Alex & Me:
how a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence — and formed a deep bond in the process

£12.99 GBP

Alex & Me:
how a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence — and formed a deep bond in the process

Overview

On 6 September 2007, an African Grey Parrot named Alex died prematurely at 31. His last words to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were ‘You be good. I love you.’

Alex & Me is the remarkable true account of an extraordinary relationship between Irene and Alex — a relationship that disproved the widely accepted idea that birds possess no potential for language or anything comparable to human intelligence. In the thirty years he spent with Irene, Alex demonstrated an incredible ability to communicate and understand complex ideas.

Yet this is much more than the story of a scientific breakthrough. Alex and Irene were emotionally connected: he missed her when she was away; he was jealous when she paid attention to others; and, nearly every day, they each said,‘I love you.’ Astonishing, moving, and unforgettable, Alex & Me is a powerful reminder of the bond that can exist between humans and animals.

Details

Format
Paperback
Size
210mm x 135mm
Extent
240 pages
ISBN
9781921372728
RRP
GBP£12.99
Pub date
1 August 2013
Rights held
UK & Commonwealth (ex. Can)

Praise

‘Pepperberg gives the general reader, older teens included, a peek into a researcher's life and has written a short, happy page-turner. Bird and animal lovers and anyone fascinated by language acquisition and learning processes will especially enjoy Alex and "his" book.’

Courier Mail

‘... a moving tribute that beautifully evokes the struggles, the initial triumphs, the setbacks, the unexpected and often stunning achievements during a groundbreaking scientific endeavor spent uncovering cognitive abilities in Alex that no one believed were possible.’

Publisher's Weekly
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About the Author

Dr Irene M. Pepperberg is an associate research professor at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and teaches animal cognition at Harvard University. Her work has been featured on television and in newspapers and magazines in the United States and Europe.

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