# Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/other-minds/

5 people recommended Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a readable, well-regarded book on octopus minds and animal consciousness. No critical quotes appear, so no caveat is recorded.

Summary written by Claude from 4 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Worth reading for most readers (1 comment in the sample): "Other Minds" is definitely worth a read." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49642767))
- Brilliant book on animal consciousness (1 comment in the sample): "a brilliant book on animal consciousness" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49979762))
- Good starting point for further reading (1 comment in the sample): "which is a great read to delve further" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49427184))
- Excellent book, praised by readers (1 comment in the sample): "since reading (the excellent) book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49640087))

## Other popular science books people recommend

- [Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/g-del-escher-bach/): 37 recommend, 9 mixed, 10 criticize
- [The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins](https://hackerapproved.com/p/selfish-gene/): 13 recommend, 1 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/thinking-fast-and-slow/): 13 recommend, 2 mixed, 13 criticize
- [Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows](https://hackerapproved.com/p/thinking-in-systems/): 13 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith", https://hackerapproved.com/p/other-minds/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.