Other Minds

This book by Peter Godfrey-Smith was genuinely recommended once in the episodes we index, on Diary of a CEO. The people who vouched for it on air: Johann Hari. It comes up in conversations about addiction & recovery, consciousness, depression & mood, psychedelics, trauma & ptsd. Every quote below is verbatim, attributed, and linked to the exact second it was said. Sourced expert opinion, not medical advice.

"Peter Godfrey-Smith is a leading philosopher of science. He is also a scuba diver whose underwater videos of warring octopuses have attracted wide notice. In this book, he brings his parallel careers together to tell a bold new story of how nature became aware of itself. Mammals and birds are widely seen as the smartest creatures on earth. But one other branch of the tree of life has also sprouted surprising intelligence: the cephalopods, consisting of the squid, the cuttlefish, and above all the octopus. New research shows that these marvelous creatures display remarkable gifts.

• “let me tell you a little crazy stuff about octopuses that is crazy stuff right but that's great it's called other minds i really recommend that book”

  Why it counts as a recommendation: “I really recommend that book”
  Johann Hari · The Diary of a CEO · May 202100:05:44

  Said during "Johann Hari: Everything You Think You Know About Meaning & Happiness Is Wrong | E82". The episode features Johann Hari: Journalist and author of Lost Connections, Chasing the Scream and Stolen Focus, known for decade-long investigations into addiction, depression and attention. Johann Hari argues depression, anxiety and addiction are signals of unmet needs and disconnection, not just broken brain chemistry.