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How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
Collins
November 2008
On Sale: October 28, 2008
240 pages
ISBN: 0061672475
EAN: 9780061672477
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
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 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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