Comments on: Review: Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are, Frans de Waal

By: Katie @ Doing Dewey

Katie @ Doing Dewey — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 01:56:00 +0000

This has been on my kindle since it came out and I’ve just not made time for it yet. I’m glad to hear it was good and appreciate the reminder to pick it up!

By: Sharon Tomasulo

Sharon Tomasulo — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 02:24:00 +0000

In reply to Jeane Nevarez. I'm reading this now! I just wanted to say that it is, as I had suspected, a bit woo about the meaning of intelligence and the transcendence of communing with animals, but you're absolutely right, the octopus stuff is so great! I really, truly love octopuses.

By: Stefanie@SoManyBooks

Stefanie@SoManyBooks — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 19:31:00 +0000

I am late to the party on this one

The book sounds like something I would love. I am certain animals are all super smart in their own context and humans make a big mistake in testing intelligence based on human standards and then if/when animals fail saying it’s because they lack intelligence. I think the main difference between us and the rest of the animal world is our hubris.

I love octopuses! They are so fascinating. I think they will make fine overlords.

By: Charlie (The Worm Hole)

Charlie (The Worm Hole) — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 09:45:00 +0000

‘The most common limitation on tests of animal cognition is not animal, but human, intelligence.’ – Yes, such an important thing to remember.

I think it’d be difficult to say what separates us. It seems we haven’t got the tests right yet, and, in this regard, who knows, maybe animals are far more intelligent but get bored with our tests. No problem with octopuses being smart.

By: ElizabethNeedMoreShelves

ElizabethNeedMoreShelves — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 18:52:00 +0000

I took a class on animal behavior & cognition in college & it freaked me right the heck out. For real, we are about 22 years away from octopus overlords, I think.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 13:54:00 +0000

I have no concerns about them taking over the world – in fact, I think that maybe they should!

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 07:21:00 +0000

I’m a fan of long titles, so I’m already down with this book purely based on that.

I personally hope there’s an animal uprising one day – we’ve treated them pretty shittily over an incredibly long period of time and they deserve to get their revenge. I just hope it happens after I’ve gone.
A tv show I binged on last year, ‘Zoo’, was all about this exact sort of thing (it’s based on a James Patterson novel). Basically all the animals get super smart and start working together to take down humans. I loved it.

By: Kim Aippersbach

Kim Aippersbach — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 22:35:00 +0000

In reply to Jenny @ Reading the End. Ha ha ha ha, the macaque who cried "snake"! It's not just fiction, it's a folktale!

By: Kristen M.

Kristen M. — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 09:22:00 +0000

I do like Frans de Waal and it’s been ages since I read anything about animal behavior or intelligence so I should grab this one. Have I ever told you that I took animal behavior courses in college and did two research projects on captive animal behavior (sea otters!)? Animals are amazing and I love them all and think they are all wonderful in their own ways, some far more than boring old people. Tonight, Z actually asked why we thought dolphins had not attempted to build bombs to destroy us all. We talked about opposable thumbs, ill will, and many other things. 🙂

By: glynis

glynis — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 00:23:00 +0000

I’ve seen this book before, and decided not to read it based entirely on the janky title. I may need to rescind that judgement.

I have a morbid dread of octopuses, and of cephalopods in general. Octopus and squid are WAY too smart, and they are EVIL.