We typically hear what scientists have learned about animals. And Sy Montgomery’s career as an author and naturalist has taught her plenty about animals, from octopuses to moon bears . Along the way, Montgomery has also been learning from the animals she has studied and cared for, and those lessons are the focus of her latest book, How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals . Perhaps the most influential animal in Montgomery’s life was her first pet, an “absolutely fierce, and feral