On September 6, 2007, an African Grey parrot named Alex died prematurely at age thirty-one. His last words to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were 'You be good. I love you.'
What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in Alex's case, headline news. Over the thirty years they had worked together, Alex and Irene had become famous - two pioneers who opened an unprecedented window into the hidden yet vast world of animal minds. When Irene and Alex first met, birds were not believed to possess any potential for language, consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many things. He could add. He could sound out words. He understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none. He was capable of thought and intention. Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality- We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious creatures.
The fame that resulted was extraordinary. Yet there was a side to their relationship that never made the papers. They were emotionally connected to one another. They shared a deep bond far beyond science. Alex missed Irene when she was away. He was jealous when she paid attention to other parrots, or even people. He liked to show her who was boss. He loved to dance. He sometimes became bored by the repetition of his tests, and played jokes on her. Sometimes they sniped at each other. Yet nearly every day, they each said, 'I love you.'
Alex and Irene stayed together through thick and thin - despite sneers from experts, extraordinary financial sacrifices, and a nomadic existence from one university to another. The story of their thirty-year adventure is a landmark of scientific achievement and of an unforgettable human-animal bond.
' C harming ... Her book movingly combines the scientific detail of a researcher, intent on showing with "statistical confidence" that Alex "did indeed have this or that cognitive ability," with the affectionate understanding that children (and children's books about animals) instinctively possess- that "animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know." While her training as a scientist keeps her from lapsing into sentimentality, her love for her longtime avian colleague keeps her from sounding like a stuffy academic.'
-Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
'It is an account of her Pepperberg's 30-year collaboration with an African grey parrot called Alex, whose achievements revolutionised our understanding not just of birds and their intellectual capabilities but demanded we set aside millenniums-old beliefs about the privileged nature of human cognition and consciousness. The result is a fascinating portrait of a remarkable and singular being.'
-James Bradley, Sydney Morning Herald
'Everybody who loves animals should read this book. Irene Pepperberg has done pioneering work on communication between people and animals. Alex has proved to the world that birds are much smarter than - people think.'
-Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in Alex's case, headline news. Over the thirty years they had worked together, Alex and Irene had become famous - two pioneers who opened an unprecedented window into the hidden yet vast world of animal minds. When Irene and Alex first met, birds were not believed to possess any potential for language, consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many things. He could add. He could sound out words. He understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none. He was capable of thought and intention. Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality- We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious creatures.
The fame that resulted was extraordinary. Yet there was a side to their relationship that never made the papers. They were emotionally connected to one another. They shared a deep bond far beyond science. Alex missed Irene when she was away. He was jealous when she paid attention to other parrots, or even people. He liked to show her who was boss. He loved to dance. He sometimes became bored by the repetition of his tests, and played jokes on her. Sometimes they sniped at each other. Yet nearly every day, they each said, 'I love you.'
Alex and Irene stayed together through thick and thin - despite sneers from experts, extraordinary financial sacrifices, and a nomadic existence from one university to another. The story of their thirty-year adventure is a landmark of scientific achievement and of an unforgettable human-animal bond.
' C harming ... Her book movingly combines the scientific detail of a researcher, intent on showing with "statistical confidence" that Alex "did indeed have this or that cognitive ability," with the affectionate understanding that children (and children's books about animals) instinctively possess- that "animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know." While her training as a scientist keeps her from lapsing into sentimentality, her love for her longtime avian colleague keeps her from sounding like a stuffy academic.'
-Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
'It is an account of her Pepperberg's 30-year collaboration with an African grey parrot called Alex, whose achievements revolutionised our understanding not just of birds and their intellectual capabilities but demanded we set aside millenniums-old beliefs about the privileged nature of human cognition and consciousness. The result is a fascinating portrait of a remarkable and singular being.'
-James Bradley, Sydney Morning Herald
'Everybody who loves animals should read this book. Irene Pepperberg has done pioneering work on communication between people and animals. Alex has proved to the world that birds are much smarter than - people think.'
-Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
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