Author: Peter Godfrey-Smith

Combining science, philosophy, and his own observations gleaned from “watery hours” spent scuba diving, Peter Godfrey-Smith examines the origins of animal consciousness.
In his work, Other Minds, the author focused on octopuses; here, the book’s “tentacular form” shows him considering several animal groups as he investigates the puzzle of how subjective awareness came to exist.
A review in goodreads.com said: “This is no dry, academic treatise; Godfrey-Smith takes care to keep the work accessible by summarizing key points, explaining the work of relevant scientists and philosophers, and punctuating the text with memorable facts.”
The book “is enlivened by the wit and affection with which the author often regards his subjects of study,” said the review.
“An astonishing range of creatures are considered and a fascinating argument advanced about how evolutionary innovations can give rise to animal minds.”
Animals are classified as either protozoan (one-celled organisms like amoebas) or metazoans.