Dog-gone Good Book

The subtitle of the book, Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics and Organic Pet Food, is what really caught my eye and I just had to read One Nation Under Dog by Michael Schaffer. It was the most statistically driven book I've read to date regarding the 4-legged friend population and the lengths that pet owners now go to so that they feel their animals are well taken care of.  I found myself laughing, and feeling a little guilty, when I found myself within the pages and things quickly came to my attention with how I care for my Miniature Schnauzers:

Yes, both of my puppies go to Doggie Daycare.

Yes, both of my puppies luxuriously lounge on the bed with me and Mr. Smart Guy.

Yes, Mr. Smart Guy is called "Daddy" and I am "Mommy" to our fur babies.

Yes, the puppies' diet is an "upscale, premium food".

Yes, the puppies get lots of toys and treats.

With that being said, I felt right at home within Shaffer's pages.  I am "normal" in the current trends of dog ownership.  The cool thing about this book though is that Schaffer takes a look at the ongoing innards of the pet industry, currently a powerhouse $41 billion dollar generating machine, and how products and services cater to the now 60% of U.S. households who own a pet.

If you're not a dog lover, this read probably won't be for you.  However, if you are like I am and love your dog(s), you'll find lots of information, humor and a reflection of your pet spending habits within the pages of the book.  

"Michael Schaffer has written a thoroughly researched, jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud expose of our love affair with the pets in our lives.  Go find yourself in One Nation Under Dog!"

- Nick Trout, Author

The Trek Favorite

One of the benefits of my recent cross-country trek was the ability to submerse myself into a whole bag, teemed full of books from the library.   As I brought out my belongings to the car for our initial loading, Mr. Smart Guy eyed my prized library bag and said, "Are you sure your going to read all those?"  Of which I quickly answered, "uh-huh" and nodded my head up and down with full confidence.  He chuckled a little and went about loading the car.  

Then, usually every few 800 or 900 hundred miles, I would need to get to the bag so that I could exchange the book I had just finished with a new one from the goodie bag.  What a glorious time of uninterrupted indulgence:  mostly biographies, a little non-fiction in between and topped off with a smattering of a few fiction pieces. 

But, there was one book that has stood out above the rest:  

Grub 

by Elise Blackwell.

It is a contemporary retelling of New Grub Street (George Gissing's classic satire of the literary marketplace written in the late 19th century).  The story followed four main characters who were aspiring writers and revealed the delicate balance between artistic creativity and the criteria mandated for commercial sales.

One of the things I enjoyed most about her writing is the depth of emotion and Blackwell's ability to bring you into the writers' environment as though you were in each discussion, vision casting and career conflict with every character.  I loved it!

It was low on page-filling dialogue, high on the ins and outs of writing and publishing and an easy read on the heart.  I appreciated the lack of crass language and imagery. 

Rating:  9 out of 10!