The Soul of an Octopus

I was interested to read this book after hearing a interview with the author on Fresh Air. And it turns out that's all I needed to hear. The first chapter starts off interestingly, but immediately devolves into a memoir about the author's friends at the aquarium, what goes on in other tanks, and the author's foray into scuba diving with very little science about octopuses.

Hearing about how Ms. Montgomery's hands got cold because she's constantly got her hands in an octopus tank or what the fish looks like as it travels along the suckers to the octopus' mouth is not telling me anything about the consciousness of octopuses. In fact, the descriptions of Kali constantly attempting to get out of the tiny, biting barrel/prison and finally being tired of playing with her prisoners was sad. If this animal has as much intelligence and consciousness as the author suggests, why was captive treatment with little stimuli other than people sticking their hands all over you at all okay? Is it any surprise that Kali appears to commit suicide (sources of water were nearby and the staff couldn't understand why she ended up on the floor)?

So, if you're looking for a memoir about an author that likes going to an aquarium, this is the book for you. The writing is okay, I suppose, but so far off topic that it didn't matter.