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Many Things Under a Rock: 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?
Over the course of his twenty-five years studying octopuses, Scheel has witnessed a sea change in what we know and are able to discover about octopus physiology and behavior—even an octopus's inner life. Here he explores amazing new scientific developments, weaving accounts of his own research, and surprising encounters, with stories and legends of Indigenous peoples that illuminate our relationship with these creatures across centuries. In doing so, he reveals a deep affinity between humans and even the most unusual and unique undersea dwellers.
Octopuses are complex, emotional, and cognitive beings; even as Scheel unearths explanations for the key mysteries that have driven his work, he turns up many more things of wonder that lurk underneath. This is the story of what we have learned and what we are still learning about the natural history and wondrous lives of these animals with whom we share our blue planet.
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?
Over the course of his twenty-five years studying octopuses, Scheel has witnessed a sea change in what we know and are able to discover about octopus physiology and behavior—even an octopus's inner life. Here he explores amazing new scientific developments, weaving accounts of his own research, and surprising encounters, with stories and legends of Indigenous peoples that illuminate our relationship with these creatures across centuries. In doing so, he reveals a deep affinity between humans and even the most unusual and unique undersea dwellers.
Octopuses are complex, emotional, and cognitive beings; even as Scheel unearths explanations for the key mysteries that have driven his work, he turns up many more things of wonder that lurk underneath. This is the story of what we have learned and what we are still learning about the natural history and wondrous lives of these animals with whom we share our blue planet.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2023
125 people are currently reading
6075 people want to read
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July 2, 2023I like octopuses and have read a few books about them. This one is a much dryer, more scientifically-focused book than the 10-star Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness which ultimately is a book about the evolution of consciousness, and Octopus: The Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate, which is what it says on the tin (plus beautiful photographs). A third book, The Soul of an Octopus which I generously gave 2 stars to as I prefer my (pop) science books not to deteriorate into a load of new age spiritual mush 'enhanced' by lyrical writing.
The author is researching giant octopuses (at the point I am in the book), we are talking of monsters weighing 120lbs or more, but there are credible reports of octopus carcasses weighing in the tons, with tentacles 23' long (see the St Augustine Monster). The largest ocotopus species is E. dofleini where one was reported to be 6lb in weight with 30 ft long arms. The Kraken wakes!
The author is researching giant octopuses (at the point I am in the book), we are talking of monsters weighing 120lbs or more, but there are credible reports of octopus carcasses weighing in the tons, with tentacles 23' long (see the St Augustine Monster). The largest ocotopus species is E. dofleini where one was reported to be 6lb in weight with 30 ft long arms. The Kraken wakes!
October 26, 2023
David Scheel proves even the octopus can be made boring if you try hard enough.
It took me 2 months to force my way through this 249 page book and I honestly shouldn't have bothered. Some strange combination of stubbornness and self-consciousness about my abysmal track record when it comes to finishing any of the non-fiction I pick up kept me from doing the smart thing and bailing early.
There is about an article's, or perhaps a children's book worth of octopus facts presented, but they are so diluted by the ocean's worth of memoir-lite, and incomprehensible descriptive writing that this book is like the homeopathic medicine of science writing.
Honestly, this reads more like he wanted to make one of those low content documentaries that relies almost entirely on it's visuals for interest, only he couldn't afford a camera so he just wrote a text description of it instead. Huge chunks of this are what I'd call "scene setting", descriptions of some little interaction, which probably would be watchable if filmed. Sadly, the descriptions of actual octopus stuff are basically worthless.
Perhaps for someone who's studied octopuses, who can picture the specific species mentioned, who has a much deeper knowledge of octopus anatomy, who is familiar with the patterns they display, all these descriptive passages might evoke something from recognition or memory. But even when he's referencing parts of anatomy I can identify, octopuses are too alien for this to work. Stripes? In what orientation? What density? Regular or irregular? Below its eyes? Below from what perspective? In what orientation? Does an octopus really even have anything you could call its head? In the end this is just word salad.
Why on earth would you produce a book like this and not include photographs? A children's book would have been better. At least it would have had photos, or illustrations. There are some very cute little illustrations at the opening of each chapter. These are by his daughter. I know this because at one point, bored of the book itself, I googled the other name on the front cover, thinking perhaps it was his wife.
It seems weird that I had to do that, but despite the other main source of literary padding here being that sort of memoir style writing that sadly seems to be quite common in pop-sci books these days, you learn virtually nothing about David Scheel himself. "Daughter" appears seven times in the text, and only once, on page 236 is that a reference to his own.
Not that I wanted to read this guy's memoir. But why is there so much of this memoir-lite writing puffing up the text when there's absolutely zero memoir type content in the book? Why?
In short, this book sucked.
It took me 2 months to force my way through this 249 page book and I honestly shouldn't have bothered. Some strange combination of stubbornness and self-consciousness about my abysmal track record when it comes to finishing any of the non-fiction I pick up kept me from doing the smart thing and bailing early.
There is about an article's, or perhaps a children's book worth of octopus facts presented, but they are so diluted by the ocean's worth of memoir-lite, and incomprehensible descriptive writing that this book is like the homeopathic medicine of science writing.
Honestly, this reads more like he wanted to make one of those low content documentaries that relies almost entirely on it's visuals for interest, only he couldn't afford a camera so he just wrote a text description of it instead. Huge chunks of this are what I'd call "scene setting", descriptions of some little interaction, which probably would be watchable if filmed. Sadly, the descriptions of actual octopus stuff are basically worthless.
Perhaps for someone who's studied octopuses, who can picture the specific species mentioned, who has a much deeper knowledge of octopus anatomy, who is familiar with the patterns they display, all these descriptive passages might evoke something from recognition or memory. But even when he's referencing parts of anatomy I can identify, octopuses are too alien for this to work. Stripes? In what orientation? What density? Regular or irregular? Below its eyes? Below from what perspective? In what orientation? Does an octopus really even have anything you could call its head? In the end this is just word salad.
Why on earth would you produce a book like this and not include photographs? A children's book would have been better. At least it would have had photos, or illustrations. There are some very cute little illustrations at the opening of each chapter. These are by his daughter. I know this because at one point, bored of the book itself, I googled the other name on the front cover, thinking perhaps it was his wife.
It seems weird that I had to do that, but despite the other main source of literary padding here being that sort of memoir style writing that sadly seems to be quite common in pop-sci books these days, you learn virtually nothing about David Scheel himself. "Daughter" appears seven times in the text, and only once, on page 236 is that a reference to his own.
Not that I wanted to read this guy's memoir. But why is there so much of this memoir-lite writing puffing up the text when there's absolutely zero memoir type content in the book? Why?
In short, this book sucked.
June 11, 2023
Octopuses are fascinating creatures - intelligent, otherworldly, cryptic. But more and more is being understood about them, thanks to tireless scientists like the author of this book. While there is a lot of popular science here, I loved that he built it around his experiences in the field. His writing is warm, witty and engaging. I also appreciate how much he relies on indigenous knowledge and treats the elders of Alaska's First Nations with the respect they deserve.
I recommend the audio version. The narrator does a great job - he makes us care about his character, root for him and fear for him during his scientific adventures.
Thanks to the publisher, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
I recommend the audio version. The narrator does a great job - he makes us care about his character, root for him and fear for him during his scientific adventures.
Thanks to the publisher, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
July 19, 2023
This is a book that will appeal to geeky octopus lovers. Written by a behavioral ecologist at Alaska Pacific University, it covers many aspects of octopus behavior with a focus on the author's own experiences, primarily in Alaska and the Pacific NW. This is not quite a book for marine biologists and it is also not quite a book that will appeal to large swaths of the regular folks interested in marine life. It has the details and precision of science and also has plenty of anecdotes and personal observations. Probably my favorite aspect of the book is how the author interfaced with indigenous peoples of Alaska. Their stories and oral histories provided useful insights into the local octopuses over time in the absence of written records. [This seems to have been done in a respectful manner (as opposed to exploitation)]. I definitely learned a lot about these creatures, including the "Nosferatu" pose (watch for it near the end).
June 21, 2023
"Over my professional lifetime, people have built, discovered, and learned new scientific ways to understand the experiences of animals. These have led us to discover previously unknown aspects of octopus physiology, and previously unknown species, habitats, and behaviors..."
Many Things Under a Rock was a great look into one of the least understood marine creatures there are. I am super interested in cephalopods, and will read just about any book I can find about them. They are truly fascinating creatures.
Author David Scheel is a field-oriented ecologist with experience in remote and wilderness settings in Africa and Alaska.
He joined Alaska Pacific University in 2000 and teaches courses in marine biology, aquarium husbandry and animal behavior.
David Scheel:
Scheel has a good writing style that I found to be both informative and engaging. I am very picky about how readable my books are, and thankfully this one passed muster here. The audiobook version I have also had an energetic narration style. Good stuff!
The author gets the writing in the book off to a good start, with a lively intro. He mentions Alaska's octopuses, and gives the reader a brief history of enormous sea creatures.
The quote from the start of this review continues below:
In this quote, he mentions where the book got its namesake:
The writing in the book proper is a mixture of stories from the author's professional career, along with stories from other people, combined with relevant scientific and historic information. This formatting can be hit-or-miss, IMHO. Fortunately, I felt that it worked in this presentation.
Scheel recounts stories of his personal dives looking for octopuses. A somewhat dangerous undertaking; he recounts this alarming story:
He mentions the elusive Giant Pacific Octopus, which is the largest octopus. How big can they get? He says this:
Interspliced in the book were some downright terryfying bits of writing. Take this story, for example:
Some more of what is covered here includes:
• Global Octopuses
• Octopus Tools
• Finding Octopuses
• Diet of the Octopus
• Octopus cognition
• Octopus anatomy
• Octopus behaviour
***********************
I was looking for something a bit different from my previous/usual reads, to get over some book burnout, and this one fit the bill nicely. I enjoyed the presentation.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
4.5 stars.
Many Things Under a Rock was a great look into one of the least understood marine creatures there are. I am super interested in cephalopods, and will read just about any book I can find about them. They are truly fascinating creatures.
Author David Scheel is a field-oriented ecologist with experience in remote and wilderness settings in Africa and Alaska.
He joined Alaska Pacific University in 2000 and teaches courses in marine biology, aquarium husbandry and animal behavior.
David Scheel:
Scheel has a good writing style that I found to be both informative and engaging. I am very picky about how readable my books are, and thankfully this one passed muster here. The audiobook version I have also had an energetic narration style. Good stuff!
The author gets the writing in the book off to a good start, with a lively intro. He mentions Alaska's octopuses, and gives the reader a brief history of enormous sea creatures.
The quote from the start of this review continues below:
"...As these new ways of study develop, so also does our interest in what once might have been merely rhetorical questions.
One route to knowing others is also the most obvious. Behavior, in particular, reveals values—what is good and what is bad to an octopus— and hints at an animal’s experiences and intentions.
In Many Things Under a Rock, we will try to find some answers. Or, at least, try to see more clearly the shape that these answers must have so that we can better understand the inner lives of octopuses. This is a story of what we have learned and what we are still learning about the natural history and lives of octopuses."
In this quote, he mentions where the book got its namesake:
"In Eyak, he told us, the word for octopus is tse-le:x-guh. Broken into its constituent parts, it means literally “rock under many-dwell” or “many things under a rock.” Since octopuses in that part of Alaska can often be found secluded under rocks at low tides, tse-le:x-guh is a wonderfully descriptive word, as the eight arms of a single octopus might properly be regarded as many things."
The writing in the book proper is a mixture of stories from the author's professional career, along with stories from other people, combined with relevant scientific and historic information. This formatting can be hit-or-miss, IMHO. Fortunately, I felt that it worked in this presentation.
Scheel recounts stories of his personal dives looking for octopuses. A somewhat dangerous undertaking; he recounts this alarming story:
"...the oceanographer of the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova related to me a story she had heard: an octopus had drowned a medium-sized dog that was harassing it in shallow water. Gary Thomas, the Science Center’s president, told me of hooking a ninety-five pound octopus while fishing for halibut on the backside of Spike Island, right outside our door. Up on First Street at the Cordova Historical Museum, I learned the tale of a diver who got too close to a big octopus that grabbed him by one leg. The diver was on surface-supplied air and connected by intercom, so he was not in danger of running out of air. The octopus held him underwater for two or more hours before he was able to free himself. I was not entirely sure I should put too much credence in the story, but it still gave me pause. What sort of risk did I face in handling these wild animals?"
He mentions the elusive Giant Pacific Octopus, which is the largest octopus. How big can they get? He says this:
"When Michael talked about big octopuses, he meant somewhere in the range of seventy pounds or more, the size that he encountered while diving in Puget Sound. The way people talk, however, I wondered if we might not find even larger ones in Prince William Sound. The octopus record that no one disputed was 156 pounds, captured just north of Victoria, British Columbia, in 1967. It measured almost twenty-three feet, from arm tip to arm tip. I heard about this one from James Cosgrove, the chief of Natural History Collections at the Royal British Columbia Museum. He saw this octopus himself, on display for a few weeks at the Pacific Undersea Gardens until it died. Accounts of octopuses weighing about one hundred pounds are not that rare.
There are occasional reports of much larger animals, however. At the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, there is a photograph of a fisherman, Andrew Castagnola, with an octopus that he caught in the Santa Barbara Channel off Santa Cruz Island in 1945, for which the stated weight was 402 pounds. Another one caught off Santa Catalina Island early in the twentieth century appears in a second photograph in the same collection, and looks about the same size, although no one weighed it.
Jock MacLean’s reports from the 1950s top all claims for the species. MacLean was a commercial diver and fisherman in the Johnstone Strait, along Vancouver Island. He captured one octopus weighing 437 pounds and described another that weighed about 600 pounds and measured thirty-two feet across. In one account of Jock’s tales, the 437-pounder “filled a fortyfive- gallon barrel” and was weighed or measured. This tale was a yarn told on a boat several years after the events. Jock never captured the 600-pound giant but sighted it and estimated its length. If this is the case, then these weights and measures are highly suspect. Stories grow in the telling and such estimations can easily be off by a factor of three or four. All of these weights are more than double the largest size of well-documented records.
However, in another version of the events, Jock captured several animals of around 400 pounds; and the 600-pound octopus was captured and weighed. In this version, the measurement of thirty-two feet was from “tip to top” (arm tip to top of mantle), not, as I found more often, from “tip to tip” (arm tip to arm tip, extended). That is, spread out on the seafloor, this individual could reach about ten yards from its mouth. In all, it would be about sixty feet wide. Like the Eyak monster that ate people, no one could paddle past this one, at least not in a stroke or two.
Records for the species of 400 pounds and more are from over half a century ago. If such giants ever did exist, it is likely that they are now of the past, like giants to be found, once upon a time, in fairy tales..."
Interspliced in the book were some downright terryfying bits of writing. Take this story, for example:
"August 1903, off Victoria, BC
Captain S. F. Scott was out yachting with friends for pleasure, but he was still about to have a bad evening. He had taken a rowboat out alone, a mile from his friends on the yacht. He was surrounded by a school of black-fish (that is, in modern parlance, a pod of orcas). One of these struck the rowboat hard enough that Scott was flung into the water.
Even so, the orcas around him were not going to be his biggest concern. On landing in the water, Scott was amused by the mishap. He swam back to his rowboat, and grabbed the upturned keel. At that moment, he was seized below the knees and jerked downward with such force that he flipped the rowboat over on top of his head.
“An octopus!” Scott immediately realized, as these large animals were well known in the area. Kicking hard, he momentarily freed himself and renewed his grip on the now upright boat. The octopus again grabbed his legs and pulled downward, as Scott desperately clung to his only support. He described the pain from being pulled as “excruciating”; but after long moments, the grip lessened slightly. Kicking with heavy boots and twirling to finish breaking the octopus’s hold, Scott freed himself but he was badly injured.
Sometime later, his yachting friends noticed the motionless rowboat and hurried to find him half dead from injuries. His skin had been largely stripped off from feet to knees and his upper legs soon bruised black. His recovery took him the next seven months..."
Some more of what is covered here includes:
• Global Octopuses
• Octopus Tools
• Finding Octopuses
• Diet of the Octopus
• Octopus cognition
• Octopus anatomy
• Octopus behaviour
***********************
I was looking for something a bit different from my previous/usual reads, to get over some book burnout, and this one fit the bill nicely. I enjoyed the presentation.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
4.5 stars.
August 26, 2023
“In Eyak, he told us, the word for octopus is tse-le:x-guh. Broken into its constituent parts, it means literally “rock under many-dwell” or “many things under a rock.”
David Scheel had no experience with octopuses, nor other ocean animals, when he led his first expedition in 1995 to study the Giant Pacific octopus, or Enteroctopus dofleini, in Prince William Sound. An ecologist, specialising in animal behaviour, habitat use, and the evolution of predator-prey relations, he became intrigued by the cephalopod after receiving a grant to study their viability as a harvestable food supply along the southern Alaska shores following the Exxon Valdez spill.
Many Things Under a Rock is an interesting account of Scheel’s subsequent 25 years of fieldwork and study focusing on the Giant Pacific octopus, from accompanying Alaska Native elders to count octopuses at low tide using green alder branches, to collecting octopus mucus to chart genetics, and discrete underwater monitoring. Chapters include scientific detail about the octopus’s biology, cognition, and social behaviour. Scheel also includes relevant cultural and historical perspectives on the octopus, particularly those involving Eyak and Sugpiaq tales and myths, and briefly discuses impending threats to the population of octopuses, like climate change and ocean pollution.
Scheel makes good use of personal anecdotes and observations that communicate his fascination with, and understanding of his subject, without compromising scientific detail. I do think the material could have been ordered better, and while at times I found the text to be a little dry, and the tone generally more professorial than personable, the writing is largely accessible.
Importantly I felt I learned a lot about the the Giant Pacific octopus in the wild that I didn’t know before. Many Things Under a Rock is an informative and engaging read.
David Scheel had no experience with octopuses, nor other ocean animals, when he led his first expedition in 1995 to study the Giant Pacific octopus, or Enteroctopus dofleini, in Prince William Sound. An ecologist, specialising in animal behaviour, habitat use, and the evolution of predator-prey relations, he became intrigued by the cephalopod after receiving a grant to study their viability as a harvestable food supply along the southern Alaska shores following the Exxon Valdez spill.
Many Things Under a Rock is an interesting account of Scheel’s subsequent 25 years of fieldwork and study focusing on the Giant Pacific octopus, from accompanying Alaska Native elders to count octopuses at low tide using green alder branches, to collecting octopus mucus to chart genetics, and discrete underwater monitoring. Chapters include scientific detail about the octopus’s biology, cognition, and social behaviour. Scheel also includes relevant cultural and historical perspectives on the octopus, particularly those involving Eyak and Sugpiaq tales and myths, and briefly discuses impending threats to the population of octopuses, like climate change and ocean pollution.
Scheel makes good use of personal anecdotes and observations that communicate his fascination with, and understanding of his subject, without compromising scientific detail. I do think the material could have been ordered better, and while at times I found the text to be a little dry, and the tone generally more professorial than personable, the writing is largely accessible.
Importantly I felt I learned a lot about the the Giant Pacific octopus in the wild that I didn’t know before. Many Things Under a Rock is an informative and engaging read.
May 19, 2023
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
3.5 stars
To be honest, I almost gave up on reading this book during the first third. It was boring and put me in a reading slump for quite a while. This large chunk of the book focuses on David Scheel familiarizing himself with locals in Alaska. Scheel describes connecting with the local people in order to find out where to locate octopuses to study. The author tells of a horrific tsunami that occurred many years ago. Sheel recounts (unnecessarily, in my opinion) old tales that have been passed from generation to generation by natives in Alaska about octopuses. The tales are outlandish, so they have nothing to do with learning about octopuses, at least in the way this book is marketed.
During the first part of the book, I think many readers who are looking to gain more understanding of octopus behavior, rather than the experiences of the author, will either quit reading or be bored out of their minds. I think the book would be much better if almost the entire first third of the book was cut out.
I enjoyed the last two-thirds of the book because it focused more on the lives and behaviors of octopuses, which is why I wanted to read the book. I learned a lot about these solitary creatures. Scheel's writing style leans more on the academic side. However, I really enjoy this when reading nonfiction books. I have a Bachelor's degree in English, so I'm very experienced in reading texts in this style. Scheel's style isn't so heavy that it would be impossible for any reader to get through and enjoy. He does a great job of explaining in simple terms and giving examples.
3.5 stars
To be honest, I almost gave up on reading this book during the first third. It was boring and put me in a reading slump for quite a while. This large chunk of the book focuses on David Scheel familiarizing himself with locals in Alaska. Scheel describes connecting with the local people in order to find out where to locate octopuses to study. The author tells of a horrific tsunami that occurred many years ago. Sheel recounts (unnecessarily, in my opinion) old tales that have been passed from generation to generation by natives in Alaska about octopuses. The tales are outlandish, so they have nothing to do with learning about octopuses, at least in the way this book is marketed.
During the first part of the book, I think many readers who are looking to gain more understanding of octopus behavior, rather than the experiences of the author, will either quit reading or be bored out of their minds. I think the book would be much better if almost the entire first third of the book was cut out.
I enjoyed the last two-thirds of the book because it focused more on the lives and behaviors of octopuses, which is why I wanted to read the book. I learned a lot about these solitary creatures. Scheel's writing style leans more on the academic side. However, I really enjoy this when reading nonfiction books. I have a Bachelor's degree in English, so I'm very experienced in reading texts in this style. Scheel's style isn't so heavy that it would be impossible for any reader to get through and enjoy. He does a great job of explaining in simple terms and giving examples.
May 19, 2023
This is a great read for anyone who loves octopuses! Well-written with fun illustrations between sections and many cool facts about octopuses which were new to me.
Scheel combines scientific, personal, historical, and cultural perspectives and stories about octopuses into a compelling look at how they think and behave, with a particular focus on species living off the Alaskan coast and the little-studied social interactions (both inter and intraspecies) of these mostly solitary creatures.
I was also surprised by how much about octopuses is still understudied and unknown. They're so charismatic, but there are so many challenges to studying them (environment, relatively short life expectancy, etc.) which have limited our knowledge thus far.
Scheel's book is slightly future/conservationist oriented, and it made me even more curious about one of my favorite group of creatures, and even more concerned about the state of our oceans.
I also appreciate that Scheel included indigenous stories and legends in a respectful way, requesting permission from storytellers to include their stories and crediting them (see acknowledgements sections),
Scheel combines scientific, personal, historical, and cultural perspectives and stories about octopuses into a compelling look at how they think and behave, with a particular focus on species living off the Alaskan coast and the little-studied social interactions (both inter and intraspecies) of these mostly solitary creatures.
I was also surprised by how much about octopuses is still understudied and unknown. They're so charismatic, but there are so many challenges to studying them (environment, relatively short life expectancy, etc.) which have limited our knowledge thus far.
Scheel's book is slightly future/conservationist oriented, and it made me even more curious about one of my favorite group of creatures, and even more concerned about the state of our oceans.
I also appreciate that Scheel included indigenous stories and legends in a respectful way, requesting permission from storytellers to include their stories and crediting them (see acknowledgements sections),
November 24, 2023
An interesting foray into the fascinating world of octopuses.
This is a fun read with some terrific anecdotal content on just how intelligent and amazing octopuses are, with some light science to expand on the stories told by the author.
I didn’t find this to be dry at all and in fact would have preferred more scientific explanation for some of the incredible things that octopuses can do. It’s interesting what actually *isn’t* explained in this book, and much of that is probably because there is so much we don’t know about these animals and their complex world.
Though I would have liked more detail, particularly in the biological sense, this is a great primer to get to know octopuses. And I can’t stop thinking about how much they like to hold hands, which seems a fitting hobby for a critter with eight arms.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is a fun read with some terrific anecdotal content on just how intelligent and amazing octopuses are, with some light science to expand on the stories told by the author.
I didn’t find this to be dry at all and in fact would have preferred more scientific explanation for some of the incredible things that octopuses can do. It’s interesting what actually *isn’t* explained in this book, and much of that is probably because there is so much we don’t know about these animals and their complex world.
Though I would have liked more detail, particularly in the biological sense, this is a great primer to get to know octopuses. And I can’t stop thinking about how much they like to hold hands, which seems a fitting hobby for a critter with eight arms.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 20, 2024
3.5 stars—“Something about the way an octopus moves inspires a trepidation about just what an octopus can do. How strong are they? What are their normal movements? How do they put their unusual form to use in their day to day lives?” David Scheel is a biologist who has spent decades studying the octopus. In this book he attempts to answer some of these questions. I enjoyed the book, but the part that captivated me the most were the stories of his research and interactions with native people around Cordova in Prince William Sound. There are mythical accounts of the “devil fish” woven into the factual writing and anecdotal tales of wild octopus encounters in Alaska and around the world. At times I felt bogged down in all the scientific details but it was an interesting read.
June 11, 2023
Thank you to @rbmediaglobal and #NetGalley for the audio arc of #ManyThingsUnderaRock. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
I enjoyed the author's episode "Octopus: Making Contact" on PBS Nature so I jumped at the opportunity to listen to his latest book. And I wasn't disappointed. Scheel has created a beautiful blend of science, research, personal experience and folklore to shed light on some of the mysteries that surround these amazing creatures in a very accessible and interesting way. Overall, a good listen.
I enjoyed the author's episode "Octopus: Making Contact" on PBS Nature so I jumped at the opportunity to listen to his latest book. And I wasn't disappointed. Scheel has created a beautiful blend of science, research, personal experience and folklore to shed light on some of the mysteries that surround these amazing creatures in a very accessible and interesting way. Overall, a good listen.
April 6, 2023
I do wish some of the basic behavior and how correlates to their nervous anatomy was explained sooner.
March 15, 2025
8 thumbs up
June 9, 2025
I loved this book. Octopus are so interesting and it’s amazing how many species there are. There’s still a lot of confusion about how much they attend to each other but they definitely understand the differences between people!
June 6, 2023
🐙
A very interesting book about octopuses.
I've read a few in the past, and this book was particularly conversational and memoir based.
I found the Indigenous history of octopuses very interesting. I was very happy the author included this information in the book.
I also thought it was very interesting to learn of the predators of octopus
Also, how they disguise themselves was very fascinating. Also, what they see - or what ways they see and how their vision works.
I found the chapter on octopus movement and hunting very fascinating.
I was also particularly fascinated by the mating process of octopuses.
Recommended Reading
I also recommend reading this book alongside these other octopus books:
The Soul of an Octopus
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
Metazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind
All-in-all a great book.
4.1/5
A very interesting book about octopuses.
I've read a few in the past, and this book was particularly conversational and memoir based.
I found the Indigenous history of octopuses very interesting. I was very happy the author included this information in the book.
I also thought it was very interesting to learn of the predators of octopus
Also, how they disguise themselves was very fascinating. Also, what they see - or what ways they see and how their vision works.
I found the chapter on octopus movement and hunting very fascinating.
I was also particularly fascinated by the mating process of octopuses.
Recommended Reading
I also recommend reading this book alongside these other octopus books:
The Soul of an Octopus
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
Metazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind
All-in-all a great book.
4.1/5
November 28, 2023
A reef in Australia… an Indian legend… octopus species... meanwhile, back in Alaska…
Sorry, but that’s how the book is organised. It’s clearly a deliberate choice, but it’s very odd. It reads like a series of snippets or mini news items designed for people who can’t concentrate for… sorry, what was I saying?
It is, after all, a serious book of popular science, entirely devoted to octopuses. David Scheel is the man who appeared in the BBC documentary, ‘An Octopus in My House’, and knows his stuff.
There’s a goodly amount of worthwhile material here, although without any great new revelations. But the strange organisation of material is very off-putting, darting around in topic, place and time: 1899, 2020, 2004…
2023 Thumbnail Review #77 Many Things Under a Rock by David Scheel
April 30, 2023
I received an ARC of Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses from a Goodreads giveaway. The expected publication date is June 13, 2023.
In this book, David Scheel shares his experiences with and his knowledge about octopuses. He also shares what he's learned from indigenous Alaskans about the octopus. There are fabulous illustrations of octopuses peppered through the pages.
This book is full of interesting information about octopuses, but the fragmentary nature of the book made it a struggle to read. The first half of the book was particularly disorganized.
In this book, David Scheel shares his experiences with and his knowledge about octopuses. He also shares what he's learned from indigenous Alaskans about the octopus. There are fabulous illustrations of octopuses peppered through the pages.
This book is full of interesting information about octopuses, but the fragmentary nature of the book made it a struggle to read. The first half of the book was particularly disorganized.
July 20, 2024
3.5 stars. This has some fascinating stories an scientific insight on Octopuses. However, the passages felt at times unconnected, I would have liked a clearer guiding thread through the book. Also with a generally non-scientific (or maybe rather, a popular scientific) book, you will always have some personal anecdotes by the author. Only in this case, I wish there would have been more research tidbits or native people stories.
Still, super interesting, and I will always keep going for Octopus books!
Still, super interesting, and I will always keep going for Octopus books!
March 11, 2024
4 Stars.
Dryer than 'Other Minds', but really explores the environments of octopuses and also explores the Native Alaskan relationship to them. Proper review soon.
Dryer than 'Other Minds', but really explores the environments of octopuses and also explores the Native Alaskan relationship to them. Proper review soon.
Want to read
July 29, 2023Here's a nice excerpt, to give you an idea of the author's writing style:
https://lithub.com/do-octopuses-dream...
Excerpt:
"I speculated that Heidi [a Pacific octopus the author was studying] might be dreaming, and if she were, she might be dreaming of catching a crab. During attacks on prey, the octopus employs a series of body patterns, different from the patterns seen when a predator attacks an awake octopus. Sufficient ecological work on waking octopuses, octopus-learning experiments, and further sleep studies could reveal whether these body pattern sequences when asleep might be understood as dream-enacting behaviors. This could reveal both octopus nightmares and octopus dreams."
I'll likely take a look when/if the library gets a copy. Published late June 2023.
https://lithub.com/do-octopuses-dream...
Excerpt:
"I speculated that Heidi [a Pacific octopus the author was studying] might be dreaming, and if she were, she might be dreaming of catching a crab. During attacks on prey, the octopus employs a series of body patterns, different from the patterns seen when a predator attacks an awake octopus. Sufficient ecological work on waking octopuses, octopus-learning experiments, and further sleep studies could reveal whether these body pattern sequences when asleep might be understood as dream-enacting behaviors. This could reveal both octopus nightmares and octopus dreams."
I'll likely take a look when/if the library gets a copy. Published late June 2023.
April 30, 2024
Scheel gets a lot of information in here about octopuses, as he covers his work in Alaska and then Australia studying them. The chapters deal variously with themes - as always, the most interesting bits are around the remarkable cognition of these animals (their beaks will try to eat their own detached body parts but their tentacles are having none of it, for example), and grappling with how little we actually understand of how intelligence might work apart from our own.
The prose can be frustratingly ambigious at times, and Schell doesn't explore many of the things he hints at, but this is a nice, accessible introduction to some of the most fascinating creatures and, implictly, the questions that they raise of us.
The prose can be frustratingly ambigious at times, and Schell doesn't explore many of the things he hints at, but this is a nice, accessible introduction to some of the most fascinating creatures and, implictly, the questions that they raise of us.
July 4, 2024
how lovely! my favorite parts of this book were definitely the native folk stories of octopi as these sentient evil cryptids (and the author immediately following them up with science of octopus cognition that could prove the stories right...)
June 29, 2025
Written by a scientist who dedicated his career to studying octopuses, this book weaves together his experiences with others'. The behavior of these fascinating creatures is described, and it's not unlike ours in many respects.
Read
August 7, 2025I found this book difficult to read and it took some time to figure out why. For me, the writing was herky-jerky. Some of it was flowing and poetic while other parts are academic treatise dry. I learned a lot because I persevered through the dry parts. I’m not sure it was worth the time I invested though.
Read
July 26, 2024i liked when they gave the octopuses ecstasy
April 14, 2023
David Scheel has spent decades researching octopuses, and he has distilled his knowledge and experience into this carefully- and lovingly-written book.
Much of his focus is on octopuses in Alaska, and their roles in the cultures of indigenous peoples. I always love following scientists out on their fieldwork, especially when it involves animals, and Scheel does not disappoint in this regard. The anecdotes he selects are by turns amusing and fascinating.
By this point I've read quite a few books that are about or include octopuses (including 'The Soul of an Octopus' and 'Other Minds'). Indeed, Scheel calls Peter Godfrey-Smith (author of 'Other Minds') his collaborator. As one might expect, there is a lot less philosophy in 'Many Things Under a Rock', but I still found traces of Godfrey-Smith's influence in Scheel's writing and the way he approached certain topics, most of us octopus sentience.
This book takes, in my view, quite bold stylistic choices in comparison to many of the books out there now by scientists. Many sections begin with a first-person view - from an octopus, that is. Scheel draws from what must be countless brushes with individual octopuses to recount particular moments or hours or days in their lives, beautifully evoking the sheer wonder of octopus bodies, and inklings of how they might perceive their worlds. Many concepts and findings in this book are not new to me (for example, the way that octopus brain matter is "distributed" across the arms as well as being found in the head) but others were, and I imagine that any reader who hasn't yet read a book about octopuses will find their mind being well and truly blown.
If I had to make one criticism, it would be that the slightly fragmentary nature of the sections in the book made me read it slower than I might a nonfiction book with a narrative drive and flow, but in a way, I liked the fragmentary approach. There is so much to talk about it when it comes to octopuses and it must be incredibly challenging for any author to decide how to arrange the material!
'Many Things Under a Rock' entertained and fascinated me aplenty, and I would recommend it to all nonfiction readers.
(With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)
Much of his focus is on octopuses in Alaska, and their roles in the cultures of indigenous peoples. I always love following scientists out on their fieldwork, especially when it involves animals, and Scheel does not disappoint in this regard. The anecdotes he selects are by turns amusing and fascinating.
By this point I've read quite a few books that are about or include octopuses (including 'The Soul of an Octopus' and 'Other Minds'). Indeed, Scheel calls Peter Godfrey-Smith (author of 'Other Minds') his collaborator. As one might expect, there is a lot less philosophy in 'Many Things Under a Rock', but I still found traces of Godfrey-Smith's influence in Scheel's writing and the way he approached certain topics, most of us octopus sentience.
This book takes, in my view, quite bold stylistic choices in comparison to many of the books out there now by scientists. Many sections begin with a first-person view - from an octopus, that is. Scheel draws from what must be countless brushes with individual octopuses to recount particular moments or hours or days in their lives, beautifully evoking the sheer wonder of octopus bodies, and inklings of how they might perceive their worlds. Many concepts and findings in this book are not new to me (for example, the way that octopus brain matter is "distributed" across the arms as well as being found in the head) but others were, and I imagine that any reader who hasn't yet read a book about octopuses will find their mind being well and truly blown.
If I had to make one criticism, it would be that the slightly fragmentary nature of the sections in the book made me read it slower than I might a nonfiction book with a narrative drive and flow, but in a way, I liked the fragmentary approach. There is so much to talk about it when it comes to octopuses and it must be incredibly challenging for any author to decide how to arrange the material!
'Many Things Under a Rock' entertained and fascinated me aplenty, and I would recommend it to all nonfiction readers.
(With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)
July 24, 2023
The inner lives of octopuses
Octopuses are invertebrates that lack skeleton, and their legs have no femur, tibia or fibula, no feet, and no toes to wiggle. Instead, octopuses have a hydrostatic skeleton, combining muscular contraction and water's resistance to compression, to generate movement. The octopus genome illustrates how intelligence evolved in this animal. With its eight prehensile arms lined with suckers, camera-like eyes, elaborate repertoire of camouflage tricks and spooky intelligence, the octopus is like no other creature on Earth, which explains the evolution of their cognitive skills. The octopus’ genome is as large as a human, and they contain a greater number of protein-coding genes than Homo sapiens. One of the most remarkable gene groups is the protocadherin, which regulates the development of neurons and the short-range interactions between them. The octopus has 168 of these genes more than twice as many as mammals. This resonates with the creature’s unusually large brain and the organ’s even-stranger anatomy. Of the octopus's half a billion neurons, two-thirds spill out from its head through its arms, without the involvement of long-range fibers such as those in vertebrate spinal cords. This gives independent computing power to its arms. They have more autonomy than human arms. Each has its own miniature brain, giving it a degree of independence from the animal's central brain. On the contrary, the human’s nervous system is highly centralized, with the brain as the seat of sensory integration and other actions. They are the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien.
The author narrates his experience as an explorer of octopus in its natural habitats off the coasts of Alaska, Washington State, and Japan. This book does not explain the octopus’ biology or physiology but discusses from a behavior ecologist’s perspective. Octopus is a nature’s wonder, because this soft and boneless aquatic species survives with otherer formidable animals like sharks, killer whales, and eels. How do they hunt while avoiding danger in the ocean? Their anatomical structure, skills, camouflage, and a unique nervous system that matches human consciousness.
Octopuses are invertebrates that lack skeleton, and their legs have no femur, tibia or fibula, no feet, and no toes to wiggle. Instead, octopuses have a hydrostatic skeleton, combining muscular contraction and water's resistance to compression, to generate movement. The octopus genome illustrates how intelligence evolved in this animal. With its eight prehensile arms lined with suckers, camera-like eyes, elaborate repertoire of camouflage tricks and spooky intelligence, the octopus is like no other creature on Earth, which explains the evolution of their cognitive skills. The octopus’ genome is as large as a human, and they contain a greater number of protein-coding genes than Homo sapiens. One of the most remarkable gene groups is the protocadherin, which regulates the development of neurons and the short-range interactions between them. The octopus has 168 of these genes more than twice as many as mammals. This resonates with the creature’s unusually large brain and the organ’s even-stranger anatomy. Of the octopus's half a billion neurons, two-thirds spill out from its head through its arms, without the involvement of long-range fibers such as those in vertebrate spinal cords. This gives independent computing power to its arms. They have more autonomy than human arms. Each has its own miniature brain, giving it a degree of independence from the animal's central brain. On the contrary, the human’s nervous system is highly centralized, with the brain as the seat of sensory integration and other actions. They are the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien.
The author narrates his experience as an explorer of octopus in its natural habitats off the coasts of Alaska, Washington State, and Japan. This book does not explain the octopus’ biology or physiology but discusses from a behavior ecologist’s perspective. Octopus is a nature’s wonder, because this soft and boneless aquatic species survives with otherer formidable animals like sharks, killer whales, and eels. How do they hunt while avoiding danger in the ocean? Their anatomical structure, skills, camouflage, and a unique nervous system that matches human consciousness.
January 13, 2024
My normal reading is history and biography, but occasionally I will digress into a study and observation of nature. “Many Things Under a Rock” was a good choice.
This book is an observation and study of octopuses, their habitats, physiology, intelligence, habits, legends and myths. Its twenty-four chapters are divided into four sections. The first section. “Where Are They?” starts out in Alaskan waters and expands world-wide. The second, “Want” describes tracking and watching how and what they eat, how they capture their prey and their dens. Third, “Reach” I found fascinating. How do they see, sense, reach, understand and dream? The final section “Revelation” examines their motives, hunger and fear, their relationships in the wild and how and where they congregate in the oceans.
As a frequent visitor to aquariums, I enjoyed learning something about what appear to be lethargic animals about which I knew little. The extent to which octopus’ sensory organs are spread throughout their bodies and their ability to change colors to blend into their surroundings are intriguing. Their ability to remember humans and direct sprays of water toward those they dislike evidences a higher intelligence than their appearance would suggest. Drawings start each chapter, but photos in addition to the dust jacket would be helpful.
Author David Scheel has crafted a short, readable and informative narrative of a little understood species. In future aquarium visits, I am sure I will spend more time around the octopuses. I will look for suction cups (lacking on male third right arms) to determine if I am looking at a male or female. I may try to count the arms and identify any that have been amputated and regrown. I will wonder, what are they thinking as they watch me? Does it like me? When I get the call to move on to the next exhibit I will, reluctantly, obey. Until the next time.
This book is an observation and study of octopuses, their habitats, physiology, intelligence, habits, legends and myths. Its twenty-four chapters are divided into four sections. The first section. “Where Are They?” starts out in Alaskan waters and expands world-wide. The second, “Want” describes tracking and watching how and what they eat, how they capture their prey and their dens. Third, “Reach” I found fascinating. How do they see, sense, reach, understand and dream? The final section “Revelation” examines their motives, hunger and fear, their relationships in the wild and how and where they congregate in the oceans.
As a frequent visitor to aquariums, I enjoyed learning something about what appear to be lethargic animals about which I knew little. The extent to which octopus’ sensory organs are spread throughout their bodies and their ability to change colors to blend into their surroundings are intriguing. Their ability to remember humans and direct sprays of water toward those they dislike evidences a higher intelligence than their appearance would suggest. Drawings start each chapter, but photos in addition to the dust jacket would be helpful.
Author David Scheel has crafted a short, readable and informative narrative of a little understood species. In future aquarium visits, I am sure I will spend more time around the octopuses. I will look for suction cups (lacking on male third right arms) to determine if I am looking at a male or female. I may try to count the arms and identify any that have been amputated and regrown. I will wonder, what are they thinking as they watch me? Does it like me? When I get the call to move on to the next exhibit I will, reluctantly, obey. Until the next time.
March 30, 2024
Only finished the first few parts. There are many good points, but they get lost in the writing, so they aren't easy to follow. For a book about something as cool as and with as much novel research as octopuses, it was pretty boring.
The writing seems unsure of its audience, and that made it feel distant. Some basic concepts are over-explained, and other advanced concepts are gleaned over too quickly. There were times where I didn't know what something was, or the explanation was insufficient to understand the following material, so I looked it up, only for it to be explained more thoroughly in a following chapter. This interrupted the flow, and made it feel not like a systematic story, just pieced together.
Part 1 - did a good job of bridging the natural to human world. I've read a lot of books that try to do this, and some are more successful than others. Again, the content seems promising, just is not well executed. The story of the title was very interesting, and seems well thought-out. It is clear the author did his best to listen respectfully and to learn from indigenous perspectives. He alludes to a lot of interesting sounding studies, but doesn't really go into them.
The last two chapters of this part on climate change and fishing were a bit rushed and lacked some context to help the reader fully understand all the points that were being made. For example, the author mentions that since octopuses are understudied, it's difficult to create sustainable fishery strategies. As an example of this, he explains that we don't know how to age all species of octopus. I don't think the reason that this hinders sustainable fishing would be obvious to most people, at least not those who required the extensive explanation in the previous chapter of basic global warming concepts.
The following parts alternated between interesting and not, and still did not flow. In all, I learned a couple things, but won't be finishing it.
The writing seems unsure of its audience, and that made it feel distant. Some basic concepts are over-explained, and other advanced concepts are gleaned over too quickly. There were times where I didn't know what something was, or the explanation was insufficient to understand the following material, so I looked it up, only for it to be explained more thoroughly in a following chapter. This interrupted the flow, and made it feel not like a systematic story, just pieced together.
Part 1 - did a good job of bridging the natural to human world. I've read a lot of books that try to do this, and some are more successful than others. Again, the content seems promising, just is not well executed. The story of the title was very interesting, and seems well thought-out. It is clear the author did his best to listen respectfully and to learn from indigenous perspectives. He alludes to a lot of interesting sounding studies, but doesn't really go into them.
The last two chapters of this part on climate change and fishing were a bit rushed and lacked some context to help the reader fully understand all the points that were being made. For example, the author mentions that since octopuses are understudied, it's difficult to create sustainable fishery strategies. As an example of this, he explains that we don't know how to age all species of octopus. I don't think the reason that this hinders sustainable fishing would be obvious to most people, at least not those who required the extensive explanation in the previous chapter of basic global warming concepts.
The following parts alternated between interesting and not, and still did not flow. In all, I learned a couple things, but won't be finishing it.
June 26, 2023
I’ve recently become fascinated with octopuses. I find them alien yet completely charismatic at the same time. So, when I heard about this new book by a bonafide octopus scientist, I had to check it out!
In this book, behavioral ecologist and marine biologist David Scheel guides readers through the underwater world of octopuses. He delves into topics as various as octopus anatomy, where to find different species, what they eat, behaviors, reproduction, and how current and future ocean conditions affect octopus populations. I was particularly intrigued by the sections about sleep, learning behaviors, and rare communities like Octopolis and Octlantis.
Octopuses from various oceans around the world are mentioned in the book, but since the author has lived and researched in Alaska for most of his career, that area is heavily featured. The title of the book comes from one of the many, many names that various indigenous peoples use to describe octopuses. It is clear that the author wanted to include cultural perspectives regarding cephalopods, while also being respectful. He often states which indigenous group(s) traditionally inhabit(ed) the locations where he researched and gives credit when relating traditional tales and knowledge. I appreciated these efforts.
Overall, I found the book to be very interesting. I felt like I learned a lot about octopus anatomy, life history, and behavior. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by David Stifel. I found his performance very engaging. I do wish I could have seen diagrams or illustrations for some of the concepts, though. It would have made them easier to understand. A visual guide to the various described species would have also been helpful. I’m not sure if the physical book has these features or not.
In this book, behavioral ecologist and marine biologist David Scheel guides readers through the underwater world of octopuses. He delves into topics as various as octopus anatomy, where to find different species, what they eat, behaviors, reproduction, and how current and future ocean conditions affect octopus populations. I was particularly intrigued by the sections about sleep, learning behaviors, and rare communities like Octopolis and Octlantis.
Octopuses from various oceans around the world are mentioned in the book, but since the author has lived and researched in Alaska for most of his career, that area is heavily featured. The title of the book comes from one of the many, many names that various indigenous peoples use to describe octopuses. It is clear that the author wanted to include cultural perspectives regarding cephalopods, while also being respectful. He often states which indigenous group(s) traditionally inhabit(ed) the locations where he researched and gives credit when relating traditional tales and knowledge. I appreciated these efforts.
Overall, I found the book to be very interesting. I felt like I learned a lot about octopus anatomy, life history, and behavior. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by David Stifel. I found his performance very engaging. I do wish I could have seen diagrams or illustrations for some of the concepts, though. It would have made them easier to understand. A visual guide to the various described species would have also been helpful. I’m not sure if the physical book has these features or not.
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