The life & love of dogs

In this a sequel to The Life & Love of Cats, Blackwell compiles a massive number photos of all manner of dogs from a variety of contributing photographers. It's difficult to flip through this collection of candid and posed shots without feeling some sort of kinship or fondness for the animals: images of a mud-covered Havanese proudly bounding toward its owner bearing a stick, a sheepdog watching over his charges, a wistful bulldog, and a Munsterlander racing through the surf are sure to spur some emotions. Blackwell includes a combination of quotes, images, and a narrative about the species and how its evolutionary path dovetailed with our own. He even examines the trend of dog-as-fashion-accessory. The book's visual style is certainly appealing but sometimes at the expense of the content-the featured dogs in the photos are never identified by breed and sources for the quotes and photographs are often left to the backmatter. If readers can forgive those flaws, they'll find this to be a terrific reminder of the roles dogs play in our lives and will feel a deeper appreciation for the species. It's sure to invite many a casual flip-through when placed on the coffee table. 150 color photos. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

With two "The Life & Love of" best sellers (Trees; Cats), as well as collaborations with photographer Tim Flach (Dogs; More Than Human), former creative head of Getty Images Blackwell has established a reputation for visually compelling, thoughtfully informative books. This volume combines images from various photographers, dog-related quotes, and his essays in a hefty text that commands the reader's full attention. While celebrating our four-legged friends in their many shapes, sizes, colors, and breeds, the author also contemplates the less-than-cuddly aspects of our relationship with them: small breeds such as Chihuahuas become accessories to be abandoned like fashion fads; dogs are used in medical research that does not benefit them. Blackwell marvels at dogs' amazing physical abilities and intelligence: their sense of smell vastly exceeds that of humans, and they have increased roles in military and therapy work. The final pages index the quotes, breeds, and images, some of which (e.g., quote attribution) might have been integrated with the text, saving readers from flipping back and forth. Verdict Readers who have enjoyed Blackwell's other books will delight in this beautiful, contemplative analysis of dogs as a species and as human companions.-Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.