The animal intelligence “L’intelligence animale” Emmanuelle Pouydebat 2017 Editions Odile Jacob

This beautiful book, full of extraordinary stories of animals, takes us into the meanders of intelligence. Is there a good definition, a hierarchy, an evolution of intelligence? The expected but not trivial conclusion is that there are obviously many different intelligences. Animals, in the broad sense, have in common remarkable faculties of adaptation, innovation, even empathy.

From our plant intelligence point of view, we are still a little surprised. Indeed, the questions asked by the experts of the plant intelligence, are identical for a large part. So why continue blindly in this old Greek frame of thought? Why in this book are there only three lines on plants?

It’s a good thing to denounce the propensity of the human being to imagine that he is the most intelligent in the universe. However, in 2017, the author should also have made comparisons between animals and plants. Because plants represent 95% of the terrestrial biomass and more, because reflections on plant intelligence are growing fast! Is there a Plant Intelligence with the same definition? We would have liked a small chapter on the issue.  A bit disappointing?

With this nuance, a remarkable an useful book, putting us back in our place.