David Scheel

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Many Things Under a Rock

'Fascinating... the deepest of octopus books.' Peter Godfrey-Smith 'Mind-blowing and soul-expanding' Sy Montgomery

Of all the creatures of the deep blue, none captivates us quite like the octopus. This highly intelligent master of disguise is one of our planet's most intriguing and enigmatic creatures.

Marine biologist David Scheel's lifelong preoccupation with octopuses has led to a career of groundbreaking research, from finding previously unknown species to the discovery of signaling communication among octopuses. In Many Things Under a Rock, Scheel shares his deep scientific understanding of octopuses and recounts his intrepid adventures with these mysterious, charismatic creatures.

He investigates four major mysteries about octopuses: how do we study such elusive and camouflaged creatures? Why are they so extraordinarily resilient? How do their bodies work? And what kind of relationships do they have? In unravelling these mysteries, Dr Scheel shows octopuses to be complex emotional beings. He draws on his own encounters with octopuses over the decades, as well as remarkable stories and legends of indigenous peoples. The octopus is sometimes called the most alien animal on the planet, but here we learn just how much the octopus is like us. And how much we are like the octopus.