Dog Walks Man:
A six-legged Odyssey

John Zeaman

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

This is a touching, witty and thought-provoking exploration of the metaphysical aspects of the simple dog walk. Walking Pete (a standard poodle named after a Ghostbuster) opens the author up to different way of looking at the world. As he discovers more about his neighbourhood - its wild fringes, its natural wonders and the characters within it - so he becomes more aware of man's connections to his environment. Each chapter is a meditation on the wisdom derived from dogs and dog walking.

Woven into the absorbing narrative are the timeless issues of avoiding saying 'w-a-l-k' in canine company; dog walkers' envy of those who find mafia murder victims and the joy of finding wild, no-rules, dog-walking land on your doorstep. John Zeaman's story of how he achieves a Thoreau-like natural harmony through the simple art of walking his dog will lift your spirits and nourish your soul.

About the Author:
John Zeaman is a freelance art critic and the author of several books for children, including How the Wolf Became the Dog. He was thrice honoured by the Society of Silurians, America's oldest press club, for his newspaper column on design in the everyday world. He lives in Leonia, New Jersey, with his wife, Janet Chatfield. They have two grown children.

Review by Gina-Louisen (310511) Rating (8/10)

Review by Gina-LouiseName
Rating 8/10
I was given this book solely to review it and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tales of a man, who is duped into getting a dog by his children and who like Fathers the world over, ends up the one walking it every day.

At first I was a little taken aback by the story content. What on earth would an author have to delicate a 304 page book about dog walking with? But every chapter is filled with beautiful in depth details and descriptions of the area which they walked, the actions of his dog Pete (a standard poodle). The actions of people around him and the consequences of these actions and the characters he meets along the way.

The book is very easy to read due to its short story type format, each chapter is a new adventure and this allows you to put the book down and pick up again quite easily.

I found the book very funny in places some are even laugh out loud moments, which caused some embarrassment on a train one day. But it also brought me to tears in places as well. Its beautifully written, moving, witty and a joy to read. Once you have read it, dog walking will never be the same again.
Gina-Louise (31st May 2011)