Alex & Me

Of the 8 million parrots in the United States, none was more famous than Alex, the African grey who spent 30 years in the loving care of Dr. Irene Pepperberg until his untimely death in September, 2007. The public outpouring of grief over his loss was enormous, and global. Alex had become famous for his intelligence, learning over 100 words and many concepts, and even sounding out words and making logical leaps. But the full story of his relationship with Irene was a story of emotional ties - parrots mate for life, developing unique duets with their partners, exhibiting affection, jealousy, and craving attention. Alex did all this with Irene. His last words to her were "I love you, too. Youll be in tomorrow?" He passed away that night, the victim of heart failure. ALEX & ME is a story of adventure for both Irene and Alex. She was 28 when she bought Alex in a pet shop, a one-year-old parrot whose future was uncertain. They grew through their adulthoods together, as Irenes laboratory was moved from university to university, while she struggled to force the scientific world to take a "birdbrain" seriously. At age 8, Alex was coining new terms: he called an apple a "banerry" (combing cherry-red with banana, the fruit he knew best). At MIT, he loved to play games in the Media Lab, and he sulked when Irene didnt pay attention to him. He also showered her with attention and affection: if she grew agitated, he would tell her to "calm down." When he awoke from a surgery, his first words were "wanna go," so they could return to his home together. ALEX & ME is ultimately a book about the universal truths of relationships, just as much as an astonishing scientific journey.

Of the 8 million parrots in the United States, none was more famous than Alex, the African grey who spent 30 years in the loving care of Dr. Irene Pepperberg until his untimely death in September, 2007. The public outpouring of grief over his loss was enormous, and global. Alex had become famous for his intelligence, learning over 100 words and many concepts, and even sounding out words and making logical leaps. But the full story of his relationship with Irene was a story of emotional ties - parrots mate for life, developing unique duets with their partners, exhibiting affection, jealousy, and craving attention. Alex did all this with Irene. His last words to her were "I love you, too. Youll be in tomorrow?" He passed away that night, the victim of heart failure. ALEX & ME is a story of adventure for both Irene and Alex. She was 28 when she bought Alex in a pet shop, a one-year-old parrot whose future was uncertain. They grew through their adulthoods together, as Irenes laboratory was moved from university to university, while she struggled to force the scientific world to take a "birdbrain" seriously. At age 8, Alex was coining new terms: he called an apple a "banerry" (combing cherry-red with banana, the fruit he knew best). At MIT, he loved to play games in the Media Lab, and he sulked when Irene didnt pay attention to him. He also showered her with attention and affection: if she grew agitated, he would tell her to "calm down." When he awoke from a surgery, his first words were "wanna go," so they could return to his home together. ALEX & ME is ultimately a book about the universal truths of relationships, just as much as an astonishing scientific journey.