Thank you to @Scribner #partner and @Netgalley for my copy of this book which is available today!
There is so much history and science about the symbiotic relationship between ourselves and our dogs in this new non-fiction book. I struggled with it at times, but when I focused, I really learned many things about how the relationship between humans and dogs came to be. I have loved dogs my entire life and I currently live with two, an elderly dachshund, 14, and a black lab, who is now 7. My blog is named for them.
I laughed at some things in this book: how people come to name their dogs, what they say tp their dogs. How they buy clothing for their dogs. (Guilty!) Both of my dogs have lengthy origin stories of how they got their names. They both have silly nicknames. Beanie, Boba Fett, Monkey. PoochTerrific. Love Bug. Just to name a few. I routinely talk to my dogs and I’ve never questioned whether or not they think. I know they know what certain words mean. Cookie, walk, ride in the car. Toys. STOP! I love you.
My dogs (and all the ones who came before them in my life) have taught me more about compassion, loyalty, grace, and unconditional love than most humans I’ve met. I am grateful for the fellow animal lovers that I have met through my dogs. And I think you truly need to be a dog lover to enjoy this book. It’s so densely packed with science, psychology and the history of dog ownership.
I made a choice in my adult life to have dogs and they all became part of my family. They made me laugh, they were there through some really hard times and I experienced more sadness than I can possibly convey when I had to lose one of them.
I wouldn’t trade a moment of time with any of them. For me, there has been no greater joy than sharing my life with these amazing animals. This book gave more so much insight about them and about myself. Thank you to Scribner for the privilege of reading this book and thank you to all the dogs I’ve known for the privilege of being your guardian. Your souls will live forever in my heart.
I think this book would make a great gift for dog lovers and for those readers who enjoy non-fiction books!
About The Author: Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know and On Looking: A Walker’s Guide to the Art of Observation. She teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She lives with her family and two large, highly sniffy dogs in New York City.
The Book Nook 