Review: Superpowers on the Shore by Sejal Mehta

In his book, Other Minds - The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life, author Peter Godfrey-Smith describes meeting an octopus as “meetings across the tree of life”. Author Sejal Mehta But this is an unusual book in that the author seems to be rebelling against usual tomes of science writing, which are usually bone dry and superior-sounding. Mehta watches the phenomena, with a touch of sadness, the beaches and her hands in the water shimmering with the plankton.” Those who don’t like wonder as a way of envisioning the world may ask why they should read a book on slimy creatures. I imagine the ocean, depicted as an adventurer in this book, may stick out her tongue, and say sibilantly: “Why not?” Neha Sinha is a conservation biologist and the author of Wild and Wilful- Tales of 15 Iconic Indian Species The views expressed are personal