Written By: W. Bruce Cameron
Read By: George K. Wilson
Background: Ok so I like dogs and I happen to enjoy reading about them. So sue me. I can't help it. There's just something about these furry lemon brain animals that intrigues, entertains, challenges, and ultimately fulfills me.
I've seen this book floating around online for awhile, probably since it was released last year. I didn't really know at all what it was about. But when Adam Curry from the No Agenda podcast recommended it. I had to give it a listen. And if this book could turn the Podfather himself into a "Blubbering Idiot", crying his eyes out. Then it had to be worth reading.
The Read:
So first of all I really enjoyed the book. At least in parts. The way the author went at writing this is very shall we say, different. He had to have spent alot of time trying to figure out the best way to convey the Purpose of a Dog. Most "dog books" you read will generally center on one dog and the story of his or her life. Like Old Yeller, the "Best Doggone Dog in the World", or a group of dogs and cats like Shadow and Chance from "Homeward Bound". (Incidentally Shadow from Homeward Bound is the standard by which all Goldens ought to be judged. ) You get the idea. These kinds of stories follow the life of one dog from birth to death and normally some type of heroics ensues in the middle somewhere.
That is sortof what the author here does. Except not really. You see, I'm onto Mr. Cameron. He wanted to tell the story of how a dog finds his purpose. But there's alot of different dogs out there. All living in different situations, some good, some bad. So how does a dog in a bad situation have a purpose? Or how does a dog in a good situation have a purpose? So instead of writing multiple books, he writes four stories about one dog that's actually four different dogs.
Throughout the book he covers 4 different scenarios.
First, a dog born a feral stray.
Second, a dog born as a Golden Retriever from a proper breeder. That becomes a loving pet.
Third, a German Shepherd search and rescue dog.
Fourth, a Black Lab from champion lines that is abused and neglected.
Here's the odd story mechanism part. All four scenarios involve the dog having the same consciousness. Essentially the dog is constantly being reincarnated. The interesting part is the dog is aware that he's had previous lives. I'm sure he thought about just writing four different dog stories, and turning this into a collection of essays from various dogs, but it would have been much harder to tie the stories together somehow and give it an overall theme.
The best sections are section two and three. One and four are just ok. I mean they're important to the overall story, but I could have lived without them. The stories with the dog as Bailey the Golden Retriever and Elle the German Shepherd work really well on their own, and each I feel could have been expanded into its own book.
Probably the best thing about this book is that it's written entirely from the dogs perspective. Everything is described in painstaking details the way a dog would see it. Mr. Cameron helps you really understand that a dogs world is 75% smell. This is of course why they smell EVERYTHING.
The Review:
George K. Wilson did a phenomenal job narrating this book. There are human characters to voice, and each one gets a unique voice of their own. And it can't be easy narrating the thoughts of a puppy, but somehow he does it masterfully. He's never overly cheesy sounding, and when you're voicing a dogs thoughts, I would think it would be hard to NOT sound cheesy. This is by far one of the best narration jobs I've ever heard. Kudos to Mr. Wilson.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. It was an easy read. And yes there are parts that will turn you into a "Blubbering Idiot" if you have a soft spot deep in your heart somewhere for dogs. The story about Bailey the Golden Retriever and his boy Ethan is proof positive that every young boy needs to grow up with a Golden.
Rating 5/5
-B
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