Other Minds

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is a subject that continues to fascinate me, and that’s largely why I picked up this book. The author does start off well, pitching cephalopods as an independent experiment by nature in the evolution of large brains, and there are some very interesting bits – subjective experience, sentience and consciousness. But the detours on octopus and cuttlefish are likely to put you off unless you’re an ardent fan of the creatures.