By: Mark Rowlands
Hennepin County Library hardcover 230 pages plus "further reading"
Published: 2024
Genre: non-fiction, philosophy
The slightly sacrilegious title caught my attention but I love my dog and was curious about this for one of my daughters-in-law. I was on the waiting list for a very long time and need to return it now, but I've only read a fraction of it.
He is most definitely a philosophy professor! His references to Sartre, Socrates, etc. are numerous. The stories of his dogs are my favorite part. He clearly loves his dogs.
Page 21: "Shadow's reactivity seems to be fundamentally territorial, but territory, for him, is a moveable feast. His territory is wherever he is."
Yes! This is how Titus is. His territory expands and he protects it vigorously. There was a lot about Shadow that I could relate to . . .
Page 178: "Why do dogs love life so much more than we do? The answer, I think, is that life is always more precious for a dog than for a human because we have two lives and dogs only have one."
Rowlands goes on to explain that humans have the "inner" and "outer" lives to live simultaneously. I just like how he gets at the amazing exuberance that dogs have for life. They are very "in the moment" creatures.
I haven't decided yet if I'll buy a copy of this for Mari. I think she might like it, but I want to be a thoughtful gift giver. I will return it to the library for the next person on hold!
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