Book pick: 'The Octopus and the Orangutan' by Eugene Linden

'The Octopus and the Orangutan' by Eugene Linden
Book cover courtesy of publisher

While Kerri Miller is out, Tom Weber will continue the book Pick of the Week. This week he chose "The Octopus and the Orangutan" by Eugene Linden.

"It's actually a 10-year-old book," Tom said, "but I had never read it - and it ended up fitting nicely with a show we're planning to do this week about zoos."

The book looks at the intelligence -- or lack thereof -- of animals that are widely believed to be the smartest creatures.

"I get it that some of the science might be dated, given it's an early 2000s book, but it was still fascinating to read some of the examples of animals displaying 'intelligent' behavior and then to see Linden explain why that might --- or might not! --- mean anything," Weber said.

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