Alex and me

The book describes a series of unique scientific experiments of the American researcher Irin Pepperberg to study the mental abilities of the Zhako parrots, known for their ability to imitate human speeches.
As a result of 30-year experiments with a parrot, by the nickname Alex it was shown that he not only memorized and then meaningfully repeated the English words that he was painstakingly taught (the names of the surrounding objects, actions, the names of people, etc) He could resourcefully use them in a completely new situation. At the same time, in parallel with the "main program, he learned the words from the conversations of others and used them at his own discretion according to new situations. For example, he himself understood the meaning of the word "no" and began to use it when something did not suit him in various situations, called the “chicken” of other parrots, imitating students who reacted so much to his wrong answers.
The book is written very exciting, accessible to a wide range of readers with language. It will be interesting to both specialists and a wide circle of people interested in communicative abilities, animal thinking and the origin of human language.
Compiled by A. D. Koshelev