On September 6, 2007, an African Grey parrot named Alex died prematurely at age thirty-one. His last words to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were “You be good. I love you.”What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in Alex’s case, headline news. Over the thirty years they had worked together, Alex and Irene had become famous—two pioneers who opened an unprecedented window into the … into the hidden yet vast world of animal minds. Alex’s brain was the size of a shelled walnut, and when Irene and Alex first met, birds were not believed to possess any potential for language, consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many things. He could add. He could sound out words. He understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none. He was capable of thought and intention. Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality: We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious creatures.
The fame that resulted was extraordinary. Yet there was a side to their relationship that never made the papers. They were emotionally connected to one another. They shared a deep bond far beyond science. Alex missed Irene when she was away. He was jealous when she paid attention to other parrots, or even people. He liked to show her who was boss. He loved to dance. He sometimes became bored by the repetition of his tests, and played jokes on her. Sometimes they sniped at each other. Yet nearly every day, they each said, “I love you.”
Alex and Irene stayed together through thick and thin—despite sneers from experts, extraordinary financial sacrifices, and a nomadic existence from one university to another. The story of their thirty-year adventure is equally a landmark of scientific achievement and of an unforgettable human-animal bond.
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Liked it a lot. The power of bird brains is just fascinating. It made me wish I’d gotten a parrot decades ago. At age 60, it would be irresponsible, I think, given it would outlive me.
Great story of women who persevere in science.
Loved this book. Of course I am familiar with Alex. I,too, had an exceptional parrot for 25 years. She had a vocabulary of 145 words and phrases. She made up names for people and objects. Her most amazing feat was that she would compose and whistle classical music. It is so wonderful to have her intelligence validated. This book is a wonderful …
I loved reading about the parrot and what he learned through the exhausted work of his owner.
This book if informative, witty and a great read after the bird finally appears on page 69. Too much author self-pity in the opening chapters almost caused me to drop it. Glad I didn’t; it is very well-written once it gets started.
Who knew African Gray parrots could talk? Not to mention that they could learn so much as well as to be able to distinguish ‘matter’, numbers, shape and color. Dr Pepperberg provided a very interesting tale of a dogged woman scientist paired with an imp of a bird with a huge personality and a heck of a ‘bird’ brain.
I loved this story since I also have the joy of being owned by an African Grey named Maggie. I enjoyed reading someone’s stories of the daily commitment trying to teach and keep them entertained. I cried of course at the ending. My Maggie will outlive me so I won’t have to deal with the sorrow of losing her.
Even though the ending is disclosed from the beginning of the book, the scientific process of the story was fascinating. For me it was a “Just one more chapter” book and I read it very quickly. Well worth the time it took.
A memoir of an amazing experiment with a very special African Grey Parrot.
This reads like a Reader’s Digest book, but was fascinating to read about the relationship between the scientist and the animal.
I enjoy Elkins’ writing and the main character. His books are a quick, interesting read.
As a bird lover I just really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn about bird intelligence. Alex was a remarkable bird.
I’d rate it five stars but I cried and dint want to think about the tragedy of losing Alex. Too sad for this wimp, but how brilliant he was, how inspirational the author’s work. If you rate a book by how much it affects you it should have a five but what a tear jerker, almost left me w flashbacks.
Everyone knows about Alex, the talking parrot, but this memoir goes far deeper into his training, the science behind it, Alex’s personality, his relationship with Dr. Pepperberg, and her own personality and personal life. Wonderful.
I really loved this book. I usually don’t read books when I know tha the animal is going to die. This one was worth the tears. The memory of it stayed with me for a long time
I loved the book!! It was very informative on the intellectual abilities of the African Grey parrots.
Having had an African Grey parrot myself, this book really resonated with me. Some of the things Alex did, my parrot did as well. The amount of intelligence and emotional connection in one little feather being! It’s really amazing.
A beautiful and true story showing her love for a bird. Also the extreme intelligence of animals that is often taken for granted or not even accepted and/or respected in our world- even in modern times!
I had a parrot and that is what drew me to this book. Like Alex, my Pretty Bird could communicate and he was very intelligent. He brought so much joy into my life that I could feel the author’s pain when she lost Alex. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who love birds and other animals.
I loved it.