I really liked this book, but that's about as far as it got.
Let me start by saying that the story of Dr. Pepperberg's bond with
Alex is very touching, and if that is your cup of tea, you will
probably treasure this book. Ditto if you are a parrot fanatic.
I have an African grey parrot, but I'm not a fanatic, and I think I was expecting a
little more detail on how Alex was trained. Not as much as in "The
Alex Studies," which was a scientific research piece, but more that
could help me develop my bird. To be fair, this was not a realistic
expectation; the book was clearly not "How to Train Your African
Grey."
Nonetheless, the book was written cleanly, was a quick read and, as I
said, was a touching story. I think anyone with even a passing
interest in birds or the bond between human and pet will enjoy it.
In summary, if you are looking for a touching story about a woman and
her famous parrot, this is the book you are looking for. If you are
looking for parrot training tips, you won't find them here, but you
will still probably like the book.
a meaningful lapse
Near the end of her book Alex & Me, in a chapter called "What Alex Taught Me," the author Irene Pepperberg says: "Some people take this new understanding of animal minds as an argument for treating animals as if they had the same rights we give to ourselves. That is as wrong as ... " What is so remarkable about this quote is how jarring it is in a book that celebrates animal intelligence and the interconnectedness of all life. While THIS reviewer is not suggesting that we give the right to VOTE to grey parrots (if this reviewer had his way, not every HUMAN would have that sacred right), what is clear to me, from this absolutely grating and gratuitous paragraph (as though an evil gremlin had sneaked in this nasty disclaimer), is that whatever Alex HAD tried to teach Ms. Pepperberg, she did not learn. If this book has any meaning whatever, it is that animals DO (or ought to) have rights.
Yes they can think
It is a family joke that an aunt who had a dog would sometimes observe that "It can almost think". Irene Pepperberg has demonstrated with her beloved Alex, an african grey parrot, that not only can the bird with a brain the size of a shelled walnut communicate in human language but that it can understand what it is saying and can construct its own interpretations. Alex can certainly think. The example of Alex's description of an almond as a 'cork nut', combining the elements of the outer shell texture with the known edible content, demonstrates just how intelligent this bird is. As Irene says in several places throughout the book Alex demonstrates many traits that previous animal intelligence wisdom (read dogma) had said should be impossible. This book is a real treat from beginning to end. For those who don't want to believe that animal intelligence is a necessary precursor to the the evolution of human intelligence then this book is not for you.
Array
Excellent moving book once again showing the animal kingdom is capable of much more than we know. It reminds me of Stephen Gould's quote: "The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos."
Array
A great book. Gives us a glimpse into the life of an African Grey Parrot and his friend and colleague, who wrote the book. We seem to not understand the rich emotional and cognitive life which surrounds us in other animals. Alex and his teacher, Irene M. Pepperberg, share a compelling journey of some thirty years. Alex, though the vision of Dr. Pepperberg, shows us the promise of better understanding of other species. We don't even have to venture away from our little planet to experience this.
