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Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
Alex & Me "is the remarkable true story of an extraordinary relationship between psychologist Irene M. Pepperberg and Alex, an African Grey parrot who proved scientists and accepted wisdom wrong by demonstrating an astonishing ability to communicate and understand complex ideas. The story is much more than of an incredible scientific breakthrough. It s a poignant love story and an affectionate remembrance of Pepperberg s irascible, unforgettable, and always surprising best friend.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2008
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About the author
Irene M. Pepperberg
7 books74 followersIrene Maxine Pepperberg is a scientist noted for her studies in animal cognition, particularly in relation to parrots. She is an adjunct professor of psychology at Brandeis University and a lecturer at Harvard University. She is well known for her comparative studies into the cognitive fundamentals of language and communication, and was one of the first to try to extend work on language learning in animals other than humans (exemplified by the Washoe project) to a bird species. Dr. Pepperberg is also active in wildlife conservation, especially in relation to parrots.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,207 reviews
March 10, 2018
Ms. Pepperberg began doing research on the cognitive capacities of a Gray parrot, Alex, in the 1970s, a time when animals were widely believed to be little more than bio-automatons, lacking not only intellectual capability, but emotions as well. Pepperberg endured years, decades of ridicule, scorn, resistance and a continuing challenge in attempting to find funding to persist with her work. This is her story of Alex, a remarkable animal, clearly possessed of great personality, intelligence, even a sense of humor. I know from personal experience that animals are much more than animated machines. I have wept at the loss of some of these, both screamed and laughed at their antics. Pepperberg has written a moving story not only about her challenges as a professional researcher, but about her relationship with Alex. This is a fast read, but it is filled with the joy of discovery, delight in the personality of this remarkable bird, and great sadness when Alex passes on. It sounds like a cliché, and probably is, but in reading this book, I really did laugh out loud and I really did cry. This is a moving read as well as an informative one.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
February 2018 – NatGeo – Brainiacs - by Virginia Morell - The focus here is on brainpower, not personality, per se, but is remarkable is in showing that our avian friends are hardly featherweights when it comes to cranial capacity and relationships. Alex comes in for a look.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
February 2018 – NatGeo – Brainiacs - by Virginia Morell - The focus here is on brainpower, not personality, per se, but is remarkable is in showing that our avian friends are hardly featherweights when it comes to cranial capacity and relationships. Alex comes in for a look.
August 23, 2010
So, here's what I expected: a touching memoir about the trials and tribulations -- and joys and moments of wonder -- of working closely with a remarkable creature.
I've heard it said that children often have an easier time bonding with animals than adults. If I were going to theorize, I'd say that maybe it's because although animals may have an inner life that resembles that of humans -- Alex certainly seemed to -- it's not often as developed in animals. They're too busy surviving to spend much time navel-gazing. Perhaps in their understanding of self, they've developed to a state equivalent to that of a young child, and therefore, children relate very easily to them and vice versa.
I do not mean to sound insulting to Dr. Pepperberg when I say this, as she's clearly a woman of outstanding intelligence and perseverance. But she also comes across as someone who never finished growing up, and unfortunately, that immaturity is highlighted in this memoir.
There's actually not much space spent, in an already slight book, on her relationship with Alex. Instead, the main theme seems to be: "No one in academia, including my husband, believed in my work with Alex. They were very mean to me. Alex showed them, though, and so did I!"
Pepperberg spends a while talking about her childhood, indignantly telling us about a scarring experience from her childhood, wherein she was too painfully shy to thank a baker for a cookie she was offered, and handed it back when the baker teasingly asked for it, and her mother was annoyed with her.
Honey, if that's the worst experience you can remember from your childhood...well, maybe you're better off not writing about that part of your life if you're looking for sympathy.
Pepperberg also attributes the worst possible motivations to anyone who wasn't 100% behind her. At one point, she tells us about telling a department admin that she's getting married. The admin asks her when she'll be leaving the department.
Now, this took place in (if I recall correctly) the 60s or 70s, so that would hardly be an uncommon question. Most women at that time *did* retire when they married, to focus on being a homemaker and, eventually, a mother.
Pepperberg assumes the woman is bitter because she doesn't have an academic career, and is thinking Hurray! Now a man can take this woman's position, as is appropriate. She doesn't describe anything about the woman's behavior that would suggest such pettiness and resentment behind her common assumption, but clearly expects us to sympathize with her indignant reaction.
Further, while I haven't read any of Pepperberg's academic work, if she writes there like she does here, I understand why she had a hard time being taken seriously.
When young Alex doesn't cooperate one day, she writes in her journal: "Alex being incredibly stupid today!"
Who above the age of 10 thinks in those terms about an animal -- or even a young human -- that they're teaching? When it comes to animals, any good trainer knows that A) animals have moods too, and B) in general, if an animal is repeatedly misbehaving, it's usually the fault of the trainer, not the animal. It seems rather immature on Pepperberg's part to be thinking -- and journaling -- in terms of "stupidity" rather than a lack of cooperation.
I feel bad for her, more than anything else. Bright kids often have trouble learning to socialize normally, and it seems like Pepperberg suffered from this and the resulting social anxiety and was never helped -- or forced -- to get past it and finish growing up.
All in all, the memoir is frustratingly self-centered, Pepperberg comes across as fairly unlikable, and we don't get nearly enough of Alex. The prose is readable, but Pepperberg is obnoxious enough that I ended up skimming for Alex's name and reading those sections, while skipping past the rest.
I've heard it said that children often have an easier time bonding with animals than adults. If I were going to theorize, I'd say that maybe it's because although animals may have an inner life that resembles that of humans -- Alex certainly seemed to -- it's not often as developed in animals. They're too busy surviving to spend much time navel-gazing. Perhaps in their understanding of self, they've developed to a state equivalent to that of a young child, and therefore, children relate very easily to them and vice versa.
I do not mean to sound insulting to Dr. Pepperberg when I say this, as she's clearly a woman of outstanding intelligence and perseverance. But she also comes across as someone who never finished growing up, and unfortunately, that immaturity is highlighted in this memoir.
There's actually not much space spent, in an already slight book, on her relationship with Alex. Instead, the main theme seems to be: "No one in academia, including my husband, believed in my work with Alex. They were very mean to me. Alex showed them, though, and so did I!"
Pepperberg spends a while talking about her childhood, indignantly telling us about a scarring experience from her childhood, wherein she was too painfully shy to thank a baker for a cookie she was offered, and handed it back when the baker teasingly asked for it, and her mother was annoyed with her.
Honey, if that's the worst experience you can remember from your childhood...well, maybe you're better off not writing about that part of your life if you're looking for sympathy.
Pepperberg also attributes the worst possible motivations to anyone who wasn't 100% behind her. At one point, she tells us about telling a department admin that she's getting married. The admin asks her when she'll be leaving the department.
Now, this took place in (if I recall correctly) the 60s or 70s, so that would hardly be an uncommon question. Most women at that time *did* retire when they married, to focus on being a homemaker and, eventually, a mother.
Pepperberg assumes the woman is bitter because she doesn't have an academic career, and is thinking Hurray! Now a man can take this woman's position, as is appropriate. She doesn't describe anything about the woman's behavior that would suggest such pettiness and resentment behind her common assumption, but clearly expects us to sympathize with her indignant reaction.
Further, while I haven't read any of Pepperberg's academic work, if she writes there like she does here, I understand why she had a hard time being taken seriously.
When young Alex doesn't cooperate one day, she writes in her journal: "Alex being incredibly stupid today!"
Who above the age of 10 thinks in those terms about an animal -- or even a young human -- that they're teaching? When it comes to animals, any good trainer knows that A) animals have moods too, and B) in general, if an animal is repeatedly misbehaving, it's usually the fault of the trainer, not the animal. It seems rather immature on Pepperberg's part to be thinking -- and journaling -- in terms of "stupidity" rather than a lack of cooperation.
I feel bad for her, more than anything else. Bright kids often have trouble learning to socialize normally, and it seems like Pepperberg suffered from this and the resulting social anxiety and was never helped -- or forced -- to get past it and finish growing up.
All in all, the memoir is frustratingly self-centered, Pepperberg comes across as fairly unlikable, and we don't get nearly enough of Alex. The prose is readable, but Pepperberg is obnoxious enough that I ended up skimming for Alex's name and reading those sections, while skipping past the rest.
January 15, 2009
Irene Pepperberg was just finishing up a PhD in chemistry when a nature program on animal cognition caused her to abruptly change fields and begin the life-long study of the learning abilities of African Gray parrots. At the time she first purchased a 13-month old Gray from a Chicago pet store, prevailing behaviorist theory held that animals were strictly creatures of instinct, incapable of true language or higher order thinking. Pepperberg's work with her bird Alex, along with similar work being done with chimpanzees and dolphins, directly challenged these assumptions and helped change the way that we think about animal brains.
There are several stories woven within Pepperberg's memoir about her thirty years with Alex. She discusses her training methodology and the various breakthroughs they had that demonstrated Alex's brain was clearly capable of doing all sorts of things science claimed he shouldn't be able to do. There is another thread that traces Pepperberg's struggle to gain funding and recognition for her work, her battles with academic politics and scientific dogma, and how her one pound ball of feathers helped to undermine centuries of human hubris regarding cognitive abilities we thought were unique to us.
Finally, this is also an emotional tale of a scientist who fell in love with her primary subject despite all of her efforts to maintain objectivity. It's hard to say who was the real teacher in Pepperberg's learning experiment with Alex, but there is no question the world is a richer place for their work together.
There are several stories woven within Pepperberg's memoir about her thirty years with Alex. She discusses her training methodology and the various breakthroughs they had that demonstrated Alex's brain was clearly capable of doing all sorts of things science claimed he shouldn't be able to do. There is another thread that traces Pepperberg's struggle to gain funding and recognition for her work, her battles with academic politics and scientific dogma, and how her one pound ball of feathers helped to undermine centuries of human hubris regarding cognitive abilities we thought were unique to us.
Finally, this is also an emotional tale of a scientist who fell in love with her primary subject despite all of her efforts to maintain objectivity. It's hard to say who was the real teacher in Pepperberg's learning experiment with Alex, but there is no question the world is a richer place for their work together.
October 26, 2015
I loved it! I tried to read The Alex Studies years ago, but it was so heavy on the scientific detail and analysis that I lost interest. This is written for the non-scientist with such a lovely, human voice. As a long-time bird lover who is very aware of how intelligent birds can be, I still found my mouth literally dropping open in surprise at some of the intellectual feats Alex accomplished. (He could add! He could sound out words!) And I laughed out loud at some of the anecdotes she shares, particularly the ones showing how mischievous Alex could get when he became bored with a task.) My only dissatisfactions with the book were 1. the fact that he died so unexpectedly and at such a young age, a fact that the book couldn't help and 2. she never explained what the autopsy found, leaving me with a huge question of Why? What happened? as I closed the book.
March 14, 2014
On October 25 2002, within two weeks of his possible re-election, Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife, Sheila, were killed in an airplane crash. Stunned, a public service was put together honoring him. Speakers from many walks of life spoke in his honor. Unsurprisingly (and Paul would likely have enjoyed it) the speeches became political. The media and opposite party villified this aspect of an overwhelmingly emotional event that spilled out into the streets. Disrturbingly, the scapegoat of all of this was his son. His son! Can you imagine? BOTH your parents have been suddenly been ripped away forever from your life. They were hugely influential in public life. Paul, gregarious, with an ear always open to anyone who would talk to him, and Sheila, mostly known for her dedication to the causes of battered women. Can you imagine? You are overwhelmed by sudden grief, as is the public and likely 99% of the people you are in daily contact with. You say things that under almost any other circumstance would have been uttered only to that one person who is there to give you an ear in the lowest point of your life, and then the opposing party (if you don't know which one it was, please do some gooogling) manipulators go whining to the media "Unfair, unfair!" and the media just eats it up. Your words are their toys. Grief! We are talking about grief here. One of the most powerful and unpredictable emotions that exist. It's been over eleven years since this happened and the shameful politically motivated actions of his opponent's party (If you don't know his opponent, gooogle smarmy, he just might pop up) still bring a surge of negative emotions to my surface.
Why am I bringing this up? Because I do not want anyone to think I am being insensitive to the grief Irene Pepperberg expresses for the first chapter of this book. I can only say that I have grieved over the loss of pets in my life, and can verify that such grief is as real and overwhelming as grief over the loss of a human companion. I cannot say whether the publisher/editor or the author decided to begin the book with Pepperberg's and the public's grief over the loss of Alex, an African Gray parrot, but I found it unfortunate way to begin what was an otherwise fascinating book. I believe it was grief that directed this book. Otherwise, why start with an obituary from the the NY Times rather than an amusing and engaging anecdote, of which there are many?
I was led to believe this book would be about Alex and his remarkable intellectual abilities. So when it started by focusing on the author's loss and childhood, I would likely have stopped reading if not for this being a book group choice.
All in all the book could have been better. But Pepperberg is not a writer, she is a researcher who so happened to spend her entire life in the company of an animal who displayed human thought and speech beyond what anyone ever thought possible. This was published within a year of Alex's death. She was still in grief. And that's okay.
Any animal lover will appreciate Alex and Irene's story. So, don't hesitate to read it. The substance is fascinating and it reads quickly. I'm just a discerning reader. Authors often revisit and rewrite topics that they know well. I would love to see Pepperberg do this now that time has passed.
Why am I bringing this up? Because I do not want anyone to think I am being insensitive to the grief Irene Pepperberg expresses for the first chapter of this book. I can only say that I have grieved over the loss of pets in my life, and can verify that such grief is as real and overwhelming as grief over the loss of a human companion. I cannot say whether the publisher/editor or the author decided to begin the book with Pepperberg's and the public's grief over the loss of Alex, an African Gray parrot, but I found it unfortunate way to begin what was an otherwise fascinating book. I believe it was grief that directed this book. Otherwise, why start with an obituary from the the NY Times rather than an amusing and engaging anecdote, of which there are many?
I was led to believe this book would be about Alex and his remarkable intellectual abilities. So when it started by focusing on the author's loss and childhood, I would likely have stopped reading if not for this being a book group choice.
All in all the book could have been better. But Pepperberg is not a writer, she is a researcher who so happened to spend her entire life in the company of an animal who displayed human thought and speech beyond what anyone ever thought possible. This was published within a year of Alex's death. She was still in grief. And that's okay.
Any animal lover will appreciate Alex and Irene's story. So, don't hesitate to read it. The substance is fascinating and it reads quickly. I'm just a discerning reader. Authors often revisit and rewrite topics that they know well. I would love to see Pepperberg do this now that time has passed.
January 5, 2009
I'm on p.40--and very surprised that the author is taking so long to get into her and Alex's story. These 40 pages could have been condensed into an Introduction.
Okay, I finished this. And once Dr. Pepperberg got past talking about herself, Alex came to life. The degree of communication that he developed with human language was astounding--just one example of how little humans have credited the ability of other species to communicate among themselves, let along cross-species.
Overall, the book was poorly structured. (The first 100 pages should have been condensed into a handful, and the final chapter, following Alex's untimely demise, went THUD. And I thought 30 years of research with Alex deserved more pages than she allowed.)Pepperberg seemed so self-focused. At the end, she describes the agony of taking Alex's remains for an autopsy--but then does not reveal the results of that procedure. So you don't get to know why Alex died prematurely.
Okay, I finished this. And once Dr. Pepperberg got past talking about herself, Alex came to life. The degree of communication that he developed with human language was astounding--just one example of how little humans have credited the ability of other species to communicate among themselves, let along cross-species.
Overall, the book was poorly structured. (The first 100 pages should have been condensed into a handful, and the final chapter, following Alex's untimely demise, went THUD. And I thought 30 years of research with Alex deserved more pages than she allowed.)Pepperberg seemed so self-focused. At the end, she describes the agony of taking Alex's remains for an autopsy--but then does not reveal the results of that procedure. So you don't get to know why Alex died prematurely.
May 21, 2017
Much enjoyed learning about the capacity of animals to learn and about their intrinsic unique personalities. Also appreciated the author's account of being a woman scientist having to fight gender prejudices and those against animals.
March 1, 2016
I've followed Dr. Pepperberg and her subject, Alex, for many years. This book was written after Alex's death and is much more about Dr. Pepperberg who isn't very interesting, than the fantastically deep and intelligent Alex. A disappointing book.
August 15, 2013
I'm personally not a bird person, but I started listening to the audiobook version of this book mainly because it was available from my library, but also because a co-worker has a 2-year-old African grey parrot named Gracie. After hearing tales from him about his bird child that sound very similar to tales I tell of my 2-year-old human child, I thought this would be an interesting book to read.
Not more than a couple of hours after I finished reading this book about a famous African Grey Parrot who died at age 30 did I hear the fresh news of a bird named Horace who died after being in a friend's family for 45 years. That phrase really struck me ... a bird that had "been in the family for 45 years". Having an animal is always a big responsibility, but I cannot imagine having a bird that would outlive me and have to be passed along within the family. Losing such a bird would be like losing a family member in many ways.
A few weeks ago, we had to put our dog down. It was hard enough to do so with an animal that couldn't talk. We hoped she couldn't understand what we were saying. But if she could talk and we knew that she could understand the decisions that we were making in front of her, I don't think the decision-making process would have been the same. If she had been a bird that could comprehend what we were saying and could say, "please don't put me to sleep," I think I would have been a complete basketcase for weeks rather than be able to get on with my life. It's sad but true that we as humans react differently to living beings based on their size, longevity, and ability to communicate with and understand us.
The author tells us about her childhood and how she rarely socialized with anyone (other than her pet birds) until she started school. She grew up in a family that was not very demonstrative with their affection. That type of childhood is very foreign to me, so I'm glad that she started the book explaining this. I can't even imagine what type of social issues someone would have starting school if they'd really never reacted with anyone outside their family (and barely with anyone within her family). This background very much explains why she originally embarked on this project with the idea that she was going to approach her research project with Alex the bird from a strictly clinical point of view. She wasn't going to let herself become emotionally attached to him. However, the 30 years that she spent with him seem to have created a change within her because she did become emotionally attached to him. And she did come to the conclusion that she needed to study the intelligence of birds within a social rather than a clinical setting.
I had a 2-fold reaction to this book:
1. How horrible it must have been to be a bird subjected to scientific experimentation for 30 years. How tedious to keep answering the same questions over and over about the names of objects, their color, and their size.
2. How wonderful that someone discovered how complex animal brains can be. And how great for this bird that he had someone to keep him from being bored day in and day out (if he was going to have to live in captivity).
I've also drawn some interesting conclusions as a result of reading it:
1. Birds are more fascinating and intelligent than I originally thought.
2. If a bird-sized brain can understand concepts like "none" and use phonics, then how much more intellectually advanced are the animals all around us who can't vocalize their thoughts?
3. Most people shouldn't own birds because most people cannot provide them with the time and attention that they need to not become bored.
3. I never want to own a bird. I didn't have any desire to own one before, and now I really know that I don't ever want a bird (especially one that can talk).
That said, since reading this, I've become more aware of the birds that frequent my yard. I noticed them before, but I didn't think of them in terms of personalities. Now I wonder how old they might be, what they're thinking, and what personalities they have. We have a new mockingbird in the yard that's been lately antagonizing the neighborhood porch kitty (that my 2-year-old named Cumin). Cumin's been dive-bombed on numerous occasions. And I have to wonder what's going through the mockingbird's head. With the mockingbird's ability for language-acquisition, it makes me think that his/her thought process must be a complex one indeed.
One thing that my co-worker has said about his African grey parrot is that living with Gracie is like living with a little alien. Even though she speaks English, the thought processes she has seem to be very foreign to ours. However, being around a talking bird is beyond just being around someone who has a different culture. The author of this book made a similar statement in her conclusion. So I think that I'm going to from now on see birds as little aliens that we live among. Thus, the fabled "little green alien" we've been waiting for is as close as your nearest tree or pet store.
Not more than a couple of hours after I finished reading this book about a famous African Grey Parrot who died at age 30 did I hear the fresh news of a bird named Horace who died after being in a friend's family for 45 years. That phrase really struck me ... a bird that had "been in the family for 45 years". Having an animal is always a big responsibility, but I cannot imagine having a bird that would outlive me and have to be passed along within the family. Losing such a bird would be like losing a family member in many ways.
A few weeks ago, we had to put our dog down. It was hard enough to do so with an animal that couldn't talk. We hoped she couldn't understand what we were saying. But if she could talk and we knew that she could understand the decisions that we were making in front of her, I don't think the decision-making process would have been the same. If she had been a bird that could comprehend what we were saying and could say, "please don't put me to sleep," I think I would have been a complete basketcase for weeks rather than be able to get on with my life. It's sad but true that we as humans react differently to living beings based on their size, longevity, and ability to communicate with and understand us.
The author tells us about her childhood and how she rarely socialized with anyone (other than her pet birds) until she started school. She grew up in a family that was not very demonstrative with their affection. That type of childhood is very foreign to me, so I'm glad that she started the book explaining this. I can't even imagine what type of social issues someone would have starting school if they'd really never reacted with anyone outside their family (and barely with anyone within her family). This background very much explains why she originally embarked on this project with the idea that she was going to approach her research project with Alex the bird from a strictly clinical point of view. She wasn't going to let herself become emotionally attached to him. However, the 30 years that she spent with him seem to have created a change within her because she did become emotionally attached to him. And she did come to the conclusion that she needed to study the intelligence of birds within a social rather than a clinical setting.
I had a 2-fold reaction to this book:
1. How horrible it must have been to be a bird subjected to scientific experimentation for 30 years. How tedious to keep answering the same questions over and over about the names of objects, their color, and their size.
2. How wonderful that someone discovered how complex animal brains can be. And how great for this bird that he had someone to keep him from being bored day in and day out (if he was going to have to live in captivity).
I've also drawn some interesting conclusions as a result of reading it:
1. Birds are more fascinating and intelligent than I originally thought.
2. If a bird-sized brain can understand concepts like "none" and use phonics, then how much more intellectually advanced are the animals all around us who can't vocalize their thoughts?
3. Most people shouldn't own birds because most people cannot provide them with the time and attention that they need to not become bored.
3. I never want to own a bird. I didn't have any desire to own one before, and now I really know that I don't ever want a bird (especially one that can talk).
That said, since reading this, I've become more aware of the birds that frequent my yard. I noticed them before, but I didn't think of them in terms of personalities. Now I wonder how old they might be, what they're thinking, and what personalities they have. We have a new mockingbird in the yard that's been lately antagonizing the neighborhood porch kitty (that my 2-year-old named Cumin). Cumin's been dive-bombed on numerous occasions. And I have to wonder what's going through the mockingbird's head. With the mockingbird's ability for language-acquisition, it makes me think that his/her thought process must be a complex one indeed.
One thing that my co-worker has said about his African grey parrot is that living with Gracie is like living with a little alien. Even though she speaks English, the thought processes she has seem to be very foreign to ours. However, being around a talking bird is beyond just being around someone who has a different culture. The author of this book made a similar statement in her conclusion. So I think that I'm going to from now on see birds as little aliens that we live among. Thus, the fabled "little green alien" we've been waiting for is as close as your nearest tree or pet store.
March 10, 2009
A lot has been said about Pepperberg and her research, but what touched me was that Pepperberg wanted so much to prove her scientific chops that she often forced herself to keep an emotional distance from her beloved parrot while he was alive. This book is in large part an outpouring of her love, which gives it great power. My daughter, who is studying animal science at Ohio State, made her boyfriend listen to her read the entire last chapter over the phone.
January 13, 2009
I listened to this on audio. I used to have a budgie (parakeet), And I have seen first hand how smart those little birds are. I recommend this book to any animal lover. Alex was amazing!!
October 30, 2013
I had read an article about Alex the African Grey parrot some years ago, prior to his death. I was fascinated by Alex's ability to communicate with Irene Pepperberg, who purchased him at a Chicago-area pet store when she began her research at Purdue University in the 1970s.
This book was both a personal tale of Alex's life and a non-technical look at the journey along the path of theories of communication and language and how animals and humans fit into the continuum. Alex had an irrepressible personality and a gift for learning. Time and again he defied the conventional wisdom about what a "bird-brain" had the capacity to do.
Irene Pepperberg, Alex's owner and the scientist who conducted the research about Alex, also defied what were considered to be the norms of animal behavior research and "boldly went where no one had gone before". Pepperberg broke new ground with Alex. Many colleagues in animal behavior research openly mocked her methods and questioned her results. She was denied funding and grants repeatedly because of her unconventional approach to the study of animal behavior.
Ultimately, Pepperberg demonstrates that her methods were rigorous and produced statistically and practically significant results. Alex didn't simply mimic words and sounds that he heard but that he understood concepts, attributes, phonemic awareness, and some basic mathematical concepts; similar to those of a 5-year-old child. Additionally, Alex spontaneously came up with his own words to describe objects; for example "cork nuts" for almonds.
Alex became a well-known personality in his own right, appearing on PBS's Scientific American Frontiers; being featured in articles in mainstream media as well as scientific journals.
While reading Alex & Me I became an avid fan of Alex and delighted in his over the top personality. There is no doubt that Alex was in-charge; of the lab, of the scientists studying him, and the students who assisted in the research.
"The most profound lesson that Alex taught us concerns the place of Homo sapiens in nature. The revolution in animal cognition of which Alex was an important part teaches us that humans are not unique, as we long believed. We are not superior to all other beings in nature. The idea of humans' separateness from the rest of nature is no longer tenable. Alex taught us that we are a part of nature, not apart from nature."
I would recommend Alex and Me to anyone who enjoys animals and is interested in the science of their behavior.
This book was both a personal tale of Alex's life and a non-technical look at the journey along the path of theories of communication and language and how animals and humans fit into the continuum. Alex had an irrepressible personality and a gift for learning. Time and again he defied the conventional wisdom about what a "bird-brain" had the capacity to do.
Irene Pepperberg, Alex's owner and the scientist who conducted the research about Alex, also defied what were considered to be the norms of animal behavior research and "boldly went where no one had gone before". Pepperberg broke new ground with Alex. Many colleagues in animal behavior research openly mocked her methods and questioned her results. She was denied funding and grants repeatedly because of her unconventional approach to the study of animal behavior.
Ultimately, Pepperberg demonstrates that her methods were rigorous and produced statistically and practically significant results. Alex didn't simply mimic words and sounds that he heard but that he understood concepts, attributes, phonemic awareness, and some basic mathematical concepts; similar to those of a 5-year-old child. Additionally, Alex spontaneously came up with his own words to describe objects; for example "cork nuts" for almonds.
Alex became a well-known personality in his own right, appearing on PBS's Scientific American Frontiers; being featured in articles in mainstream media as well as scientific journals.
While reading Alex & Me I became an avid fan of Alex and delighted in his over the top personality. There is no doubt that Alex was in-charge; of the lab, of the scientists studying him, and the students who assisted in the research.
"The most profound lesson that Alex taught us concerns the place of Homo sapiens in nature. The revolution in animal cognition of which Alex was an important part teaches us that humans are not unique, as we long believed. We are not superior to all other beings in nature. The idea of humans' separateness from the rest of nature is no longer tenable. Alex taught us that we are a part of nature, not apart from nature."
I would recommend Alex and Me to anyone who enjoys animals and is interested in the science of their behavior.
March 2, 2019
I read this book because I'm putting a parrot in my next novel. I confess that I skipped past the first few chapters about her early life--I was all SHOW ME THE PARROT. But soon enough, we got to the parrot, and that part was totally satisfying. I was totally fascinated to learn just how far a parrot's language skills and comprehension could go. It was one of those books that had me constantly nudging my husband and saying, "Listen to this. You won't believe it."
November 8, 2020
4.5* Alex & Me is not a maudlin pet memoir, but, just as the title promises, a story of a scientist and a parrot exploring the world of animal cognition. There's just enough science and personal drama to make it a worthwhile and interesting read.
I've had parrots for as long as I can remember. I'm currently living with my 7th budgie, the absolute love of my life. Sure, parakeets are not as brilliant as African Greys (don't tell Kimi!), but they're still hella smart. Just as Irene Pepperberg writes - her studies are something that every parrot owner just knows but which she went on to actually prove. It goes without saying now that birds - especially corvids and parrots - are smart, but when The Alex Project began in the 1970s, no one would take it seriously. And yet, all these years later, Alex's legacy is something to remember.
*This edition includes an interview with the author that offers a bit more insight into the study. You can also check The Alex Studies, which would be a very scientific alternative to this memoir.
I've had parrots for as long as I can remember. I'm currently living with my 7th budgie, the absolute love of my life. Sure, parakeets are not as brilliant as African Greys (don't tell Kimi!), but they're still hella smart. Just as Irene Pepperberg writes - her studies are something that every parrot owner just knows but which she went on to actually prove. It goes without saying now that birds - especially corvids and parrots - are smart, but when The Alex Project began in the 1970s, no one would take it seriously. And yet, all these years later, Alex's legacy is something to remember.
*This edition includes an interview with the author that offers a bit more insight into the study. You can also check The Alex Studies, which would be a very scientific alternative to this memoir.
April 12, 2018
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook because of how fascinating Alex was and how much we can all learn from the animals in our lives.
Not to be morbid, but I wondered what the results of the autopsy showed, and found the answer here
Not to be morbid, but I wondered what the results of the autopsy showed, and found the answer here
November 13, 2019
This was a super-interesting short read. It takes a while to get going, as she spends the first chapter reading letters of condolences she received after Alex died, and then goes into her early life and childhood in some detail.
The book picks up steam, thankfully, when she moves on to talk about Alex, the African Grey parrot the book is written about. Irene Pepperberg was challenging much of the scientific orthodoxy in animal behavioural studies when she began testing Alex, and had a lot of trouble getting funding and traction for her research. As she describes it:
Before reading "Alex & Me", my knowledge of parrots was minimum, so this book was a real eye-opener for me. Some of the things she describes Alex doing are incredible; his capacity for speech, he learned how to count (to a degree), and he was even assisting in training another parrot!
Author Irene Pepperberg has had a difficult career; both in tackling the scientific orthodoxy and dominant narrative of "behaviourism", as well as trying to keep her research afloat and receiving grant funding.
This book is very well-written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She drops a neat qoute near the end, tragically right before talking about Alex's death:
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in animal intelligence, cognition and/or ethology.
5 stars.
The book picks up steam, thankfully, when she moves on to talk about Alex, the African Grey parrot the book is written about. Irene Pepperberg was challenging much of the scientific orthodoxy in animal behavioural studies when she began testing Alex, and had a lot of trouble getting funding and traction for her research. As she describes it:
"My plans for training Alex differed from the accepted standards of the time. Under the prevailing psychological dogma known as behaviorism, animals were seen as automatons, with little or no capacity for cognition, or thought. Biology was little better, dominated by theories claiming that much of animal behavior was innately programmed. Experimental conditions for working with animals were very tightly prescribed. Animal subjects were actually supposed to be starved to 80 percent of their body weight so they would be eager for the food given for a “correct” response. They were also to be placed in a box so that the appropriate “stimuli” could be very tightly controlled and their responses precisely monitored. The technique was known as “operant conditioning.”
This was, to me, completely crazy, not to put too fine a point on it. It was contrary to all my gut instincts and commonsense understanding of nature."
Before reading "Alex & Me", my knowledge of parrots was minimum, so this book was a real eye-opener for me. Some of the things she describes Alex doing are incredible; his capacity for speech, he learned how to count (to a degree), and he was even assisting in training another parrot!
Author Irene Pepperberg has had a difficult career; both in tackling the scientific orthodoxy and dominant narrative of "behaviourism", as well as trying to keep her research afloat and receiving grant funding.
This book is very well-written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She drops a neat qoute near the end, tragically right before talking about Alex's death:
"As I stood quietly there for a few minutes, savoring the coffee’s rich aroma, a thought crossed my mind, as it did from time to time, something that my friend Jeannie once said: had I gotten a different Grey that day back in 1977, Alex might have spent his life, unknown and unheralded, in someone’s spare bedroom. I didn’t, of course, and here we were with a history of astonishing achievements behind us, and poised to journey to the next horizon and beyond in our work together."
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in animal intelligence, cognition and/or ethology.
5 stars.
April 17, 2009
I saw Alex on TV many years ago and fell head-over-heels in love. He was so personable and smart and adorable!
While I wasn’t wild about Irene Pepperberg’s writing style and found her to be not quite as likeable in the book as she is in television interviews, the story of how she taught Alex and helped to reveal the incredible intelligence of these birds was still wonderful. And it’s an important book for anyone who cares about animal protection and animal rights. As Dr Pepperberg notes: “…a vast world of animal cognition exists out there, not just in African Grey parrots, but in other creatures, too [...:] Clearly animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.”
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could read this book and come away thinking that we have the right to use animals as we please.
While I wasn’t wild about Irene Pepperberg’s writing style and found her to be not quite as likeable in the book as she is in television interviews, the story of how she taught Alex and helped to reveal the incredible intelligence of these birds was still wonderful. And it’s an important book for anyone who cares about animal protection and animal rights. As Dr Pepperberg notes: “…a vast world of animal cognition exists out there, not just in African Grey parrots, but in other creatures, too [...:] Clearly animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.”
It’s hard to imagine that anyone could read this book and come away thinking that we have the right to use animals as we please.
April 7, 2018
I read this book for the ATY 2018 Challenge Week 38: A science book.
After reading this book, I think I should become a vegetarian again. Irene is a scientist who got involved with an African Gray Parrot named Alex. Alex was a research subject, who blew the lid off the concept that animals, especially birds, were automatons. To find out how he did so, read this book. It is an intriguing narrative, which covers the life and times of scientific research to discover how intelligent animals are. Back in Aristotle's day, he laid out the hierarchy of intelligence and importance of the beings inhabiting the animal world. Man has believed that ever since. Those who gave animals emotions and intelligence were accused of being anthropomorphic. HA! We were right all along! Oops...a spoiler! Tsk! Tsk!
After reading this book, I think I should become a vegetarian again. Irene is a scientist who got involved with an African Gray Parrot named Alex. Alex was a research subject, who blew the lid off the concept that animals, especially birds, were automatons. To find out how he did so, read this book. It is an intriguing narrative, which covers the life and times of scientific research to discover how intelligent animals are. Back in Aristotle's day, he laid out the hierarchy of intelligence and importance of the beings inhabiting the animal world. Man has believed that ever since. Those who gave animals emotions and intelligence were accused of being anthropomorphic. HA! We were right all along! Oops...a spoiler! Tsk! Tsk!
February 7, 2019
This book is all about Alex, an incredibly intelligent African Grey. Sadly, Alex is no longer with us, but what he has taught us will live on forever.
I own an African Grey named Felix. I've wanted one ever since I was four years old. We had a friend of the family who had one. Their grey could have an actual conversation with you. On top of being a bird person, why not want one that could do that?! They are incredibly smart, creative, and loving birds.
Irene Pepperberg studied the intelligence level of these birds for years. Alex is her outstanding student whom she focuses on in this book. I highly recommend this book to all of my fellow animal lovers!
I own an African Grey named Felix. I've wanted one ever since I was four years old. We had a friend of the family who had one. Their grey could have an actual conversation with you. On top of being a bird person, why not want one that could do that?! They are incredibly smart, creative, and loving birds.
Irene Pepperberg studied the intelligence level of these birds for years. Alex is her outstanding student whom she focuses on in this book. I highly recommend this book to all of my fellow animal lovers!
May 26, 2021
This was so well written. Full of emotion and science. Messy life and academic politics. Heart and determation. Anyone who has ever looked at the animals around them and wondered, what's going on in your mind? This is the book for you.
March 31, 2024
Fascinating! Read it in one sitting.
March 7, 2021
Een verassend interessante inkijk in de gedragsbiologie. Ik had niet gedacht dat ik zo van dit boek zou genieten. Ten eerste beschrijft Pepperberg hoe zij als vrouw keihard heeft moeten knokken om gehoord te worden in de academische wereld van voornamelijk vooringenomen mannen in de jaren 70, 80 en 90. Ik heb zo, zo veel respect voor haar doorzettingsvermogen! Daarnaast beschrijft ze de scepsis rondom onderzoek naar dierlijke intelligentie en taal. Hoe ze eerst werd gezien als iemand "die te veel had gerookt" en over hoe lastig het daardoor was om geld te krijgen voor haar onderzoek. Zelfs haar eigen man stelt opgegeven moment dat haar onderzoek "geen echte baan" is :O
Het laat zo mooi en goed zien hoe intersectioneel dit is: hoe onderzoek naar dierlijke intelligentie en taal in het begin vaak door vrouwen gedaan werd (denk ook Jane Goodall) en hoe deze vrouwen daardoor zowel seksisme als ongeloof te verduren kregen.
Ik heb regelmatig hardop moeten lachen over de opmerkingen en streken van Alex. Wat een persoonlijkheid had die vogel! Zo leuk hoe hij continu de onderzoekers voor was en hoe hij ze vaak voor de gek hield uit verveling. Je vraagt je soms af: wie test wie nou eigenlijk en wie is nou de onderzoeker.
Ik hou echt van papegaaien en dit boek kan daardoor natuurlijk niet missen in mijn leeslijst. Ik ben zo benieuwd hoeveel we nog ontdekken over de intelligentie van andere dieren, maar zoals eerder gezegd in reviews op andere gedragsbiologie boeken: het blijkt steeds weer dat we dieren onderschatten. Ik zou dit boek aan iedereen aanraden die geïnteresseerd is in vogels of gedragsbiologie. Een absolute must read!
Het laat zo mooi en goed zien hoe intersectioneel dit is: hoe onderzoek naar dierlijke intelligentie en taal in het begin vaak door vrouwen gedaan werd (denk ook Jane Goodall) en hoe deze vrouwen daardoor zowel seksisme als ongeloof te verduren kregen.
Ik heb regelmatig hardop moeten lachen over de opmerkingen en streken van Alex. Wat een persoonlijkheid had die vogel! Zo leuk hoe hij continu de onderzoekers voor was en hoe hij ze vaak voor de gek hield uit verveling. Je vraagt je soms af: wie test wie nou eigenlijk en wie is nou de onderzoeker.
Ik hou echt van papegaaien en dit boek kan daardoor natuurlijk niet missen in mijn leeslijst. Ik ben zo benieuwd hoeveel we nog ontdekken over de intelligentie van andere dieren, maar zoals eerder gezegd in reviews op andere gedragsbiologie boeken: het blijkt steeds weer dat we dieren onderschatten. Ik zou dit boek aan iedereen aanraden die geïnteresseerd is in vogels of gedragsbiologie. Een absolute must read!
September 9, 2020
I'm not a bird person,so will admit I was surprised how attached I became to Alex with his supersize personality. If he were my bird I'd be running constantly to bring him all the nuts and his doleful "sorries" would have left me in puddles. That's why I could never be a Research Scientist. Pepperberg really found her life's calling in studying bird intelligence through language. I was astonished by what she showed birds are capable of, although I really shouldn't have been. So happy that animals today are being granted their due for their native intelligence, instead of being compared to humans. I leaked a few tears at the end :`)
November 28, 2008
Alex and Me, an avian memoir was such a joy to listen to. The reader was terrific. The story was poignant and funny at the same time.
About the book - POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Partly autobiographical, Irene Pepperberg's memoir reveals info about her own life, starting with her lonely, bleak childhood where her best friend was a dime-store parakeet called "No Name."
The author was an overachiever. She was just 16 when she was accepted by (M.I.T.) Massachusetts Institute of Technology with her latest pet parakeet. After graduating, she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry at Harvard. But she found herself more compelled by the field of animal communication.
She chose African Grey parrots for her research because of their intelligence and clear speech. In 1976, the baby bird she named Alex — an acronym for Avian Language Experiment — was chosen at random from a cage in a pet shop.
When Alex died on September 6, 2007, it was a shock, because African Grey parrots generally live 50 to 60 years in captivity. His passing was devastating because Alex wasn't your normal, run-of-the-mill African Grey parrot; Alex was special. For the last 30 years, Alex had been the focus of research into the cognitive abilities of African Grey parrots. The goal was to see if Alex could "think", and he could!
Although his brain was no bigger than a walnut, when Alex died, he could identify 50 different objects, had a vocabulary of about 150 words, recognized quantities up to six and distinguished between seven colors and five shapes. More importantly, he had a grasp of concepts. He could tell you which objects were bigger, smaller, the same or different and why.
Alex would say, "I'm sorry," if he sensed that a researcher was annoyed with him. When he would get tired of his work and the questions, he'd say, "I wanna go back" (to his cage).
Alex and his owner developed a strong emotional relationship. When Alex died in September 2007, his last words to Pepperberg the day before were: "You be good. I love you."
I LOVE LOVED this audio book. There was just one thing that I was disappointed about. When Alex died unexpectedly at the young age of 31, they mentioned that they had a necropsy performed to determine the cause of death. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the results, which to me left unfinished business for the reader. Even if they were unable to determine the cause of death, something should have been mentioned at the end about this. Despite that, if you are an animal lover, be sure to give this book a try. I doubt that you will be disappointed.
About the book - POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Partly autobiographical, Irene Pepperberg's memoir reveals info about her own life, starting with her lonely, bleak childhood where her best friend was a dime-store parakeet called "No Name."
The author was an overachiever. She was just 16 when she was accepted by (M.I.T.) Massachusetts Institute of Technology with her latest pet parakeet. After graduating, she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry at Harvard. But she found herself more compelled by the field of animal communication.
She chose African Grey parrots for her research because of their intelligence and clear speech. In 1976, the baby bird she named Alex — an acronym for Avian Language Experiment — was chosen at random from a cage in a pet shop.
When Alex died on September 6, 2007, it was a shock, because African Grey parrots generally live 50 to 60 years in captivity. His passing was devastating because Alex wasn't your normal, run-of-the-mill African Grey parrot; Alex was special. For the last 30 years, Alex had been the focus of research into the cognitive abilities of African Grey parrots. The goal was to see if Alex could "think", and he could!
Although his brain was no bigger than a walnut, when Alex died, he could identify 50 different objects, had a vocabulary of about 150 words, recognized quantities up to six and distinguished between seven colors and five shapes. More importantly, he had a grasp of concepts. He could tell you which objects were bigger, smaller, the same or different and why.
Alex would say, "I'm sorry," if he sensed that a researcher was annoyed with him. When he would get tired of his work and the questions, he'd say, "I wanna go back" (to his cage).
Alex and his owner developed a strong emotional relationship. When Alex died in September 2007, his last words to Pepperberg the day before were: "You be good. I love you."
I LOVE LOVED this audio book. There was just one thing that I was disappointed about. When Alex died unexpectedly at the young age of 31, they mentioned that they had a necropsy performed to determine the cause of death. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the results, which to me left unfinished business for the reader. Even if they were unable to determine the cause of death, something should have been mentioned at the end about this. Despite that, if you are an animal lover, be sure to give this book a try. I doubt that you will be disappointed.
September 5, 2019
____________________________________
Alex the Crackerer or
Proof that Intelligence is for the Birds
___________________________________
We often use the word “parrot” disparagingly (as in “Little Timmy was obviously parroting the words of Charlie Sheen) to indicate that a speaker is mindlessly or mechanically repeating the words of another person without apparent understanding or thought. This book is about a parrot named Alex whose walnut-sized brain is helping to put an end to this particular slander of parrots, and to prove to mainstream scientists that some animals are more intellectually capable than science previously recognized. Alex was a feathered prodigy who, under the tutelage of scientist Irene Pepperberg and her students, learned to recognize shapes and colors, to count, to categorize materials by a variety of criteria, and even to recognize that words are made up of discrete phonemes.
Sometimes Alex showed cognitive abilities that were clearly not the direct result of instruction, such as when he proved that he could deliberately lie and, when punished for it, understand the error of his ways. This ability was first demonstrated when Alex became bored with an exercise that required him to count the number of objects that had certain characteristics from among several disparate objects on a tray. Alex had performed this task correctly hundreds of times, but on this particular day, Alex got fed up and started giving the wrong answer to a particular question. The correct answer was 2 but every time he was asked, Alex -- like a petulant four or five year old child -- would say 3 or 1 or 5 or 7 and studiously avoid the correct answer. As a result, Dr. Pepperberg decided Alex wasn’t in the mood to work that day, and put him in his cage in a room isolated from his human companions, a fate that the highly gregarious Alex hated. After a minute or so, Peppeberg and her students heard a plaintive cry from the Alex's room, “2 . . . 2 . .. come back . . . 2.
The book is fascinating and well told. I highly recommend Alex and Me. I also recommend skipping the lengthy first chapter in which Pepperberg is working out her personal grief at Alex’s untimely death. It is painful, not of any real interest to the average reader, and not essential to understanding the rest of the book.
Suggestion: Check out the videos of Alex the Parrot on Youtube. ”
Alex the Crackerer or
Proof that Intelligence is for the Birds
___________________________________
We often use the word “parrot” disparagingly (as in “Little Timmy was obviously parroting the words of Charlie Sheen) to indicate that a speaker is mindlessly or mechanically repeating the words of another person without apparent understanding or thought. This book is about a parrot named Alex whose walnut-sized brain is helping to put an end to this particular slander of parrots, and to prove to mainstream scientists that some animals are more intellectually capable than science previously recognized. Alex was a feathered prodigy who, under the tutelage of scientist Irene Pepperberg and her students, learned to recognize shapes and colors, to count, to categorize materials by a variety of criteria, and even to recognize that words are made up of discrete phonemes.
Sometimes Alex showed cognitive abilities that were clearly not the direct result of instruction, such as when he proved that he could deliberately lie and, when punished for it, understand the error of his ways. This ability was first demonstrated when Alex became bored with an exercise that required him to count the number of objects that had certain characteristics from among several disparate objects on a tray. Alex had performed this task correctly hundreds of times, but on this particular day, Alex got fed up and started giving the wrong answer to a particular question. The correct answer was 2 but every time he was asked, Alex -- like a petulant four or five year old child -- would say 3 or 1 or 5 or 7 and studiously avoid the correct answer. As a result, Dr. Pepperberg decided Alex wasn’t in the mood to work that day, and put him in his cage in a room isolated from his human companions, a fate that the highly gregarious Alex hated. After a minute or so, Peppeberg and her students heard a plaintive cry from the Alex's room, “2 . . . 2 . .. come back . . . 2.
The book is fascinating and well told. I highly recommend Alex and Me. I also recommend skipping the lengthy first chapter in which Pepperberg is working out her personal grief at Alex’s untimely death. It is painful, not of any real interest to the average reader, and not essential to understanding the rest of the book.
Suggestion: Check out the videos of Alex the Parrot on Youtube. ”
May 28, 2018
This book has been on my reading list for years, since I first read a couple of Temple Grandin’s books that mentioned Pepperberg’s work with Alex.
What she and Alex accomplished together was fascinating, and it’s tragic he died a couple decades earlier than he should have. I enjoyed the specific anecdotes about Alex and the students who worked on their studies, and I would have welcomed more. It was interesting too, and disheartening, to read what a struggle Pepperberg had, despite breakthroughs and growing fame, staying funded and employed, to say nothing of her fight to be taken seriously in the larger scientific community.
I recommend this to people who enjoy memoirs and are interested in animal intelligence. And don’t skip the NPR interview transcript at the end of the book, as well as a FAQ section—they wrapped things up nicely.
What she and Alex accomplished together was fascinating, and it’s tragic he died a couple decades earlier than he should have. I enjoyed the specific anecdotes about Alex and the students who worked on their studies, and I would have welcomed more. It was interesting too, and disheartening, to read what a struggle Pepperberg had, despite breakthroughs and growing fame, staying funded and employed, to say nothing of her fight to be taken seriously in the larger scientific community.
I recommend this to people who enjoy memoirs and are interested in animal intelligence. And don’t skip the NPR interview transcript at the end of the book, as well as a FAQ section—they wrapped things up nicely.
September 1, 2018
Okay so I finished this book abnormally fast due to a combination of sleeplessness and the intense interest in the connection between bird and human. I am ashamed to admit that I emotionally impulse bought a green cheek conure back in December and boy oh boy, do I wish I would have been a responsible pet owner about it and done research prior to this purchase. But with striking similarities to 'Marley & Me', I have whole wholeheartedly fallen in love with my feathered friend. And this book just makes me want to run home from wherever I am to squeeze the bejeezus out of him. The information, the story, the heartwarming detail... Pepperberg does an absolutely splendid job telling her and Alex's love story. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANY BIRD OWNER.
January 20, 2019
Wonderful read about a woman driven by her belief that nonhuman species can communicate with man. The author grew up quite alone except for a bird to which she told her deepest secrets. Her father traveled a good deal and her mother was angry because she needed to stay home with a child. And, yes, as a child Irene Pepperberg recognized the anger was because of her.
As she grew up she decided that science, chemistry in particular, would be her major. Graduating with a PhD she realized that she did not want to do research in chemistry but with birds. Reading everything she could find about the topic she decided that she could work with grey parrots and acquired one of her own which she named Alex. Finding funding and laboratory space was difficult because she had no track record in this area nor was it an accepted area of scientific research. But Pepperberg was determined and through years of grant writing, training and teaching Alex, and living often from hand to mouth she gradually gained prestige for her work.
Alex was an unusual bird, probably a genius of his kind as he developed communication far beyond what anyone else had accomplished with a nonhuman species. He became a celebrity on the television screens and in newspapers. He learned numbers, colors, shapes and how to communicate in short phrases with his human handlers. The story is delightful and broked scientific ground as the public learned what is possible with a nonhuman species. I loved this read.
As she grew up she decided that science, chemistry in particular, would be her major. Graduating with a PhD she realized that she did not want to do research in chemistry but with birds. Reading everything she could find about the topic she decided that she could work with grey parrots and acquired one of her own which she named Alex. Finding funding and laboratory space was difficult because she had no track record in this area nor was it an accepted area of scientific research. But Pepperberg was determined and through years of grant writing, training and teaching Alex, and living often from hand to mouth she gradually gained prestige for her work.
Alex was an unusual bird, probably a genius of his kind as he developed communication far beyond what anyone else had accomplished with a nonhuman species. He became a celebrity on the television screens and in newspapers. He learned numbers, colors, shapes and how to communicate in short phrases with his human handlers. The story is delightful and broked scientific ground as the public learned what is possible with a nonhuman species. I loved this read.
June 16, 2017
This story was fascinating, and I enjoyed the window on animal cognition. Having grown fond of Alex, I also mourned his loss. Here is a beautiful passage that aptly describes his premature passing: "Alex left us as a magician might exit the stage: a blinding flash, a cloud of smoke, and the weaver of wizardry is gone, leaving us awestruck at what we'd seen, and wondering what other secrets remained hidden."
May 23, 2022
¿Cómo un ave con el cerebro del tamaño de una nuez va a demostrar ser capaz de realizar procesos cognitivos complejos, que ni siquiera en primates no humanos se han demostrado? Una hermosa autobiografía mezclada con una dosis perfecta de divulgación científica sobre el loro africano gris que mostró tener la capacidad cognitiva de un niño de cinco años.
A pesar de que ya había leído un capítulo sobre Alex en Animal Wise y había visto entrevistas de Irene Pepperberg, volví a subestimar lo mucho que me iba a sorprender lo que se logró descubrir sobre la inteligencia de un ave, me tuvo en un espiral con varios momentos del Alex mostrando ser capaz de graduarse de preescolar sin problemas.
A pesar de que ya había leído un capítulo sobre Alex en Animal Wise y había visto entrevistas de Irene Pepperberg, volví a subestimar lo mucho que me iba a sorprender lo que se logró descubrir sobre la inteligencia de un ave, me tuvo en un espiral con varios momentos del Alex mostrando ser capaz de graduarse de preescolar sin problemas.
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