I have a 10 year old, female, Umbrella Cockatoo. I have known for many years that she is much more intelligent than people believe. This book proves it.

I fell in love with Alex and the work he did. The book is well written and describes training techniques that I would have never believed would work. It also shoots holes in techniques that present day "experts" believe to be the way to train a parrot, if you can, in fact "train" a parrot.

There is a "feeling" that is transmitted between you and your parrot. You know what she wants and she knows you know. I wish I could explain it but it is sooooo there.

I appreciate this book and hope everyone will read it. BUT don't rush out and buy a parrot. You have a 3-4 year old for 50-60 years. There are many parrots in shelters because people think of them as dogs, or cats or "they are so cute and cuddly. They aren't. This book will show you that. They are the closest thing to a child you can ever imagine.

You don't just get tired of your child and abandon it, so think twice before getting a bird.

An informative peek inside what science asks before it can be proven true. It is also a touching story of the relationship that can form in spite of the must have objective view a scientist has to maintain. Sadly this is not a happy ending to the breakthrough work that Irene Pepperberg put so many years in to. Alex was special and gave an enlightening look at how smart other creatures really are.

People who have birds as pets always say they are as affectionate as dogs. This book proves that. More importantly, it proves that animals have magnificent powers of communication. We humans just have not taken the time to help them develop. Think of the crude ways ancient CroMagnon man communicated -- power of speech, recognition and thinking all took a long time to develop. What if we are just at the beginning of what is possible in communicating with animals? This books shows that we are. Like many other reviewers, I would prefer the author stick to writing about the bird -- that's when the story is interesting. Since I don't know her, all the chapters about her life and college and marriage and job hunt were not interesting to me. But when she dealt with teaching the bird, it was fascinating. Another book that shows how far humans are getting in developing communication skills with animals is Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs by Sharon Sakson, one of my favorite books this year. Many more people have a chance to communicate with dogs than with birds, and this book shows how some people have done it, which has led to dogs being able to predict diabetic comas and diagnose skin cancer.

.....potentially perspective changing book! Pepperberg's life and research with Alex is extremely touching and eye-opening! The reviewer "Ace" already summed up my views of this book quite well, so I'll refer readers to that review...

I admire Dr. Pepperberg for her unrelenting dedication to pursue her research with this wonderful parrot, despite many, many difficult setbacks. Those who criticise this book because of the author's accounting of these setbacks are sort of missing the point! The fact that this scientist was so determined to carry on with her research with this remarkable bird - despite frequent financial cutbacks and lack of funding - is a testament to her character. Also, without her persistance, we would still know nothing about the cognitive capacity of this remarkable species!

Anyone who doesn't tear up just a little with the description of Alex's illness and treatment from Aspergillosis, well what can I say....!

I just hope Alex is now somewhere enjoying nuts, grapes and a slice of "yummy bread"....

This was a gift for my son who has an African Gray named Samson. He loves the book and gives it an excellant rating. He said that he can relate all this to his African Gray.

If you love and enjoy the intelligence of our feathered friends. This shows the capacity to learn that these birds are capable of doing. A very good book.

I was disappointed in this book to say the least.

A substantial portion of it is devoted to whining and complaining over her inability to get and keep a job, and how quickly she dumps a good position when one slightly better comes along.

I got very little out of what their 30 year relationship was all about.

This was a very quick read. For the most part it was enjoyable but it could have used more information regarding Alex. He was an amazing Grey and so I would think after working with him for 30 years, Dr. Pepperberg would have had more to say about him and his life.

In a very heartwarming novel, the author portrays an incredible relationship with an animal that possesses a brain the size of a walnut, but exhibiting the intelligence of "so-called" higher species. Evolution is a truly remarkable process.You'll definitely change your opinion about animal intelligence.

For any one who has had birds, thinking of getting a bird - this is a must read. The memory of Alex has left alot of people come together in a time of mourning one year ago into a journey of fond rememberance. Thank you Dr. P for all you have done into creating such a wonderful bird and giving Alex a great life. I hope that people will understand about getting a bird, how serious an undertaking it is and not just for decoration or an expression of eccentricity. A GREAT GIFT FOR ANYONE.

I love this story and was really moved when I read that Alex had died. Thank goodness for scientists like the author, who devotes her life to understanding the African gray parrot, which in turn, helps us all know how connected we all are.

For any one who has had birds, thinking of getting a bird - this is a must read. The memory of Alex has left alot of people come together in a time of mourning one year ago into a journey of fond rememberance. Thank you Dr. P for all you have done into creating such a wonderful bird and giving Alex a great life. I hope that people will understand about getting a bird, how serious an undertaking it is and not just for decoration or an expression of eccentricity. A GREAT GIFT FOR ANYONE.

I love this story and was really moved when I read that Alex had died. Thank goodness for scientists like the author, who devotes her life to understanding the African gray parrot, which in turn, helps us all know how connected we all are.

I knew when I read that line I was in for it with this book. I love animal stories, unfortunately ALEX AND ME was not a story about Alex, it was a story about me. A reviewer earlier said it right. The book should have been titled "Me and my parrot". The story of Alex is an intriguing one and on some level is covered fairly well in the book. Unfortunately the author is so into the readers perception of herself, that the book wanders off on any and all tangents. As I wrote earlier the line that did for me was very early on in the book when she was discussing how all the newspapers and magazines covered the death of Alex. Then without warning just so everyone knew how cultured and different she was, she mentioned that Jay Leno had a joke about the bird dying. Now you might think she was offended. Well maybe she was, but she instead used that part of the story to announce that she didn't have a working television. I knew I was in trouble. Anyway save your money but do study the life of this parrot because it is truely fascinating.

I knew when I read that line I was in for it with this book. I love animal stories, unfortunately ALEX AND ME was not a story about Alex, it was a story about me. A reviewer earlier said it right. The book should have been titled "Me and my parrot". The story of Alex is an intriguing one and on some level is covered fairly well in the book. Unfortunately the author is so into the readers perception of herself, that the book wanders off on any and all tangents. As I wrote earlier the line that did for me was very early on in the book when she was discussing how all the newspapers and magazines covered the death of Alex. Then without warning just so everyone knew how cultured and different she was, she mentioned that Jay Leno had a joke about the bird dying. Now you might think she was offended. Well maybe she was, but she instead used that part of the story to announce that she didn't have a working television. I knew I was in trouble. Anyway save your money but do study the life of this parrot because it is truely fascinating.

What an absolute delight Alex and Me is. I expected it to be more technical, and was happily surprised to find it a very warm, loving look at Alex's relationship with his special human, Irene.

As a bird owner and lover, I was so happy to find this book full of the wonderful surprises living with a bird can supply. If you can only buy one book this year, be sure to give yourself the gift of this wonderful look at Alex.

Alex & Me tells the nearly 30-year journey a dedicated scientist and an amazing bird took together to explore the unknown territory of animal intelligence. In a her memoir, Pepperberg begins by writing about her childhood isolation and how her relationship with her pet parakeets planted the seeds for her later work with Alex. Additionally, she describes how she made the leap from chemist to one of the experts in the controversial field of biology. What is most compelling, though, is not her chapters devoted to her struggles to earn funding or respect in her research field. It is her descriptions of her relationship with Alex, the bird she randomly picked from a flock of Amazon Greys at a pet store in the 1970's. However, her relationship is not a typical one with Alex. Early on in the book, she emphasizes that she never viewed Alex as a pet. He was her close colleague for nearly 30 years, working with her to test the boundaries of given research on animal intelligence. Therefore, Alex & Me might lack the emotion found in John Grogan's memoir of his Labrador retriever, Marley & Me . When Pepperberg does put her clinical, scientific perspective aside and writes about Alex's personality in the lab, how stubborn he could be, how brilliant he was, then the book is truly moving.

When I first saw Alex on television, I was completely enamored. Alex and his owner were delving into an area of science that few had even considered. In years to come, as his fame spread. I fell in love with him, like millions of other bird people. The hope I had for Alex's potential was like something I would have had for my own child. As strange as that sounds, it is totally true.
And then he died. Science felt the reverberations around the world.

The appeal of this book goes way beyond a simple story of science: it touches the reader. This book expressed perfectly, the joy of his life and the grief of his death. It showed not only how much he did but what he meant to his owner. By sharing this, Irene Pepperberg has given us an insight into her life with Alex and into her heart.

Thank you, Dr. Pepperberg, for letting us all share Alex through this touching and informative work.

While Alex was indeed a lovable creature and brilliant by any standards -- but especially by the impressionistic standards of his human observers and caretakers -- being charitable, this hardly adds up to science: In short there is very minimal science here, if any at all.

When one thinks of science, at best we normally think of double-blind studies, or at least cross-confirming and independently verifiable observations of "bird utterances" and suspected "intelligent bird behavior." Here we have none of either. What we get is mostly the author's own (and that of other caretakers) un-substantiated and unverifiable almost exclusively one-on-one reports of Alex's utterances and humanlike behavior. For instance, she never used a tape recorder to record Alex's utterances so that they could be made available to others to review and confirm or refute her own interpretations.

And while as cute as it is, and as heart-felt as it is, there is nothing here to distinguish her sessions with Alex from what normal parrot owners have been reporting over the years who have spent a lifetime with their own pet parrots. My wife's friend's bird "Tarisha," is a perfect case in point. Tarisha uttered a rich vocabulary of both Spanish and Russian words, commands, etc. in the appropriate context, and could do all of the things Alex did and more, certainly exhibiting higher-level intellectual functioning that any observers could agree on. However, determining the source of that intelligence, and characterizing it as "human-like" or even describing it carefully in terms of repeatable experiments, is quite another matter.

Here the author seemed to have conflated her own impressionistic suppositions about what was going on in Alex's head with hard science. Even in the instances where Alex failed the scientific trials she had prepared for him, she attributed his failures to more intelligent human functions such as being bored with the repetition, etc. Stretching the results with rationalizations of this sort is a definite "no, no." Alex's intelligence must rise and fall based on the recorded results without any hedging.

But more importantly, the author seemed to have failed to take into account the fact that Alex's normal bird sensitivities to his own bird environment may have seemed like hyper-sensitivities when transposed to the reshaped human but very unnatural bird environment. There is no law that says that in such circumstances, certain birds abilities cannot "outstrip" human capabilities in say for instance sight, sensitivities to sound, to movements, or even to feelings. Such sensitivities can and do seem eerily like human intelligence. Only careful scientific studies can tell the difference. And while this was a good story, I fear the author did not accomplish the task she set out to accomplish. Two Stars.

ALEX & ME tells us everything about Irene Pepperberg's relationship with Alex the African Grey parrot that DOESN'T count as science.

It's clear that Pepperberg feels excited, maybe even liberated, to finally tell the story like a story - to describe the twisting, turning road that took her from an unhappy childhood in a small Brooklyn neighborhood to a PhD in Chemistry from MIT, the realization that led her to abandon chemistry entirely and start fresh with biology, the moment when she asked a parrot breeder to pick out an African Grey for her at random, and it turned out to be Alex.

Readers who are looking for a thorough, scientific exploration of an African Grey's cognitive abilities should probably read another book of Pepperberg's, THE ALEX CHRONICLES. ALEX & ME is a memoir, and it skims over the scientific issues (though Pepperberg covers all the highlights) to focus on her feelings.

Her love for Alex is the backbone of this book, from her pride in his accomplishments to her grief at his passing. She brushes lightly over personal matters, like a painful divorce brought on (at least in part) by her ex-husband's conviction that Pepperberg ought to give up on her career, which he saw as a failure. And she gives fascinating insight into the ups and downs of her academic career, like the poor social atmosphere that caused her to abandon a tenured position in New Mexico to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

I read ALEX & ME in one sitting - it was pretty short, and surprisingly gripping. Definitely a recommended read.

Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by author Irene M. Pepperberg was a wonderful read! I am an animal lover thru and thru and truly believe that humans and animals can communicate on many levels. I've raised a kitten from birth, I've had to euthanize a beloved animal friend of many, many years, I've owned dogs, cats have owned me, I've seen and done it all!! This was a truly amazing book to read!

Alex is an African Gray Parrot who partnered with Pepperberg for 30 years to challenge people and scientists alike to look beyond just the bird they saw. Alex was able to add, sound out words, and understand concepts such as bigger and smaller. He was also able to bond with Irene Pepperberg in ways that most non-animal owners just cannot fathom.

This book is about Alex, his remarkable life, his untimely death, and few other birds as well. I cried, I laughed, I completely understood the bond between bird and owner.

I highly, highly recommend this book to all animal lovers who know how to communicate with their beloved pets!

-1smileycat :-)

How interesting this book is! If Pepperberg's critics don't believe
that Alex can think in any meaningful way, then they are going to
discount any suggestion that Alex stops working because he
is bored or distracted. In my dog training school, we advise
people to try to stop working an exercise when everything is going
well so the trainer and the dog do not end up being
frustrated and the level of the dog's correct responses stays high,
80-90%.

We also work very hard at not reinforcing behavior we don't
want. Many students start out paying more attention to their dogs
when they are doing it wrong than when they are doing it right.
Reading between the lines, you wonder if Alex also got more attention
when he was misbehaving from some of his trainers, but given that
Pepperberg often cites an 85% correct response rate, perhaps Alex
wasn't goofing around that much but it was memorable when he did.

Being a bird person as well as a dog trainer, I am not surprised that
Alex picked up language and used it appropriately. Here are some
of the examples in the book:
You're wrong to the other greys
well what do you want? - to accountant
I'm sorry- to Pepperberg and others
calm down- to Pepperberg
you turkey- when stuffed bird won't scratch him

One of my favorite anecdotes is when Pepperberg is trying to
get Alex to help her train Griffin, another grey. She says, "what
color?"
to Griffin and Alex says, "no, you tell me what shape!"

I was puzzled by Pepperberg's response to Alex being frightened
by the owls outside her home. All of us with birds deal with
fear and don't give our birds away or move house when one
of our birds sees a predator out of the window. Pepperberg
seems to think because Alex is so smart he won't get over
the predators outdoors and so she takes him back to the lab
the same night.

I wonder if finding the right statistician would allow Pepperberg to
mine more of her data. As she suggests, surely the sessions where
Alex repeatedly gives every response except the correct one would
be statistically significant.

When the parrots in the lab were tested whether they could pull up a
nut on string- the two less vocal parrots immediately pulled up the
nut up while Alex said to Pepperberg, "pick up nut" Pepperberg
comments that Alex was shy and sometimes scared of people before he
learned to communicate more effectively with humans. Again, I see
parallels in the dog training world. Most dogs love training
especially when you teach them how to ask for what they want. For
example, you explain to the dog, if you keep the leash from getting
tight, I will let you walk right over to that squirrel.

I am also interested in trying the model/rival method with the
dogs in my classes. I already do something similar when I walk
two dogs at a time but I've never done much of it in class. I am not
as negative about operant conditioning as Pepperberg is, but I've
never tried to do it in a lab situation. The myna bird experiment that
she cites with the lab pets talking up a blue streak and the
experimental subjects, locked up alone in cages, barely being able to
mumble was funny and sad.

I tried out one of Alex's favorite songs, " California dreaming" on
my 2 starlings and they immediately started to vocalize so they agree
it is a good song, but perhaps because they were born and still live
in Chicago, they still vocalize and talk more when they hear Lake
Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah.

I received this wonderful book very quickly, in and good condition. Highly recommend the seller.
Virginia

Very well done. I found the author's story intriguing... in addition to Alex. Despite her desire to be properly detached, her writing is natural and not overly scientific though she is true to her research. This is obviously someone who was devoted to her career, very ambitious. Still, the story is compelling. Sure, it speaks of hard work and lots of research. But obviously, as the author discovered, there is something more. It is spiritual in the purest sense. I've never seen Alex on television but sure hope I have the chance to see some of the footage available. Some of his antics are laugh-out-loud funny. And, of course, the love he seeks and gives is heartwarming. I met a grey parrot once... beautiful... who was shy and selective about talking. But as soon as we were out of the room he did an amazingly perfect impersonation of the telephone answering machine--the entire sequence. I couldn't get over it. The electronic sounds were perfect. They are such beautiful, sensitive and delightful birds. Enjoy the book!

I think Irene Pepperberg did a wonderful job of recounting her remarkable work with Alex the Gray Parrot in a way that lay people can relate to. This is a very heart-warming story - who can't fail to be charmed by Alex's intelligence, antics and sense of humor?
Alex certainly was no "bird brain." It occurred to me, however, that Dr. Pepperberg and colleagues must have spent a good 40,000+ hours teaching Alex concepts (29+ years x 6 hours/day x 5 days a week?). A chimpanzee could have mastered many of the concepts Alex demonstrated understanding of in far fewer hours.
That said, Alex demonstrates that avian intelligence is indeed remarkable and underestimated. The same must go for other creatures in the animal kingdom but they don't have the ability to reproduce language like Alex did.

Get this book! Do you have a special avian friend in your life? Your relationship will be enriched by this wonderful book. You may find, as I did, this book will buoy your spirits in the face of adversity. Get this book!

I think it is a very moving and thought provoking memoir and it should be required reading in high schools especially for people interested in science. Sheds new light on animal intelligence and the unfortunate rigidity of the scientific community in the face of new and fresh ideas.

This book is well written. It can be a bit dry in places but overall it is enjoyable to read.

I have ordered more than a dozen copies of this book; they will be gifts this year. Irene Pepperberg is science to the core. For thirty years she maintained a caring and respectful relationship with Alex, resisting making him into her pet. Still, he was certainly the busiest and most entertained and nurtured bird in the world, hardly ever alone, rarely in a cage. Alex learned to rule his laboratory roost-full of other birds and researchers. Alex was astounding (I knew him on a first name basis). Irene has written an informative and touching book. If you want to understand the scientific life of a highly original thinker and her avian colleague who challenge the preconceptions of the scientific community and win, this is the book for you. It is also a great read for young bright students contemplating a future in research.

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.

A few years ago when I was in grad school I knew slightly a woman who was the hearing child of deaf parents. While at Stanford she was one of the students who worked with Koko, the famous signing gorilla. I asked, of course, about her belief as to whether Koko really possessed the capacity for language, and she was adamant that she did.

A few years before that I had read three books by the ethologist Donald Griffin (who is mentioned in this book and after whom one of Irene Pepperberg's parrots was named): THE QUESTION OF ANIMAL AWARENESS, ANIMAL THINKING, and ANIMALS MINDS. I had worked very closely with my German Shepherd Birgit and had managed to teach her several hundred different commands and while I wouldn't argue that she possessed the capacity for language, her competencies made any suggestion -- as the behaviorists would insist -- that she did not think.

But the work that Irene Pepperberg did with Alex provided overwhelming support to the notion that not only do animals think but also they have far greater cognitive capacities than we normally give them credit for. The question of whether Alex possessed "speech" is a complex one, but there is little question that he used words, grasped concepts, and could employ simple sentences to achieve his desires. At some point the question of whether he had the capacity for speech becomes so blurry as to be irrelevant. To adapt the old expression, if it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and swims like a duck, it is a duck, even if it is a parrot.

I first learned of this book as a participant in Amazon's Vine Program. But by the time I looked at the items offered that month, all copies of the book were gone. I then heard Iren Pepperberg interviewed on Fresh Air with Terry Gross (I've probably read 20 books as a result of listening to Terry interview one person or another). Even before the interview was finished I had ordered the book from Amazon. It is a very fast and enjoyable read, but also a very moving one.

Alex comes across as a bit of a stinker, but all the more lovable for that. You marvel at the kinds of things he was able to do. My favorite may have been when they were working with him, trying to get him to tell them how many of a particular kind of object was on display. Although the correct answer was two, he obstinately kept saying "one" or "four," until they put him in another room for being uncooperative. He instantly started shouting, "Two! Two! I'm sorry. Two!" But there were a score of similar instances in the book.

One thing that comes out clearly in the book is how deeply connected Ms. Pepperberg and Alex were. Though she intentionally attempted to maintain some emotional distance as befits a scientist, it is clear that the two had forged a deep bond. And while Alex died tragically young for a parrot, he seems to have had a rich and enjoyable life.

I kept thinking while reading this book of a very great short story by Gustave Flaubert entitled "A Simple Heart" (it can be found in THREE TALES). In it, a simple, uneducated servant insists that instead of representing the Holy Spirit as a dove as is traditional in Christian symbolism, it should be represented instead by a parrot. Just as the Holy Spirit gave the gift of tongues, so a parrot is the lone creature other than humans capable of articulate speech. Whether Alex shows us anything about the divine, he clearly showed that the distance between birds and humans is far less than we might have imagined.

Alex and Me is a sweet memoir of the work Dr. Pepperberg did with the amazing African Grey parrot, Alex. Dr. Pepperberg shares how she came to work with Alex, and his life in the lab.

There is a section on Dr. Pepperberg's early life and her academic career prior to her work with Alex. This might seem slow to those readers who want all Alex all the time, but I found it gave context to Dr. Pepperberg's relationship to Alex, and the basis for her work.

I was touched by the bond between them, and delighted by Alex's antics. It has made me think more about how much my animal companions understand, and how they learn.

This is a wonderful book for any animal-lover. I would strongly suggest it for middle school students through adults.

This is a mix of a biography of a bird, an autobiography of a woman scientist, a scientific exploration of bird intelligence, and some metaphysical lessons at the end. The style is personal, sometimes emotional, and what counts as informal for academics, a quick read. I found the parts about Alex, the parrot, the most interesting. The autobiographical aspect was interesting too, but not as unusual or compellingly told.

The book starts with a highly emotional account of reactions to the death of Alex, twenty years premature at age 31, including numerous testimonials of the importance he had for people who knew of him through Pepperberg's work. She had trained Alex as part of a research project in animal intelligence/communication, and they had received a good deal of coverage in the media over the years. The outpouring she describes, and her own devastation, grabbed me right away, opening questions I looked forward to learning the answers to in the rest of the book. Why would a bird have such a profound impact on not only Pepperberg but so many others, most of whom never met Alex? How smart was this bird, really? The answers are compelling, if incomplete.

After the first chapter the book proceeds mainly chronologically, going back to Pepperberg's early years, her first bird at age four, how she developed the interests that led to her scientific career, how that career developed, how Alex came into her life, and how his career, as it were, developed along with hers.

Major themes include the struggle of a woman in a male-dominated science, the struggles of researchers who take seriously the ability of animals to use language, and Pepperberg's particular struggles to get funding and respect for her work.

But the main attraction remains Alex. It's fascinating to see how smart and, in some ways, how human Alex seems to be. He uses English words in appropriate ways; he shows he can associate colors, shapes, objects and numbers of things with the words. He also shows personality traits, such as what sure looks like bossiness and a proclivity for game-playing. For instance, as Pepperberg presents it, when Alex got bored he would sometimes refuse to answer questions correctly, giving every incorrect answer to a question like "how many" but skipping only the correct one.

Pepperberg is careful to inject some caution about how to interpret these things. She calls Alex's utterances "labels" instead of words, for example, to avoid implying that Alex is using language as we normally think of it. At the same time, she is determined to show that Alex has done a series of things that the scientific community as a whole had thought impossible for a bird. Sometimes, despite her general caution, she seems to suggest more than could really be, as when she favorably compares Alex's use of the label "none" to the great ancient mathematician Euclid's lack of a concept of zero. Euclid did, of course, have a concept of "none." (Maybe she was joking--I hope so.) She also sometimes speaks of Alex's grasping other concepts in ways that suggest more understanding than is likely.

Working out these issues might have been aided by a more developed discussion of the alternative interpretations of Alex's behavior held by critics of Pepperberg's work. What we mainly get instead are anecdotes about how unfair or intimidating the opposition is. I also wondered if we weren't getting a rather skewed view of Alex's behavior. There's story after story about the interesting things he does, but we aren't given a very good idea of the overall, how much of his behavior seemed smart and how much seemed unremarkable or confused, apart from a few snippets about his performance on formal tests for which being right most of the time was a success.

The last chapter consists of the lessons we can learn from Alex. By the end of the chapter Alex has become a virtual key to the meaning of life, showing the place of humanity in the universe, and where we went wrong about issues such as poverty and climate change. Much of this, while not entirely without merit, and no doubt deeply felt, is superficially and loosely reasoned. In reaching so far, this tribute is often remote from the particular facts of Alex's life as presented in the book.

Recommended for those seeking an informal account of a remarkable case of animal intelligence, and for those who enjoy stories about animals and their humans. You'll also get an interesting story of how a woman made a difficult way in science.

This is a mix of a biography of a bird, an autobiography of a woman scientist, a scientific exploration of bird intelligence, and some metaphysical lessons at the end. The style is personal, sometimes emotional, and what counts as informal for academics, a quick read. I found the parts about Alex, the parrot, the most interesting. The autobiographical aspect was interesting too, but not as unusual or compellingly told.

The book starts with a highly emotional account of reactions to the death of Alex, twenty years premature at age 31, including numerous testimonials of the importance he had for people who knew of him through Pepperberg's work. This grabbed me right away and drew me in, opening questions I looked forward to learning the answers to in the rest of the book. Why would a bird have such a profound impact on not only Pepperberg but so many others, most of whom never met Alex? How smart was this bird, really?

After the first chapter the book proceeds mainly chronologically, going back to Pepperberg's early years, her first bird at age four, how she developed the interests that led to her scientific career, how that career developed, how Alex came into her life, and how his career, as it were, developed along with hers.

Major themes include the struggle of a woman in science, the struggles of researchers who take seriously the ability of animals to use language, and Pepperberg's particular struggles to get funding and respect for her work.

But the main attraction remains Alex. It's fascinating to see how smart and, in some ways, how human Alex seems to be. He uses English words in appropriate ways; he shows he can associate colors, shapes, objects and numbers with the words. He also shows personality traits, including what sure looks like bossiness and game-playing. For instance, as Pepperberg presents it, when he got bored he would sometimes refuse to answer questions correctly, giving every incorrect answer to a question like "how many" but skipping the correct one.

Pepperberg is careful to inject some caution about how to interpret these things. She calls Alex's utterances "labels" instead of words, for example, to avoid implying that Alex is using language as we normally think of it. At the same time, she is determined to show that Alex has done a series of things that the scientific community as a whole had thought impossible for a bird. Sometimes, despite her general caution, she seems to suggest more than could really be, as when she favorably compares Alex's use of the label "none" to the great ancient mathematician Euclid's lack of a concept of zero. (Maybe she was joking--I hope so.) She also sometimes speaks of Alex's grasping other concepts in ways that suggest more understanding than is likely.

I would have enjoyed a more developed discussion of the alternative interpretations of Alex's behavior held by critics of Pepperberg's work. What we mainly get instead are anecdotes about how unfair or intimidating the opposition is. I also wondered if we weren't getting a rather skewed view of Alex's behavior. There's story after story about the interesting things he does, but we aren't given a very good idea how much of his behavior seemed smart and how much seemed unremarkable or confused, apart from a few snippets about his performance on formal tests.

The last chapter consists of the lessons we can learn from Alex. By the end of the chapter Alex has become a virtual key to the meaning of life, the place of humanity in the universe, and is related to issues such as poverty and climate change. Much of this, while no doubt deeply felt, is superficially and loosely reasoned. In reaching so far, this tribute is often remote from the particular facts of Alex's life as presented in the book.

Recommended for those seeking an informal account of a remarkable case of animal intelligence, and for those who enjoy stories about animals and their humans. You'll also get an interesting story of how a woman made a difficult way in science.

I read this book on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. I'd never heard of the Alex Project before, and I had no prior knowledge of African Grays. The book was touching without being sappy, and informative without being overly scientific or boring. I was engaged the entire way through. I was fascinated with the information regarding the Alex Project, and how amazing these birds really are. Bird brain, indeed! It even made me consider getting a parrot. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in science, animals, or language. Two thumbs up!

This slender, easy to read volume is really about two characters- Alex and the author.

The book includes a great deal of information about the author's struggles as a female scientist doing research which the scientific establishment belittled. We learn about her professional and personal struggles, and about Alex as a research subject. But the really appealing, wonderful parts of this book detail the emotioanl bond that grew between Alex and the author. There are many funny and touching anecdotes about Alex as an individual who did not always choose to cooperate with research and had his own quirks, thoughts, and feelings.

For scientific information about the research completed with Alex, see the author's book entitled "The Alex Studies". But if you can enjoy a human/animal love story and are fascinated by the emotional lives and thoughts of animals, you will be touched by this book.

I liked this book. Alex's story is remarkable. It's a touching chronicle of a remarkable animial.

I was disappointed with a few things about this book. First, it's a bit thin--not very long and not particularly in depth. I was hoping for a lot more information about Alexa.

What really, also bothered me was how much the memoir centered on the author rather than her bird. I'd have preferred less about her struggles with funding and lab space, etc., and more about Alex. Her life is only as mildly interesting as that of any dedicated scientist, but Alex is an awesome story!

I would recommend the book to anyone who's curious about it, but don't expect a blow-by-blow of Alex's years of progress.

Since Alex could not write his own memoir, it is fitting that Irene Pepperberg created this book in his memory. Anyone who is remotely interested in the study of animals will surely enjoy this heartwarming story. Considering that the author is a scientist, it is to her credit that book is written on a very personal level. My only complaint is that I found it too short. It is the type of story that leaves the reader wanting more. Hopefully, there is still room for a sequel in the story, and we can learn more about a very remarkable grey parrot.

We got "Chosen by a Horse." We got "Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl." And now we got "Alex and Me." Just what's going on with broads and animals?

From the time I picked up Alex & Me until the final page I was fascinated. To read the entire story, from pre-Alex to the very end, was a treat. The specific stories within the book were heartwarming and inspirational. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I was shocked an saddened by the news of Alex's sudden death a little over a year ago. I was only slightly familiar with him and his work with Dr. Pepperberg, having seen a short segment on them in a video on animal intelligence.

The cognitive skills that Alex displayed revolutionized how I viewed intelligence. This work is as revelatory about brain function as the discovery of people who are fully functional with as little as 5% of their brain tissue (as in the gentlemen who graduated with a BA in math in England). We clearly do not even begin to understand cognition, intelligence, and brain function.

This is not a science book. Pepperberg published another volume detailing the scientific data and methods used in her work with Alex. This book is about the "human" side of the work.

Pepperberg describes her history with Alex and the changing circumstances of their 31 year collaboration. She relates humorous and not-so-humorous anecdotes about their work, their moves, and their changing fortunes, all tied together by the interesting and singular personality of Alex.

I went from laughter to tears a number of times. The overall feeling I took away from the book was one of bittersweet joy at the existence of such a creature, and the rare privilege of experiencing such an incredible adventure in trans-species communication. Alex opened new vistas of understanding and wonder for those who were able to see.

There were also interesting stories about the vagaries of scientific research in this society, although my guess is that they are quite watered down. (You don't continue to do research if you rock the boat too much. The scientific establishment is a stodgy and hidebound bunch of authoritarian personality types who hold onto power and control with the jealousy of a teen-aged boy with overactive glands. My opinion, not hers.)

As much as they pretend to pursue the lofty goals of science above human emotions, they are every bit as caught up in pettiness, stupidity, greed, fear and cruelty as any other group of humans, perhaps even more so.

Alex and Irene are heroes in the finest sense of that word - working against childish egos and prejudice to advance our understanding of life and our connections with each other. (In my opinion, the Nobel prize should have gone to Alex instead of a career politician. I have definitely lost all respect for the Nobel prize.) Their work is one of the biggest breakthroughs in inter-species communication and should herald a whole new era in our relations with other beings on this planet (and others). Will the rest of us take up the challenge Alex laid at our feet?

This is a delightful book and a beautiful epitaph for Alex. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there were too few pictures of that wonderful bird. Buy it and read it. It will do you good.

I raise a toast to Alex - banerries and corknuts for all!

This isn't a novel. When I ordered it, I was thinking it would be a fond farewell, much like "The Last Lecture". Although it has its moments of grief the book is much more about the abilities of this remarkably smart bird and the limitations of otherwise smart researchers and scientists who cannot or could not accept Alex's capabilities.

The book is written in the first person by the author, Irene Pepperberg. She starts out with a description of the profound effect the loss of Alex had on her and her research community. Then she backtracks in time to present a mini-autobiography that tracks her interest in birds, her education (as a Chemist) her marriage and, finally, her calling -- working with, teaching and learning from her African Grey parrot, Alex.

Along the way we learn about the process of funding research, of getting grants, of dealing with bigotry (only humans can do this or that).

It is an enjoyable book to read, with the science of tracking and documenting animal behavior kept to a minimum (with reference to another work of hers that focuses on these topics). I walked away amazed at what this tiny creature with "a brain the size of a shelled walnut" could do.

If you want an understanding of the term intelligence, or of what non-human animals can do, learn and understand or if you want to glimpse the kind of relationship an animal can develop with a human or if you ever wondered what your pet was thinking (or if it could think) then get this book. It will open your eyes to things you might never have dreamed possible.

The public is fascinated by stories of animal cognition and communication. Irene Pepperberg's work with Alex, an African Grey parrot, was well known through media coverage. The cameras loved Alex and he was always willing to act as the gracious host to TV crews.

How smart are parrots? What is their cognition like? Is their communication really language or do they just "parrot" what they see and hear? What practical applications could grow out of communication studies with parrots? These and many other questions thread their way through ALEX & ME. Pepperberg did groundbreaking work with Alex for thirty years, until he died unexpectedly and prematurely in 2007. The public outpouring of sorrow at his death is recorded extensively at the beginning of this book.

The story of Pepperberg's research with Alex is a fascinating one, but there are some aspects of this book that made it less than fully satisfying for me. The author seems to cover three distinct areas: her own personal and professional life story, the technical aspects of her research, and the endearing "face time" with Alex and the other African Greys in her lab. It's a lot of weight for one little book to carry and the three stories suffer in the sharing.

This volume refers again and again to the scientific basis of her work but gives just enough information to be slightly confusing. I had expected a much stronger focus on Alex and his relationship with Pepperberg, and in fact every scene starring Alex charms and delights the reader. Alex's exploits are wondrous enough to be marveled at for their own sake without the frequent reference to the funding hassles and professional difficulties. The author's more scientifically-oriented book THE ALEX STUDIES, which I have not read, apparently focuses on the research, and this latest book could have taken the other ground and stayed with Alex more fully.

In the end the vacillation between "Alex the companion animal" and "Alex the research subject" broke the rhythm of this promising book for me. ALEX & ME was the author's eulogy, opening herself to the emotional pain of his loss. I wish more of it had been about Alex.

Four stars, because who can resist stories like this, quoted from p. 124? [While Alex was recuperating at a veterinary hospital] his cage was right next to the accountant's desk...

"You want a nut?" Alex asked her.

"No, Alex."

He persisted. "You want corn?"

"No, thank you, Alex, I don't want corn."

This went on for a little while, and the accountant did her best to ignore him. Finally, Alex apparently became exasperated and said in a petulant voice, "Well, what DO you want?" ... That's my Alex.

Linda Bulger, 2008

Alex & Me was a very touching book. That tells the story of an African Grey and the intelligence that such beautiful birds possess. I recommend it to anyone who likes or has an interest in birds or other animals intellects. Also it is recommended for anyone who is willing to be touched by a true story of a woman and a pet that is much more than a pet.

Alex & Me is the true story of Dr. Irene M. Pepperberg and her relationship with an African Grey Parrot named Alex. As a young girl, Dr. Pepperberg was a self-described lonely kid with little affection from her mother, and out of necessity she became close to several pet parakeets. That feathered-friends love fueled the fire that became Dr. Pepperbergs life's work: whether or not parrots can be taught to recognize and identify shapes, colors and objects such as wood, paper and cork.

This book and others like it are hard for me to read. I am constantly reminded of a little starling we had for just under 6 months, before he abruptly died, leaving me and my family devastated. That little bird was spectacular! Loving, funny and downright comical at times, he really grew on us in short time. His death is still hard to think about, 3 years later.

So I was reluctant to get involved with Alex, the African Grey from the book. I knew it would hurt. And it really does hurt to know that this little groundbreaking ball of feathers does die an untimely death, leaving the author devastated with loss.

The book is short and easy-to-read and really belongs in every college library, in hopes that more students might decide to further this kind of research. The book goes briefly into how Dr. Pepperberg worked with Alex to teach him objects, but not to the point of being tedious. In fact, any bird enthusiast might use these techniques with their own pet.

Overall I did enjoy the book and was very sad when Alex died. (I was worried enough when he was sick. Death I can't handle). The whole story of Alex makes me sad. But this book does have a place in libraries and on bookshelves around the world. It's groundbreaking research and deserves to be known. I just wish I could stop thinking about it now.

I had preordered my copy from the the moment I knew about it. I stated reading right away. ALex was a wonderful bird and Dr Pepperberg gave a wonderful insight into her life with Alex. Reading it made you want to cry, laugh and cry some more at the end. Alex was such a larger than life parrot. I am glad to have known about him, sad not to have met him. I recomend this book to all bird owners and other animal owners. If anyone wants to read a wonderful book, than this is it.
TC&F

I enjoyed this book. It was very interesting to see how in depth animal learning can be. I was amazed at the intelligence of the parrot Alex. Well worth reading for any animal lover, especially bird owners.

Who could read this book and not fall in love with Alex? One would have to be brain dead or perhaps a "bird brain" or just plain unfeeling not to love Alex the parrot! While reading his story I often found myself laughing aloud, or at times, weeping quiet tears. I felt myself a part of Alex's life, pulling for him when he was ill or unhappy, and chuckling when he got the best of Irene or his other handlers. No one could read this book without coming to the conclusion that the creatures that share our earth have a right to "animal rights." I've always been totally against any cruelty shown to any creature, whether in small cages in zoos, in medical labs, or pet companions who can be mistreated at the hands of their "owners." The world will be a better place when we give animals their full rights. I admit there were moments that I experienced discomfort about Alex living in a cage, yet I knew that he was greatly loved and gently treated and had a very full life around humans who loved him. Without Irene's work with Alex, plenty of people would still believe that birds don't possess sensitivity or that birds are not one of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

I recommend giving this book to everyone associated with people who have birds, they will come away with a better understanding of the love we feel for our feathered children.
I truly enjoyed this book, we would not have considered an African Grey Parrot if it were not for Alex. Our baby died 5mos ago at 9yrs old, it was clearly my own feelings Irene Pepperberg described, once I was able to complete the first chapter, through my tears, it was a wonderful book telling of tribulations and the excitement of her learning that birds are more aware than she ever knew! I now have another baby grey and hope to expand on the potential that is within.

What a great book about animal minds! This would make a wonderful gift for a fellow Grey/Parrot lover/parent! I read this so quickly! A very enjoyable & insightful read! I remember Alex on PBS. -A very smart parrot. Did you know parrots are as smart as a 3 year old?- That was about the extent of my knowledge.
Alex was WAY smarter than my wildest dreams! He had conversations with people & other African Greys! Imagine that! While reading this I was continuously surprised & in awe of the behavior of this bird. Did he really do/say that?? Wow!

Hopefully this book opens minds to the fact that animals aren't as dumb or lowly as many of us think. They have complex social structures... we've seen this with the flock interaction of our chickens. We always thought, "stupid chickens" how wrong we were! They are rather intelligent & very social. They even come when they are called. They are let free to roam & always return home each evening! How dumb is that?

I can only wonder if Alex would still be alive today if it wasn't for all the sterilization that went on for his protection. People, objects, etc. had to go through sterilization before interacting with him. He was very young when he died. Our Goffin's Cockatoo stayed in the most active part of the home, was exposed to not only our hens, but cats, & visitors with nary a problem. This makes me think the lack of exposure to germs caused Alex to develop a weak immune system. The littlest thing could be harmful to him because he wasn't exposed to all the "stuff" floating around out there. Yes, he did get sick as indicated in the book & had extreme vet care to get him well. It's just a thought we should all consider in our overly clean antibacterial antibiotic society.