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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You can’t read this book without coming away with a huge appreciation of animals’ ability to think and communicate. It challenges the meaning of “consciousness.”
Alex and Me is the odyssey of Irene Pepperberg and an African parrot to prove that conscious thought and deductive reasoning is not the sole province of the human brain. Battling gender bias, centuries old deeply held beliefs she succeeds only to lose Alex at the peak of their shared accomplishments. Five bright stars, a good read !
We had an African Gray that lived for 3 generations. Jocko was very smart and clever. At about 35 years he layed an egg, well dropped her egg from the high perch. Spoke in different voices which confused us thinking we were talking to someone other than a bird. Alex brought back fond memories from 50 years ago.
We had an African Grey that my husband bought home from Cameroon. When we moved we had to give him away but we loved him while we had him. He could talk just like me.
Following Alex’s journey was delightful and interesting. What an amazing bird!
A tale of the very mart bird and the human who taught him until his death at 30. Heartwarming, inspirational, sometimes sad. The author is twlling this in first person & doesn’t delve heavily into the scientific. What’s there is easy to follow and informative. I loved this book.
If you’ve ever wondered if your pet is thinking and what it’s thinking about, you may enjoy this endearing book. Hint: you’d better be very nice to your pet or he may not think very well of you! I fell in love with the big personality of that little bird!
Who would have thought a book about a researcher and her subject – a parrot named Alex – would be so wonderful? I have always been fascinated by how birds interact with humans, and this was utterly fascinating. Birdbrains, indeed! There’s a lot more to these little creatures than meets the eye. If if you’re not a bird lover, the story is enjoyable …
A touching portrayal of a special bond…endearing and informative…
The story could have been interesting but the book was a disappointment. It was wordy and mostly about the human and not about the human/bird interaction.
Maybe that was asking too much.
The first PBS special I saw about Alex left me fascinated. It was wonderful to read the story of Alex and the scientist that showed the world the intelligence of Alex, the African grey.
“Alex & Me” an unforgettable true story. While reading about this lovely, smart bird I didn’t want to read anything else until I had finished it. AND yes I cried.
Lovely story about a tesearcher and her relationship with her subject, a bird named Alex. Alex comes across as the true star: witty, whimsical and heartbreaking at times.
Very interesting topic, well written
A wonderful story about an incredible bird who stole the hearts of all who knew him. Whether in person or media, to learn about Alex is to learn that animals have more going for them than most people are aware of. Enjoy, laugh, wonder, cry.
This book opened a new world for me. The study of linguistics and intelligence in birds is absolutely amazing! I loved this book.
Would have been nice if author would have given more detail at the end of this true story about what happened to Alex.
This true story clearly demonstrated how exceptionally smart birds are with a brain the size of a shelled walnut. It was highly informative and very readable. The author had to overcome great prejudice in her field, but in her 30 years work with her parrot, Alex, she was able to show just how smart birds really are even with a tiny “bird brain”! …
Real page Turner
This is a book about science, and it is an amusing animal story, and it’s a story of a determined woman who overcomes many obstacles to define her career path, and it’s a story of heartwarming love and heartbreaking loss. As I finished it, I was sad to see it end.