Sunday, June 24, 2007

Merle's Door

Ok, world - you're preaching to the choir here!

It seems every time I turn around lately, there's another article or book that discusses the question, "can dogs really think?". (Based on the last post, perhaps we would be better served if we worked on the way we humans think, but I digress). The most recent piece of prose that I've delved into on the subject is "Merle's Door". The story of a stray dog, an avid outdoorsman, and the friendship between them that began the day the dog wandered into the man's camp and chose to stay.

  • For those of you that love a good dog story - this one's a 5.
  • For those of you that love history and research - I'd say this one's a 5 (am I the only one that didn't know that B.F. Skinner developed clicker training based on his research with operant conditioning?)
  • For those of you in to romance novels - this one could work, also. With the added bonus of having both kinds of romance (both the author and Merle have girl troubles).
  • For proof that dog nirvana exists on this earth - search no further.
  • For those who hated the ending in Old Yeller - this book isn't for you.
For all those I didn't cover above, I'd recommend it anyway. It's a wonderful book, with a delightful story that is beautifully told by a man who dearly loves his subject. What more can you ask for from a book?

2 comments:

Sara Latta said...

I think I have to read this book. But you gave away the ending--sob!

Speak(er) said...

Sara: I wouldn't ordinarily give away the ending, but you can't even get through the first chapter without knowing where the story is going. You don't know how, you don't know when, you just know it's inevitable.