Alex & Me
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This is a very personal account of the relationship between Irene Pepperberg and Alex, a parrot who taught humans to value non-human intelligence. Alex's skills in learning and using another species' language shows that birds have some quite remarkable thinking skills.
Pepperberg also writes about her own life, and the background to the research she carried out, and she introduces other parrots, such as Griffin, giving us a clear idea of the individual character of each bird.
People who want to read in depth about the work that Pepperberg carried out with Alex will be happier with 'The Alex Studies: Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots', which is, as the title implies, a serious academic work. However, if what you want is a beautifully written, relaxing read, that gives insights into the talents of parrots, and what it's like to live with them, then you'll enjoy 'Alex and Me'. It's well worth reading both books, because 'Alex and Me' makes the drier academic text, 'The Alex Studies' more understandable as an account of a relationship, as well as an important contribution to our understanding of the cognitive abilities of parrots.
