RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewWhat makes this book shimmer and shine is Godfrey-Smith’s exploration of marine life (drawing on his vast and extensive diving knowledge and field experience) to illuminate the ways in which the animal mind works—and the thoughts and experiences that give it shape ... He does this in vivid and scenic prose ... The book is filled with riveting anecdotes and research, interspersed with charming and informative illustrations of various time periods such as the Ordovician (when plants first arrive on land) so we can imagine just for a moment what a sampling of inhabitants during that period looked like ... Godfrey-Smith has an elegant and exacting way of urging along our curiosity by sharing his own questions about animal cognizance ... But perhaps the most enthralling part of this book is the author’s experiences diving at famous sites now affectionately called Octopolis and Octlantis, just off the coast of eastern Australia ... Metazoa brings an extraordinary and astute look at our own mind’s essential link to the animal world.
