If you've ever wondered what aliens might look like, the octopus may be the most accurate answer! For a long time, we considered birds and mammals the most intelligent creatures on Earth. However, recent years have made it clear that high intelligence has also developed in remarkably different life forms – specifically cephalopods, and above all, octopuses.

This is because, among other things, we have observed that at least octopuses, when in captivity, find ways to express their likes, dislikes, or disdain, steal food from neighboring tanks, turn off lights that disturb them, and perform spectacular escapes.

Peter Godfrey-Smith, a distinguished philosopher of science and an accomplished diver, describes how octopuses living freely near the coasts of Australia behave, while simultaneously trying to answer a series of crucial questions: How did these animals gain self-awareness? Is it merely coincidental that the process of evolution has given us at least two different forms of intelligence? What kind of intelligence do cephalopods possess? How did the octopus become so intelligent, given its short lifespan and limited social life? What is it like to have eight tentacles with so many neurons that they can "think for themselves"?

This fascinating book, which has been translated into at least 20 languages, fundamentally changes our perception and image of octopuses, the evolution of intelligence, and the very essence of life on our planet!