The Nature of Dogs
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Book Cover
Hardcover
Book Details
Written by Mary Ludington and Patricia Hampl.
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($35.00)
Editorial Review (from Amazon.com)
In The Nature of Dogs, Mary Ludington seeks to capture the true nature of dogs -- their beauty, character, and spirit. Any dog owner will tell you that there is a profound and mysterious connection between humans and their dogs. Our regard for these creatures undeniably runs deeper than mere gratitude for companionship: we respect the unknowable aspect of their natures and understand that at least a part of their true spirit resides outside the human sphere. Though they hunger for our affection, our pets are often most themselves in their natural habitat.Mary Ludington's spectacular and sensitive photographs reflect this understanding, capturing the particular personalities of sixty different breeds, from the handsome and feisty Irish Terrier to the exuberant and hardy Labrador Retriever; from the sleek, high-stepping Italian Greyhound to the snub-nosed, princely Pug. Ludington has her subjects roam outdoors, observing quietly and letting the dogs dictate her shots. The striking collection of more than one hundred twenty-five photographs that results from this natural approach offers us a glimpse of the dogs in their element -- whether caught midstride or in an hour of well-earned repose.
Of course, as Patricia Hampl notes in her foreword, though we may find ourselves drawn to a certain breed's characteristics, our love for dogs inevitably becomes deeply specific; a dog is an individual, not a bloodline. "There is only one dog," she writes, "mine...or of course, yours." This intense relationship between pet and owner is reflected in the set of original, personal essays that accompanies Ludington's photographs. The contributing writers include:
- JAMES HILLMAN, renowned psychologist and prolific author
- MARY GAITSKILL, National Book Award finalist
- TEMPLE GRANDIN, PhD in animal science and spokeswoman for the welfare of animals
- KEVIN KLING, playwright, humorist, and regular contributor to All Things Considered
- WINONA LADUKE, Native American environmental activist and two-time vice-presidential candidate
- PETER TRACHTENBERG, poet, essayist, and short-story writer
Their personal perspectives combine to create a narrative that addresses the nature of the species we call "man's best friend" in a volume you will treasure for years to come.
User Reviews (1) Login or create an account to write a review.
Dale Brayden thinks this book is Nothing Special.
This is a coffee-table book of photos and brief descriptions of about 60 breeds of dogs, and 4 or 5 longer essays about dogs. Each breed is given 2 facing pages, 1 large and 1 small photograph, and about a half-page of text.
Sadly, there is much not to like about this book. The photos are lackluster, for the most part. The author and photographer intended to catch the 'nature' of dogs, but the photos uniformly fail to do that. Playful breeds are not shown as playful, working breeds are sometimes shown working, but without enough context to let the viewer understand what the dog is doing. The photos are all either black and white, sepia, or tinted. I have no idea why. I would have preferred color, since the textual descriptions included references to the dogs' color.
In the introductory essay she points out that each dog is an individual. We don't grow attached to bloodlines but to individual dogs. Yet none of the photos seemed to capture any individuality - the dogs just seemed to be typical of their breed.
The essays were uneven. The essay by Kevin Kling about his lifetime history with dogs was entertaining. The essay by Winona LaDuke on 'rez dogs' was just irritating - Native American origin myths leave me cold (as do all other origin myths). Nothing in LaDuke's essay told me anything that would illuminate the nature of dogs.
The best thing going for this book is that it doesn't take long to read. Still, it was an hour of my life that I'll never get back, and I would not recommend this book to anyone.
... On further reflection, my review may have been a bit harsh. I still would not recommend this book, but I will say that there were a few, only a few, really striking pictures. Specifically: the dachschund bounding over snow; the French bulldog staring straight at the camera, ears up; the Italian greyhound, looking like almost anything other than a dog. But the few compelling photos really do not make up for the book's many faults - those listed above, plus others, such as the really horrible page layout. The worst offense in that regard was the placement of a medium-sized picture in the middle of a page with the text wrapped around, forcing the reader to scan across the picture while trying to read the text. This layout was used on at least 5 pages, indicating to me that nobody proofed the final edition of the book.