Well-Read: 5 Great Books for Dog Lovers
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
It has long been said that dog is man’s best friend. With the proliferation of dog-centered literature, it could also be argued that dog is writer’s best friend. These loyal, inspiring companions remind us to stop and smell...well, whatever’s around! Here are some of my favorites.
Following Atticus – Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship – Tom Ryan
Tom and his miniature schnauzer, Atticus, were at this year’s New England Booksellers Conference. There is nothing like bringing your dog along to ensure the most amount of attention possible. I waited on line to have a copy signed and of course to take a peek at the dog. In the inscription, Ryan mentions that I like baby talk. Guilty –there is something about talking to a dog that brings out that irritating, high-pitched chatter. Ryan, not a fan, tolerated my presence for a few moments. Though Ryan and Atticus are seemingly an unlikely pair of mountaineers, after a close friend dies of cancer the two pay tribute to her by attempting to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four-thousand-foot peaks twice in one winter in order to raise money for charity. Ryan, an old-school type of newspaperman, finds out much about himself and just what is possible with his trusty friend at his side.
You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness – Julie Klam
I first met Julie after reading her memoir, Please Excuse My Daughter, and interviewing her on Reading With Robin. When I found out she was writing her second memoir, about dogs, called You Had Me At Woof, she had me at the title. Klam’s writing style is full of wit and warmth as she shares the secrets of happiness she learned as a dog owner. Klam was single at thirty and wondering if she would ever find the man of her dreams. She did –and he was a Boston terrier named, Otto. In her own hilarious yet poignant style she talks about learning to share her home, heart and whatever else she had with another. Julie’s family has since grown to include a husband, daughter and several Boston terriers and while she is still learning, she knows that caring for the dogs has made her a better person.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA Good Dog – The Story of Orson Who Changed My Life – Jon Katz
From the prolific dog writer who has written so many wonderful books, A Good Dog, has the familiar theme of dog saving man. When Katz first got Orson in 2000 he says they were both in bad shape. He was not happy and living in
New Jersey and was also unhappy writing about media and technology. Five years later, he writes “almost everything about my life was different. I was writing (happily) about dogs, animals and rural life and living (happily) on a 110-acre farm in upstate New York.” He says that Orson had become his beloved sidekick though not without a lot of work. When the two first meet, Orson is a bit of a terror. Katz tries everything from acupuncture to chiropractic in order to help his beloved Orson.Orson was Katz's "lifetime dog," the one he felt a powerful, life-changing connection with--but Orson was a difficult dog. And from difficult dogs we can learn much.
The Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving: How Dogs Have Captured Our Hearts for Thousands of Years – Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson has long been interested in the relationships between humans and animals, especially the bond we have with our dogs. He says that no other animals love us in quite the same way as dogs love us. And it is mutual. In Masson’s book he poses many interesting questions such as, "Is it possible that we developed our capacity for love, sympathy, empathy, and compassion because of our long association with dogs?” Drawing on recent scientific information, Masson delivers a thought provoking and compelling book that will change the way we think about how we love our dear dogs.
Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit by the editors of Bark Magazine
A great gift for the dog lover on your holiday list, this collection of over seventy stories ranges from personal essays and parodies to satires, all showcasing the hilarity of dogs. The following are all “dog people” not necessarily “dog writers”: Al Franken, Dave Barry, Kinky Friedman, Haven Kimmel and Roy Blount Jr. are just some of the contributors. Howl stories are often comical and insightful as the behavior of dogs and their people are put under the microscope. One funny story has the reader wondering what a cocktail party would be like if humans behaved like dogs (not that far a stretch).
Also included is a test to find out if you are a crazy dog person!
Reading enthusiast and all around "book-pusher" Robin Kall can be heard live Saturday mornings from 7-8am on Reading With Robin WHJJ 920AM. Also streaming live at www.920whjj.com. Follow on Twitter @robinkall, and Facebook - Reading With Robin. All new Web site! www.readingwithrobin.com
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