If readers have ever loved a dog, this book will resonate deeply with them

The Best Dog in the World edited by Alice Hoffman is a series of essays by established authors writing about something they feel passionate about, speaking straight from their hearts about their dogs. There’s not a dud among these stories, and why should there be? Some of the greatest writing known to humanity comes at the hands of a subject an author is passionate about, writing from the very core of his or her being. Every one of these stories is different, each unique and so well told. If a reader has ever loved a dog, this book will resonate deeply with them; if a reader has never had that experience, they will be enlightened, perhaps even motivated to seek their own canine soulmate at some point. 

One aspect I loved about this book was how much each author learned from their dog: about their dogs, themselves, love, and loss. There is also a great deal of humor in the book as well. One effect the essays had on me was to make me create a list of these authors to ensure if I’ve never read anything else by them before, I remedy that, because I can see their standard of excellence. I enjoyed hearing the different authors’ voices in the Audible narration of my Kindle edition. As I read, there was a recurring thought about parity for cats. Perhaps we need a book of writers’ essays about their favorite cats. It might be interesting how similar or different it would turn out. I appreciated the honesty of those authors who admitted they were never dog people, but for the sake of a partner they loved, they enlarged their comfort zone, bravely walked inside it, and to a member, became a convert.

Humans and animals have such a powerful connection, whether it’s an emotionally struggling child bonding with a therapy horse, an assisted living community that allows residents to keep their pets, or at least allow visits from them. We see it online in countless videos about animals rescued during hurricanes, fishermen who free sea turtles or larger fish from bags, nets, or ropes entangling them, whales who come in close to kayakers because they are so curious, or porpoises who leap joyfully out of the surf in the wake of speedboats, or in the majesty of a large moose walking in the woods of the Tetons. Life without animals is unimaginable, and a decade or more living with a dog leaves paw prints on your heart. Who among us can’t fathom those depths?