Octopus! Reveals that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs; that two thirds of an octopus's brain capacity is spread through its arms-meaning each one literally has a mind of its own; and that is can change colors with milliseconds to camouflage itself, even though it appear to be colorblind.


Katherine Harmon Courage-a veteran journalist and contributing editor for Scientific American-dives into the amazing underwater world of the octopus. She reports on her global travels, inviting us to experience the scientific discoveries and cultural ties that connect us to the octopus.

Octopus! Reveals that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs; that two thirds of an octopus's brain capacity is spread through its arms-meaning each one literally has a mind of its own; and that is can change colors with milliseconds to camouflage itself, even though it appear to be colorblind.

Courage deftly interweaves personal narrative and interviews with leading octopus experts. The result is an entertaining and scientifically grounded exploration of the octopus and its astoundingly complex world.

'Katherine Harmon Courage's reportage on what the mollusk is teaching us about robotics, invertebrate intelligence and camouflage is excellent' Nature Journal

'Octopus! is crammed with funny,weird, memorable stories about human interactions with cephalopods that start out strange and only get stranger.' NBCNews.com

'Entertaining and eye-opening.' Booklist

'A well-written, accessible book'. Library Journal

'A pleasant, chatty book on a fascinating subject.' Kirkus Reviews

'According to this book, octopuses can sprout temporary horns. Horns! Seriously, you need to read this book.' Will Tracy, Editor in Chief, The Onion