Octopus and Squid: The Soft Intelligence

dated and very sexist.

This is yet another of those books by the legendary Jacques Cousteau which were published in the early seventies and, in writing this series of reviews, I have found them to be as relevant today as they ever were.In this particular book we have underwater photographs of the highest calibre. In fact some are so good it is hard to believe they are over 30 years old. As far as the factual content is concerned, I would suggest this book contains everything the modern scuba diver would ever want to know about Octopus and Squid.Once again, I can only make the comment that this book is now out of print and only a small number remain available at this time. Having revisited the content after a gap of too many years, I still found this book to be an excellent read and I can only suggest all serious divers add a copy to their bookshelf before it finally becomes unavailable.NM

Cousteau's lifelong love of the ocean lives on! He and Philippe Diole wrote this very non-technical book that does a nice, thorough job of describing the general life and features of the octopus, with one chapter on the squid. (So if you love the squid, this is probably not your book.) Written in 1973, the book is still relevant at the beginning of the 21st century. Great full-page color photos of divers and beautiful octopi up close in the natural environment of the octopi; the photos alone are worth buying the book! The true value of the book, though, rests in Cousteau's firm belief (and mine, too) in the inherent intelligence found in the octopus, which has one of the more active brains among all sea creatures, and a comprehensive description of many phases of their lives. What you don't know about this shy, mysterious, and private creature will amaze you, and you will find out much by reading the book. A true treasure for anyone's library regardless of your age!

I read this book when I was 8 or 9 y/o. Neat book, GREAT underwater photographs, and I've always admired and respected Jacques Cousteau (R.I.P.). However, the short shrift the author gives to the cuttlefish & squid prevents me from giving this book a full 5 stars.

Easy to read and wonderfully written! Its not dry and written like a textbook,its interesting and full of information. If you want to learn more about octopus and squid this is a great book!

had this book as a youngster and will enjoy reading it again - thanks