Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life (Collins Modern Classics)

'Other Minds' can be considered essential reading, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it is a magnificent defence of evolution, but not in the way that much of the Richard Dawkins canon is; instead, Godfrey-Smith writes from the (correct) standpoint that evolution is a fact, and considering the reality of evolution, here are some things that we can learn. Without accepting the fact of evolution, this book could not exist, and nor could our advanced understanding of other life forms on the planet that we share.Secondly, 'Other Minds' is the kind of book destined to become a classic of its genre, as it has a tremendous - I would say life-changing - effect on the reader. This reader included; after reading about the startlingly high level of intelligence possessed by octopuses, I cannot ever see myself ordering octopus as food in a restaurant again. It just seems wrong; they are as characterful as dogs and cats, and I think it would simply be terrible to treat these amazing creatures as a foodstuff any longer. I do hope, given my love of bacon and chorizo, that Godfrey-Smith's next book is not on the topic of porcine intelligence...And thirdly (for the sake of brevity - I could certainly go on in praise of this book), Godfrey-Smith makes a great case for the protection of the ocean environment. Overfishing and pollution have both taken their toll, and now that we understand how much intelligence - nay, sentience - is present in the depths, we owe it to our genetic relatives (by which I mean all species, in every shape and form) to do a better job of not destroying what life there is out there.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. As others have said, Peter Godfrey-Smith doesn't come across as a particularly good writer, nor philosopher, nor subject-matter expert. The last is certainly unjustified, however you'd probably have got a more enlightening philosophy on the mind and consciousness from your late night cheese and wine (Liebfraumilch?) discussions at university.But how much do you know about octopuses (or, apparently, octopodes) and cephalopods in general?The evolutionary tree and time scales are fascinating:• 4,600 MYA: Earth formed• 3,600 MYA: First single celled organism (perhaps earlier than this)• 635 MYA, Ediacaran: Emergence first multicellular organisms and also the bilaterian body plan. Perhaps these animals also had simple light sensitive skin patches. Molluscs, the forbearers of cephalopods, split from rest of evolutionary tree during this period. ie common ancestor for humans and octopodes• 542 MYA, Cambrian: explosion of body forms we see today• 320 MYA: Bird and mammal common ancestor. A land dwelling lizard-like animal• 164 MYA: First uncontroversial octopus fossil• 6 MYA: Human and chimp common ancestor• 1 MYA: Homo sapiensNervous systems developed independently (although from the same precursor protein), as did eyes. Whereas chordates (including us) have a centralised nervous system, cephalopods have a much more widely distributed nervous system: for instance their arms have enough "intelligence" to act semi-autonomously. Whereas there are many intelligent birds and mammals, cephalopods are the only intelligent molluscs. The common octopus has 500 million neurons, (similar to cats and dogs. This is four orders of magnitude greater than other molluscs ,a garden snail for instance has about 10,000 neurons.There is an interesting discussion on the purpose of a nervous system. In simple animals it allows animals to do two things: respond to the environment (move toward food or away from pain), and to coordinate the animal's body. Looking after four feet whilst fleeing a predator is no mean feat. With larger brains animals can start to plan their actions, coordinate within a pack, and solve problems set by animal behaviourists.Godfrey-Smith then attempts to make inroads into consciousness and self awareness. Without, I feel, much success.Birds and mammals also demonstrate parallel evolution. Our common ancestor was probably a land reptile that roamed before the dinosaurs. Yet both us (as mammals) and birds have skin covering, are warm blooded, and have developed a level of intelligence. Although anatomically our brains are similar, birds and primates use their brains differently. A raven, as well as having a large brain for its weight, also uses that brain efficiently. The result is a surprisingly clever animal.Why do cephalopods generate such fascinating skin colour displays? Especially as they're apparently colour blind, and they are not social.Another interesting puzzle that Godfrey-Smith raises but doesn't entirely address: octopuses and cephalopods have comparatively large brains, yet only live for a couple of years. Why do they need such large brains for such a short life span? However the associated discussion on the evolutionary theories of senescence.The book ends with a polemic on habitat destruction, which is fair enough but off-topic.So despite the book's shortcomings, I learnt a lot. Hence a hearty 4 out 5.

This is a quite short book which looks at what we can learn about our minds by looking in at the closest we have to a mind in an alien body, that of the mind of an octopus. The book starts brilliantly with a fantastic, clear introduction to evolution and how animals and our brains developed. I really loved the first two chapters. I also found other parts interesting including discovering the short life of an octopus only been 2 years (quite sad and poignant) and explanations of why that might be. But too much of this book seemed speculation and some parts were less satisfying. However, I did enjoy this book.

If you are interested in the latest thinking in evolution and how evolutionary biology can underpin the seemingly imponderable understanding of what constitutes Mind and indeed how the human Mind compares with the Mind of organisms from which we diverged in evolution some 200 or 300 million years ago, then this is the book you need. Written in a superbly conversational style, this is already one of my favourite ever books.

If you've ever been intrigued by the origins of intelligence, of minds and of subjective experience but haven't delved into it, this is the book for you. Peter Godfrey-Smith does a superb job of summarising the evolution of life from single cell organisms into the various branches we see today. The focus on octopuses and cuttlefish - often contrasted with advanced vertebrate species such as humans, baboons and birds - is incredibly helpful in isolating specific kinds of sentience. In the book he shows how complex neural networks can emerge in response to particular evolutionary pressures, leading to enhanced cognition and a palate of richer 'inner' experiences. (It turns out that octopuses have more neurons in their tentacles than in their brain, that their tentacles are semi-autonomous, and that they can 'see' with their skin.)His passion for octopuses also shines through and contributes to the readability of the book. The only reason it doesn't get five stars from me is that the prose is a tad try. Nevertheless, he does a great job of distilling complex concepts for the lay reader, and the book reads like a breeze, making it worthwhile for anyone with an interest in these kinds of subjects.