There's a whole lot to like here, especially in the author's personal experience with the giant cuttlefish. I also found lots of information that I wasn't aware of as a beginner. Since I was drawn to the evolutionary split and cephlapods as a separate ingelligence, having a philosophical bent was not a deal breaker for me. However sometimes I did find myself wishing for a coauthor that was an expert on cephlapod physiology or social behavior as it often felt like the broader musings only began to connect with the specific. I wanted more elaborate speculation on how the octopus experiences not just if.