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

Author: Irene M. Pepperberg

Editorial review of the book

Alex & Me is an emotional and informative memoir written by Irene M. Pepperberg, a psychologist who has spent three decades studying the cognitive abilities of an African grey parrot named Alex. Alex became famous for his remarkable ability to understand and use language, challenging traditional scientific views of animal intellect.

In the book, Pepperberg details their unique relationship, from the initial scepticism of the scientific community to the recognition of Alex's abilities. Alex was able to identify colours, shapes, numbers and materials, and to distinguish between concepts such as "same" and "different". His grasp of language and ability to think abstractly were comparable to the development of a child aged between 2 and 5 years.

The book is not only a scientific report, but also an emotional story of friendship and mutual learning between a woman and a bird. Pepperberg uses Alex's life and work to explore the limits of the animal mind and to lay the foundations for future research in cognitive ethology.

Alex & Me became a New York Times bestseller and one of the most important works in popular science, showing that the capacity for language and abstract thought is not an exclusively human trait.

Books from category Popular Science

More than books