Olaf Hajek This week in The New York Times Book Review, Walter Vatter reviews “What's a Dog For?†by John Homans, an “engaging and informative book that is both a survey of the latest research on canine cognition and a memoir of his years with his Lab mix, Stella.†Mr. Vatter writes:
Curious about how Stella's brain works and how she adapted to her new famil y, Homans seeks out experts who can explain “the strangeness of having this predator in my home, lying on her back, waiting to get her stomach scratched.†He meets with scientists, trainers and breeders to understand why so many of us bond with dogs, and why dog ownership is on the rise. There were 77 million dogs in America in 2010, up from 53 million in 1996. “We've seen a linear explosion in pet populations in Western countries over the past 40 years,†one researcher says. “People are living more isolated lives, are having fewer children, their marriages aren't lasting. All these things sort of break down a social network and happen to exactly coincide with the growth in pet populations. What's happening is simply that we're allowing animals to fill the gap in our lives.â€
This week, Mr. Homans talks about “What's a Dog For?â€; Leslie Kaufman has notes from the field; Allan Kozinn discusses Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya; and Gregory Cowles ha s best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host.
