Irene Taylor

As Ted Kerasote talks about his dog Merle’s relationship with himself and other humans and specifically the thoughts and motivations that drive Merle’s actions, Kerasote reveals his own inner self. The anthropomorphic style of ascribing human qualities to Merle leads the reader to atavistic (ancient, ancestral) memories that uncover not only Merle’s unconscious but also some of the collective unconscious of Ted and his readers. This book tells us as much about we humans as it does dogs and wolves. So much so that one can only hope that Ted might apply his incredible skills of scientific and psychological research with critical thinking to an autobiography of himself in relation to others both human and animal. There is much more to this book than meets the casual eye. My only regret is not reading it in 2007 when it first appeared. Instead I stumbled upon it in a used bookstore in Owen Sound. I am still grateful to have stumbled upon it. Irene Taylor