled, and teased zookeepers, trainers, and each other. Now, in a wide-ranging collection of real-life anecdotes that offer further compelling evidence of animals' higher mental capacities and their awareness of the needs and feelings of others, Linden goes beyond these everyday encounters and takes us deeper into their minds through a new window on animal intelligence.
The Octopus and the Orangutan finds intelligent behavior in surprising new places, ranging from the octopus's garden to the crow's nest. Amazing feats of stealth, deception, and larceny are balanced with unexpected acts of kindness and friendship. Animals show they can be cagey bargainers and tough negotiators both with their human keepers and with one another. And, for the first time, we observe an astonishing new animal behavior previously thought to be exclusively human. The animals themselves are our guides in this fresh look at the question of animal intelligence.
From the beloved pets we think we know to the remarkable creatures of the wild, Eugene Linden once again shares his wonder and joy at the infinite variety of animal behavior that continues to inform, amaze, and touch us all.

My Summary

The subtitle of this book is a little misleading. This is not simply a light-hearted collection of animal anecdotes, but rather a thorough discussion of all aspects of animal intelligence, profusely illustrated by stories of animals showing various indications of it. Highly recommended.
—Robbin D. Knapp © 2002

See and/or order this title at Amazon.com:

• Hardcover, 243 pages, Dutton, 2002

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• Hardcover, 243 pages, Dutton, 2002

See and/or order this title at Amazon.de:

• Hardcover, 243 pages, Dutton, 2002

See and/or order this title at Amazon.fr:

• Hardcover, 243 pages, Dutton, 2002

Related Links

• Eugene Linden Author's Website