Being a Dog
Written by Alexandra Horowitz
Narrated by Alexandra Horowitz
4/5
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About this audiobook
In her “fascinating book…Horowitz combines the expertise of a scientist with an easy, lively writing style” (The New York Times Book Review) as she imagines what it is like to be a dog. Guided by her own dogs, Finnegan and Upton, Horowitz sets off on a quest through the cutting-edge science behind the olfactory abilities of the dog. In addition to speaking to cognitive researchers and smell experts, Horowitz visits detection-dog trainers and training centers; she meets researchers working with dogs to detect cancerous cells and anticipate epileptic seizure or diabetic shock; and she even attempts to smell-train her own nose.
As we come to understand how rich, complex, and exciting the world around us is to the canine nose, Horowitz changes our perspective on dogs forever. Readers will finish this book feeling that they have broken free of their human constraints and understanding smell as never before; that they have, for however fleetingly, been a dog. And, as The Boston Globe says about Being a Dog, “becoming more doglike, not surprisingly, can make anyone’s life a little more vivid.”
Alexandra Horowitz
Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know; Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell; Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond; and The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves. She teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She lives with her family of Homo sapiens, Canis familiaris, and Felis catus in New York City.
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Reviews for Being a Dog
59 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fantastic journey in the dog’s own world. Recommended to any dog owners.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5As I think others have noted, I wanted this book to be more about, well, being a dog. The parts about the anatomy behind canine olfactory abilities and working dogs were really interesting; I started skipping over the parts about human olfaction because I just didn't care enough. I am confirmed in my desire to find canine nosework classes for Basil.
Also, in my chauvinism, I definitely wanted this book to say SOMETHING about Basset Hounds, for goodness' sake! (Though I think one of her implications throughout is that all of this is less determined by breed than is popularly assumed--i.e. ultimately, when presented with a scenting challenge, the difference between Basil and the pit bull mix down the street has more to do with motivation than innate ability.) - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book had an interesting take on a dog's sense of smell. Instead of just talking about smell in terms of the dog, the author tries in various ways to test and develop her own nose. Very interesting.