I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Sy Montgomery has done it again. She always writes natural science books in a way that is engaging for a layperson to read. I like to think that I'm a little more savvy than the average layerson when reading natural science books, but sometimes they are too dense with technical terminology that it makes it more like reading a text book to me rather than something I am choosing to read for pleasure, but Sy Montgomery never does that. Her first book about Octopuses, Soul of an Octopus, made me fall in love with the cephalopods when I previously had no interest in them. This follow up is just as enthralling and well researched as Soul of an Octopus. Plus this book includes many full color photographs interspersed throughout the book, which is much appreciated. Fantastic fantastic book. Sy Montgomery has become one of the few nonfiction writers that I automatically buy when a new book comes out, no matter the topic.

Octopus have long been a misunderstood and mysterious animal.  With more resources and unique technology, octopuses (yes, this is the correct plural!) have been more widely observed and studied for a deeper understanding and connection into their world.  Octopus lover, Sy Montgomery focuses on octopus abilities, intelligence and community to help us to better know these fascinating animals. I enjoyed reading about the personal connections with octopuses and their unique personalities, often choosing to interact with people on their own.  Octopuses' ability to camouflage has contributed to their ability to survive and adapt, as well as being a contributing factor to why they are so misunderstood!  I was happy to learn more about the chromatophores of an octopus that can help them blend into their environment rapidly, impersonate other animals, or turn into what appears to be tumbling algae.  The studies and observations about octopus intelligence were amazing to read about.  I had no idea that octopuses essentially had a brain in each tentacle!  I can only imagine what else we have to learn about these amazing creatures.

Serviceable, if lacking in a prosaic flow. Reads more like a kids' picture book with more words, like one of those days of yore nature/science magazines. Just, you know, not that. Appreciate the opportunity to give this a read, but I did not have a good time reading it, and, while I wanted to chock that up to the format (electronic), that just doesn't strike me as the most likely explanation here.

This is an accompanying book to National Geographic's documentary, "Secrets of the Octopus", which offers a visually stunning and accessible introduction to the world of octopuses. This is the first book I have ever read on the topic, and I'm surprised at how intelligent (yet mysterious) these creatures really are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how the famous "marshmallow test" was adapted to appeal to cuttlefish, as well as evidence suggesting that octopuses dream.

However, at times, the writing felt somewhat disjointed, leaning more toward anecdotal storytelling than scientific explanation. And while engaging, the narrative lacked the coherence and depth I was hoping for.

Thank you to Net Galley, Sy Montgomery and National Geographic for an Advanced Ebook copy of this book.

This is my second Sy Montgomery book. I picked up and read “How To Be a Good Creature” and was captivated by her memoir where she interacts or care for 13 different types of animals ranging from a pig to a little foray into her friendship with an octopus. When “Secrets of the Octopus” popped up as an ARC I immediately wanted to read it. Not only have I always found the Octopus fascinating, but I also have found them to be incredibly attractive, strange, and squishy looking. Secrets of the Octopus combines both the knowledge and personal narratives of Montogomery, but also matched with beautiful spreads of Octopuses (what beautiful colors they have).

Learning about the intelligence of such a flexible creature with no central nervous system was so intriguing. Learning about how Octopuses can feel emotions, recognize friends and less liked individuals and the protective nature of them as mothers kept my attention. Montgomery is able to explain much of the science behind learning about Octopuses with ease and offer explanations that make sense to a layman like me. Immediately after reading this book, I watched multiple videos of Octopuses solving various puzzles (which seem so complicated and they easily solve, and seem to enjoy as well).

As the author states, “octopus are having a moment.” I was intrigued after reading a few other books and watching a Netflix documentary about them. This book does NOT disappoint. Honestly, the only downside to reading this book as an ARC is not being able to fully enjoy the amazing pictures because they don’t render well in ebooks! Otherwise, a really great and interesting read!

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Fun, informative, surprisingly touching—"Secrets of the Octopus" has convinced me to pay a lot more attention to octopuses, and I am so grateful.

For readers wanting a more rigorous look into current octopus science, I think Montgomery's first book, "The Soul of an Octopus," might be a better option. "Secrets" is anecdotal and charming, but the more I read, the more I found myself wanting science as much as stories. Maybe that was Montgomery's ultimate goal—draw a reader in with incredible stories, give them just enough factoids to deepen their interest, and ultimately encourage them to pursue more knowledge on their own.

My only regret with this novel is I got the ebook instead of a physical copy. Either way, it is a beautiful book and a perfect companion to the show now streaming.

This book delightfully sheds light on a creature which was very mysterious to me. The writing is first rate and exciting while the photos are just the cherry on top. A most enjoyable read!

Secrets of the Octopus was a lovely read. I enjoy Montgomery's ability to make animals fascinating without being overwhelming with science.

This is a great book for lovers of octopuses (octopi?) and the creatures in our oceans. I have long been fascinated by these animals, and was delighted to read this book. I have not seen the documentary, so I. am grateful to be able to read the book.

One fascinating thing I learned from the Secrets book is how intelligent octopuses are. Wicked smart.

In the past year, I have started watching animal and nature documentaries, and reading books like Secrets. This book is fantastic and I highly recommend to those who are interested in octopuses.

I would like to thank NetGalley and National Geographic for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

If you love cephalopods and enjoyed Sy Montgomery's "Soul of an Octopus" then you will also love this book, "Secrets of the Octopus!" It is the companion to the new NatGeo special of the same name (available on Hulu and Disney+). Sy is considered the "octopus whisperer" and manages to combine science, humor, and empathy to take the reader on an underwater journey into the octopus world, covering a wide range of topics and species.

Secrets of the Octopus features beautiful and brilliant full color images of many different types of octopus and their behaviors. The octopus is considered one of the most intelligent creatures, with an often alien-like quality. The book takes us on a deep dive into their qualities and abilities, including physical, emotional and intellectual. Did you know, the octopus dream? They do! Studies show they experience sleep cycles similar to humans! This is just one of the many things I learned reading this book.

This book is short and easy to read, and I enjoyed the stories mixed in with the science and facts. I also loved the photos, and wished there were more! and This was an interesting and easy read of various stories mixed in with factual data. There is some repeat/overlap of stories from the first book, but it is still a worthwhile and interesting read. I highly recommend this one for fans of octopi or shows like The Blue Planet.

Fascinating, and with great photos. But the text felt a little disjointed and lacking in detail. This is a companion to a NatGeo special, and I think it will work very well as a tv show.

My favorite quote from the book comes from Jim Cosgrove, an expert on giant Pacific octopus, who tells his students, “Sometimes you are working on your
master’s degree, but the octopus is working on its Ph.D.”

If you want to read the latest research about octopuses, this book is full of new findings and magnificent pictures of them. While I was worried that it would be repetitive from the Soul of the Octopus, it was clear that since 2015, there has been further interest and research. We can thank books and movies like Remarkably Bright Creatures, My Teacher the Octopus, and Finding Dory for aiding in our curiosity.

Sy Montgomery continues to awe us with her stewardship of these incredible creatures and reminds us that they may be more similar to us humans than we ever thought.

Thanks to National Geographic for the early review copy of the e-book via NetGalley. (Available now)

“The companion to the highly anticipated National Geographic television special—narrated by Paul Rudd and airing for Earth Day—this beautifully illustrated book explores the alluring underwater world of the octopus—a creature that resembles an alien lifeform, but whose behavior has earned it a reputation as one of the most intelligent animals on the planet.”

If I had a nickel for every time I stopped reading to look up a photo of a particular species or video of octopus behavior, I could afford to adopt one as a pet. I couldn’t afford to KEEP it, though. The required size tank, filtration, power, food, and entertainment are more than I want to take on. So, I will live vicariously through books and YouTube videos (much to hubby’s relief).

I found several stories from Montgomery’s previous book, THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS, repeated here. However, if you didn’t read them back-to-back, as I did, you’d likely welcome the reminders.

I recommend you find a hard copy to appreciate the photos best. They’re spectacular, but in the e-book format, they are split over two screens (swipe to see), which makes them less impressive. (Check out @octonation’s feed for more examples from the gorgeous book.)

Thanks, Karen (@melloyellobooks), for buddy-reading this with me and putting up with all the videos and articles I sent you! My favorite was from Mark Rober’s YouTube channel (a favorite of mine for his backyard squirrel obstacle course), where he designs a maze for his pet octopus, Sashimi.

I'm buzzing with excitement about the upcoming National Geographic special on octopuses, which will be a treat for all octopus enthusiasts.

i loved this, so much info about octopuses, the scientists trying to study and protect them, so many beautiful colorful photographs of so many kinds of octopus!!! i liked sy’s soul of an octopus better but this really benefited from the beautiful photographs. netgalley sent me an e-arc but i also preordered a physical copy and highly recommend it for the photos!!!!

This book was so wonderful! "Secrets of the Octopus" dives further into the world of the octopus after Montgomery's previous book "The Soul of an Octopus." Although this book repeats/recaps information/stories from the previous book, it is still a very informative read. It can be read as a standalone or as a follow-up to "The Soul of an Octopus."

"Secrets of the Octopus" goes more in depth into the world of octopuses, sharing unique traits, habits, survival techniques, personalities, and so much more about a number of octopus species. I learned so much about octopus habits, food preferences, personalities, and identifying traits. This book did not feel like a textbook or an information dump, but rather like a conversation with a friend about an interesting topic.

The gorgeous photos accompanying the text from National Geographic make this book so much more enlightening, as I had not seen so many of the different octopuses featured- and octopuses are my favorite animals! After reading, my new favorite octopus is the Hairy Octopus.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review was posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads.

I read Sy Montgomery's book The Soul of the Octopus so when I saw this one come up, I knew I had to read it. These are such fascinating creatures so any chance we have to read something so detailed about these incredible creatures, we should jump on it! I highly recommend this fascinating read.

Thank you for the EArc. Another gorgeous book about our favorite 8 legged creatures. The photos are absolutely stunning as are the stories. You will never look at octopuses the same way again. What remarkable creatures!

Here is a delightful and informative sampling of octopuses and their world. We already knew they are smart, right? That’s only part of it. Everything from their skin to their brains and hearts is strange and marvelous. Their ways of life are varied with the many species. And their personalities can be a hoot. Sy Montgoemery explores all this in a very easy to read manner. Warren Carlyle provides thumbnail portraits of some species. And, of course, there are quality photos.