The Lives of Octopuses and Their Relatives - (Lives of the Natural World) by Danna Staaf (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An engaging and beautifully illustrated introduction to some of the world's most interesting and charismatic marine creatures

Dive deep into the fascinating world of cephalopods--octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and the mysterious nautilus--to discover the astonishing diversity of this unique group of intelligent invertebrates and their many roles in the marine ecosystem. Organized by marine habitat, this book features an extraordinary range of these clever and colorful creatures from around the world and explores their life cycles, behavior, adaptations, ecology, links to humans, and much more. With stunning photographs and illustrations as well as profiles of selected species, The Lives of Octopuses and Their Relatives is a comprehensive, authoritative, and inviting introduction to the natural history of these charismatic creatures.

Review Quotes

"A beautiful book that captivated me with its smart composition and spectacular photographs and scientific drawings."-- "Marine Biological Association"

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year"

"If you are not already fascinated by octopuses and their kin, you will be after reading this superb book"---Gabor Lovei, Conservation Biology

"[B]eautifully illustrated. . . . A must read for anyone interested in the lives of these intelligent and diverse creatures."-- "Choice"

"[An] entertaining and enlightening read."---Geoff Carpentier, North Durham Nature Newsletter

"This book is a wonderful introduction to octopuses and their relations . . . . Great pleasure can be obtained by just opening at random, being amazed by whatever stunning cephalopod you find an image of, and learning about it."---Angela Colling, Ocean Challenge

"The author has a compelling writing style, though you could buy this book only to look at the pictures, because the quality of underwater photography is impressive. . . . Staaf covers a lot of ground with a light touch, and this is a book I would happily read and revisit."---Steve Weinman, Divernet

"This book covers a lot of ground but does so in an extremely accessible way. Whether you are searching for information about a specific species or just browsing, you will end up spending hours pouring over the images and the astonishing facts about these charismatic animals."---Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown​​​​​​​, Scubaverse

"This is a really excellent book. Please take the time to read it and get to know some of Planet Earth's most absorbing creatures. You'll be glad you did."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

"Beautifully written and illustrated."---Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today

About the Author

Danna Staaf is a science writer and educator with a PhD in marine biology. She spent six years studying Humboldt squid at Stanford University, and her first book, Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods, was named one of the best science books of the year by National Public Radio's Science Friday.