The Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving: How Dogs Have Captured Our Hearts for Thousands of Years

by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Overview

From the New York Times–bestselling author of When Elephants Weep, “a fascinating exploration of the unique relationship” between humans and canines (Booklist).

Animal lovers get ready – Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, international bestselling author of the “winning and wise” Dogs Never Lie About Love (San Francisco Chronicle ) is back with an inspiring, heart-warming, and deeply personal exploration of the unique relationship between humans and dogs.

As in When Elephants Weep, The Face on Your Plate, and The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, Masson blends cultural mythology, scientific research, and stories of his own experiences to tackle deep questions about the emotional lives of humans and animals. His compelling, elegant, and often humorous narrative about the love people feel for dogs gives a new perspective on the extraordinary relationship between our species.

“Masson is at his most personal and appealing in this book, especially when he writes about Benjy.” —Publishers Weekly

“[An] enjoyable book for dog lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062014320
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is the author of twenty-five books, including the New York Times bestselling When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie About Love, as well as The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, The Face on Your Plate, and The Assault on Truth. An American, he lives in New Zealand.

Hometown:

Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Birth:

March 28, 1941

Place of Birth:

Chicago, Illinois

Education:

B.A., Harvard, 1964; Toronto Institute of Psychoanalysis, 1978, Ph.D. in Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard, 1970

What People are Saying About This

Ted Kerasote

“In his story of Benjy, the dog who couldn’t stop loving, Masson does a thought-provoking job of leveling the playing field between us and other species while also posing fascinating questions about the emotional makeup of our closest companion in the animal kingdom, our dogs.”

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

“I greatly enjoyed this remarkable book, not only for it’s captivating narrative, but also for fascinating information which will surprise even those who love animals and are attuned to the natural world. Jeffrey Masson writes amazing books, and this one is true to form. It’s excellent.”

Editorial Reviews

Masson (When Elephants Weep) explores the unique bond between humans and dogs in a humdrum and highly repetitive book that is illuminated at points by the author's odes to his own companion, Benjy, a failed guide dog with an unrestrained capacity to love people. Masson ruminates on the mutual interdependence between the two species--a love affair going back at least 15,000 years--and examines ancient myths and new research that suggest how man and dog have evolved together. He juxtaposes our emotional similarities to dogs and to our other domesticated animals, including cats, horses, parrots, and pigs. Even if the material seems stretched and familiar--fans of the genre will likely have encountered many of Masson's observations in Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin and Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz--Masson is at his most personal and appealing in this book, especially when he writes about Benjy. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

I greatly enjoyed this remarkable book, not only for it’s captivating narrative, but also for fascinating information which will surprise even those who love animals and are attuned to the natural world. Jeffrey Masson writes amazing books, and this one is true to form. It’s excellent.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs

“In his story of Benjy, the dog who couldn’t stop loving, Masson does a thought-provoking job of leveling the playing field between us and other species while also posing fascinating questions about the emotional makeup of our closest companion in the animal kingdom, our dogs.” — Ted Kerasote, author of Merle’s Door

“Masson is at his most personal and appealing in this book, especially when he writes about Benjy.” — Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable book for dog lovers.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

I greatly enjoyed this remarkable book, not only for it’s captivating narrative, but also for fascinating information which will surprise even those who love animals and are attuned to the natural world. Jeffrey Masson writes amazing books, and this one is true to form. It’s excellent.

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

In his story of Benjy, the dog who couldn’t stop loving, Masson does a thought-provoking job of leveling the playing field between us and other species while also posing fascinating questions about the emotional makeup of our closest companion in the animal kingdom, our dogs.

Ted Kerasote

An enjoyable book for dog lovers.

Kirkus Reviews