Alex & Me

By: Irene Pepperberg

Narrated by: Julia Gibson

On September 6, 2007, an African Grey parrot named Alex died prematurely at age 31. His last words to his owner, Irene Pepperberg, were "You be good. I love you."

What would normally be a quiet, very private event was, in Alex's case, headline news. Over the 30 years they had worked together, Alex and Irene had become famous - two pioneers who opened an unprecedented window into the hidden yet vast world of animal minds. Alex's brain was the size of a shelled walnut, and when Irene and Alex first met, birds were not believed to possess any potential for language, consciousness, or anything remotely comparable to human intelligence. Yet, over the years, Alex proved many things. He could add. He could sound out words. He understood concepts like bigger, smaller, more, fewer, and none. He was capable of thought and intention. Together, Alex and Irene uncovered a startling reality: We live in a world populated by thinking, conscious creatures.

The fame that resulted was extraordinary. Yet there was a side to their relationship that never made the papers. They were emotionally connected to one another. They shared a deep bond far beyond science. Alex missed Irene when she was away. He was jealous when she paid attention to other parrots, or even people. He liked to show her who was boss. He loved to dance. He sometimes became bored by the repetition of his tests, and played jokes on her. Sometimes they sniped at each other. Yet nearly every day, they each said, "I love you."

Alex and Irene stayed together through thick and thin - despite sneers from experts, extraordinary financial sacrifices, and a nomadic existence from one university to another. The story of their 30-year adventure is equally a landmark of scientific achievement and of an unforgettable human-animal bond.

©2008 Irene M. Pepperberg (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Too Much "& Me", not enough Alex

I was very much looking forward to this book but, by the end, I was disappointed. The first hour (or so) is a tedious biography of Irene Pepperberg; the last 45 minutes is a long philosophical discourse, after Alex's death, about The Meaning of It All. Blah, blah, blah - I finally shut it off. Irene indulges in way too much neurotic navel-gazing. Poor Irene. One inevitably concludes that many of her trials and tribulations are a direct result of her own abrasive personality.

The narrator is monotonic, and since the writing is formal in style (the author seems to have a bias against the use of contractions), it seems as though the listener/reader is assumed to be a bit slow.

In summary,I would have preferred to hear much more about Alex and much less about "& Me".

To quote Alex: "Say better."

The Cognitive Studies Of A Remarkable Bird

Don't expect warm and mushy from "Alex & Me" as Pepperberg goes to great lengths to state that she made it her duty to keep distance from Alex. There are relatively few precious scenes about their relationship; most the book is the chronicling of the many studies which prove that gray parrots, Alex in particular, are sentient beings with an astounding ability to learn and relate/commune with another species, our own.
There is indeed, however, a good deal of genuine caring, of true respect between the two and it is clear that there was a strong bond between them. Pepperberg would go as far as bringing Alex to her home during down time, that is until he spotted two predatory owls outside the window. Despite Irene closing the curtains, Alex could not be comforted, proving that, despite the prevailing scientific thought at the time, even though he couldn't see them anymore, to him the owls still existed.
It's a fascinating book, pretty funny at times, and ultimately heartbreaking at the end. The studies may still go on, but with this book, at least the memory of Alex goes on too.

Very Good Book about a Very Controversial Subject

What Irene and Alex Pepperberg did for Animal language understanding and comprehension is incredible. This book is a tale from the beginning of that change of mindset. The road to changing the minds of scientists of both allowing females doing serious research and changing the idea that animals do more than just react to stimuli, isn't an easy thing to travel. After listening to this book with all the things that Alex was able to do and teach, I would think that being called a bird brain wouldn't be an insult. We all have heard parrots say they want a cracker, but Alex showed us that they can understand what it means to actually want one.

Animal cognition and scientific careers.

The story of Alex the Parrot is jaw-dropping by any standards, but Pepperberg also does a great job of telling it in this book. It's not only a story about the amazing conceptual achievements of this bird, but also about Pepperberg's struggle to keep funding the lab on a shoestring, and the struggle to be taken seriously with a scientific project that was genuinely original, and therefore originally dismissed by many as nonsense.

wonderful book, emotionally and intellectually.

my husband and I loved listening to this tale of an emotional and intellectual bond between a parrot and a scientist. good for the mind, sweet to the ears.

Wow!

So well done and easy to understand. Fun comparing primate language learner and avian learning.

Pepperperg's memoir

A little bit self repeating story. I expected more about the actual studies. Anyway, nice to learn something new about the pioneer of animal cognition research.

interesting story, fascinating bird

the intro seemed like over kill, and it took 2 chapters just to get to alex. the story of alex was amazing, but the author could have made the story less dry and more personal. the ending seemed abrupt, like alex's. after such an extensive intro, the ending seemed rushed and contrived. wesley the owl was much better. but given all the faults i've noted here, i would still recommend this book to everyone.

Bird Brain? NOT!

I loved listening to Irene’s story of her research project starring Alex, an African Grey Parret. Alex was an intelligent, intuitive, and precocious parrot who I couldn’t help but grow to love. The research Irene accomplished with Alex is amazing. Irene Pepperberg describes Alex so well, I almost felt like I knew him. Julia Gibson does a terrific job of narrating this book, capturing the voice of Alex through Irene’s words. I found this book interesting, funny, and poignant.

I always new Alex was Amazing!

To hear a larger encompassed history and Marvel of Alex is mind blowing, despite know there is more to other animals than the human race gives them credit for. After all, we too are animals.

From the Factual history background story how this book was put together chapter by chapter to the narration all of it is mesmerizing!

Over the years hearing and learning about Alex and knowing that he pasted long before expected. I remind myself, he left so early because we still are not ready for the vast capacity of intelligence he was capable of teaching us.

Thank you Alex and Pepperberg for share your wealth of knowledge…and all those who had a hand in it!!