Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Marie Arendt

MANY THINGS UNDER A ROCK

Laurel "Yoyo" Scheel David Scheel

The Mysteries of Octopuses

A behavioral ecologist's riveting account of his decades-long obsession with octopuses: his discoveries, adventures, and new scientific understanding of their behaviors.

Of all the creatures of the deep blue, none is as captivating as the octopus. In Many Things Under a Rock, marine biologist David Scheel investigates four major mysteries about these elusive beings. How can we study an animal with perfect camouflage and secretive habitats? How does a soft and boneless creature defeat sharks and eels, while thriving as a predator of the most heavily armored animals in the sea? How do octopus bodies work? And how does a solitary animal form friendships, entice mates, and outwit rivals? Scheel explores amazing new developments in our understanding of octopuses, weaving accounts of his own surprising encounters with stories and legends of Indigenous peoples that explore our complicated relationship with these creatures across centuries. Octopuses are complex, emotional, and cognitive beings; even as Scheel unearths explanations for these four mysteries, he turns up many more things of wonder that lurk underneath. David Scheel, professor of marine biology at Alaska Pacific University, has researched the behavior and ecology of octopuses for twenty-five years. He starred, with Heidi the Octopus and his daughter Laurel, in PBS's Octopus: Making Contact. He lives in Anchorage, Alaska.

Available products
Book Published 2023-06-13 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. - New York (USA)

Comments

"Includes numerous such dramatic and captivating octopus factoids, but it also presents an accessible and nuanced exploration of the lives of these intriguing invertebrates.... An engaging read."

"Page-turning natural history.... The author's passion for octopuses, combined with his accessible language and vivid descriptions of his encounters, creates a memorable book that is sure to appeal to fans of underwater adventures and anyone who enjoyed the film My Octopus Teacher. Laurel Scheel's simple yet elegant illustrations complement the text. A heartfelt and enlightening look at one of Earth's most curious creatures."

David Scheel's astonishing observations make him one of the most important octopus ethologists working today. He is also, fortunately for us, a sensitive and lyrical writer, bringing knowledge and stories from native cultures to bear on the science he describes. I was agog at some of his accounts: severed arms wincing with pain; octopuses throwing things at each other; and octopuses seemingly standing sentinel over their octopus neighborhoods. This book is mind-blowing and soul-expanding. You'll be thinking and talking about Many Things Under a Rock for a long time

Fascinating. Scheel's unique perspective on these animals, his evocative writing, and his engagement with the traditional cultures of Alaska make this the deepest of octopus books.

"Fascinating.... A complex portrait of a surprising animal."