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70th out of 186 books
—
273 voters
The New Work of Dogs: Tending to Life, Love, and Family
by
Jon Katz (Goodreads Author)
In an increasingly fragmented and disconnected society, dogs are often treated not as pets, but as family members and human surrogates. The New Work of Dogs profiles a dozen such relationships in a New Jersey town, like the story of Harry, a Welsh corgi who provides sustaining emotional strength for a woman battling terminal breast cancer; Cherokee, companion of a man who...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
June 8th 2004
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2003)
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I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Jon Katz's writing. Some of it I really love. This one, unfortunately, falls more on the "hate" side. I think Katz has learned a LOT about dogs in the 5 years since he wrote this. This book touches on the idea that dogs are no longer being used for work (herding, hunting, etc.) and are being used more as emotional support for people. To get to this end, he discusses the lives of a handful of people from the town he lived in. The stories about the peop...more
I highly enjoyed and recommend this book. I have not read Katz's other books, but I anxiously look forward to it based on The New Work of Dogs. He addresses many issues I've often thought about through the use of individual vignettes of dog owners. The stories are both literal and allegorical, full of examples of good and bad, right and wrong, and how the lines between the two are many, many shades of grey.
Have you ever been annoyed by a friend who posts about his/her dog constantly, calls them...more
Have you ever been annoyed by a friend who posts about his/her dog constantly, calls them...more
Jon Katz reviews how Americans treat their dogs and how dogs fulfill people's lives in this book. Dogs have changed from something that helps you put food on the plate, watches the house, or catches rats to a confidant, companion and perhaps even reason for living. He compares it to how society in the US has become more disjointed, so that even though there are more people we know less about each other. He proposes that as one of the main reasons many people have elevated dogs to that position i...more
I loved this book. The author speaks about how the "new work" of dogs is to provide emotional support for humans, as opposed to their
"old work" which was hunting and herding. There were a lot of short stories about pet owners and their dogs. They were not cheesy or sappy like the "Chicken Soup" kind of stories, though. In our contemporary world, for some, it is difficult to initiate and/or maintain the relationships and connections with humans that we require. For some, dogs provide this emotio...more
"old work" which was hunting and herding. There were a lot of short stories about pet owners and their dogs. They were not cheesy or sappy like the "Chicken Soup" kind of stories, though. In our contemporary world, for some, it is difficult to initiate and/or maintain the relationships and connections with humans that we require. For some, dogs provide this emotio...more
I LOVE DOGS. I LOVED THIS BOOK. IT IS ABOUT THE BONDS BETWEEN HUMANS AND THEIR CANINE FRIENDS, SOMETIMES ORDINARY OFTEN TIMES, AMAZING. A WOMAN WHO IS DYING OF CANCER AND WHOSE LOVE FOR HER SMALL DOG HELPS HER THROUGH THE PAINFULL PROCESS OF DYING ALONE. A RESERVED HUSBAND WHO DOES NOT FEEL TRUE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH HIS WIFE AND KIDS, BUT BONDS WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH THE FAMILY DOG. A WOMAN WHO HAS LED AN ISOLATED EXISTENCE: FRIENDLESS AND DATELESS WHOSE LOVE FOR HER DOG RE-INTRODUCES HER TO S...more
Jun 22, 2012
Lacey Louwagie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
animals,
non-fiction
I found this book at a Goodwill while I was on my honeymoon. Each chapter details a different person's unique relationship with his or her dog, and shows how, in many cases, dogs are filling a particular emotional need. In one chapter, we see a boy who beats his dog to "toughen the dog up" so that the boy feels less threatened in his neighborhood; in another chapter, we see a woman who wanted children but never had them, who then "babies" her dog to the extent that she can't bear to discipline h...more
Jan 15, 2011
Erin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
dog lovers
Recommended to Erin by:
received as gift
Shelves:
books-read-in-2011
As a dog lover, I really enjoyed this book. I especially liked that how the author integrated theory and research into the stories of people he met. Reading the chapters on the people and dogs he had met was very interesting, especially in light of the questions he raised: Are these new responsibilities we are asking/expecting dogs to take on good for either them or us? It's a question that is hard to answer and easy to ignore. Most importantly, though, it's a question that probably doesn't real...more
One of the best gifts I ever received was this book. It is without question one of THE most insightful, compassionate yet realistic work on dogs, behavior and our relationships with dogs that I have EVER read. (including textbooks and animal behavior tomes). Jon's deep love for dogs is quite evident, but his ability to analyze and evaluate them dispassionately is equally displayed here. I recognized a lot of people, behaviors and dogs here, and learned a lot, too.
An engaging, fast read, if you like reading about dogs. The author is a journalist who writes about his neighbors' dogs in Montclair, NJ. He thinks that "attachment theory" (this is where "attachment parenting" comes from, btw) explains why dogs are so important to many people today. They can fill in the emotional gaps in needy peoples' lives - as demonstrated by "The Divorced Dog Club" (a group of women), several seniors, a teenager, a dog rescue worker, a lonely businessman, etc.
The flip side...more
The flip side...more
A good book, even if I don't always agree with Jon Katz. He's REALLY smart, and he approaches most things from a fairly jounalistic viewpoint where he is just the reporter, reporting the facts ma'am. Then he tosses in some research and offers his thoughts on what place dogs have taken in our lives.
The section of this book where he follows the young man who has a pit bull that he brutalizes to 'toughen it up' was painful for me. I actually felt a panicky, tight feeling in my chest, where I wanted...more
The section of this book where he follows the young man who has a pit bull that he brutalizes to 'toughen it up' was painful for me. I actually felt a panicky, tight feeling in my chest, where I wanted...more
I did not feel that this book offered any real insight into dogs and their owners. The people and dogs that he profiles are vaguely interesting but he doesn't seem to make any real points about what work dogs are doing except being companions. Granted, each dog may be a companion to a person in an entirely different way, but that is to be expected.
A great look into human's relationship with their canine companions. This series of short stories (non-fiction) will have you wondering what work your dog does for you. Fascinating read for dog lovers or anyone interested in the sociological and psychological impact dogs have on our lives.
How can anyone call himself a dog lover when he stands by and watches a CHILD BEAT a dog with a board and not do a thing to stop it. It's disgusting. You should be ashamed of yourself Mr. Katz. So glad I got this book out of the library and didn't spend my hard earned money on it.
I learned from Mr. Katz how not to have unrealistic expectations of my beloved German wire-haired pointer, Rex. He was one of the great loves of my life -- maybe THE love of my life so far. (Rex died in July 2008 at the age of 12 years, 9 months.)
Interesting book discussing how our relationships with dogs and their roles in our lives have changed over time. Not as detailed or entertaining as "One Nation Under Dog," but still an absorbing read for people who care about dogs.
Dec 13, 2007
Tina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People interested in human/canine relationships
This book like A Dog Year explores the relationship between human and canine, but goes past the author's personal experiences as he interviews other dog owners, vets, breeders, trainers,etc. to explore how the work of dogs has changed in the latter part of the 20th century. Often sad or bittersweet these stories illustrate both the immense positives that come out of these relationships but also the abuse and neglect that occurs when dogs are not seen to be living up to their expected roles. I of...more
Dogs relationship to man has changed over thousands of years. What is the dogs new role in respect to its human companion? What do we expect, sometime unfairly, of this creature? Jon Katz takes on this important question.
This is an interesting perspective on how we have molded dogs into our human lives. Read it if you dare, but you might find you will conflict with Jon's conclusions or BETTER yet, you may see yourselves on his pages.
I'm beginning to really like Jon Katz. This book gives a general introduction and then each chapter is a story about a different person somehow involved with dogs. The stories range from the rescue groups to the families that own a dog but don't want to put the time into training it to the people who dote on their dogs to their own detriment.
Very similar work to "Pack of Two," but about other people's relationships with dogs instead of the author's. Some touching stories, but I'm not sure if it was necessarily illuminating or useful.
Katz argues that the work of dogs has changed from tasks such as fetching nets and corralling animals (while also offering companionship) to filling emotional voids in humans' lives. But he cautions that while this "new work" can lead to extraordinarily beautiful relationships, many dogs end up victimized by the unrealistic demands placed on them -- owners who expect their dogs to have human minds, owners who give little in the way of structure and support but ask for flawless behavior ... the l...more
Interesting for people who think about the roles that dogs play in our lives. Also interesting stories about Montclair, New Jersey.
Anecdotal, but I think Katz is on to something. Dogs do more emotional labor for us than they ever have.
So many of these stories were heart breaking. I got so mad sometimes, and then other times my heart lifted.
Very real, true-life account of the many different relationships people have with their dogs.
Not my favorite book of his, but still a fun read.
I enjoyed this book but I didn't buy into the author's complete thesis. He states that because people are no longer interacting with one another they use pets to fill the void. However, a dog is a dog...and can't fill the empty.
For example, the author would say that I am using dogs to fill the void of not having children. I agreed with some of his points and disagreed with others. This book was also emotionally charged in some chapters. Yes, I cried. It was also a discussion starter and it fuel...more
For example, the author would say that I am using dogs to fill the void of not having children. I agreed with some of his points and disagreed with others. This book was also emotionally charged in some chapters. Yes, I cried. It was also a discussion starter and it fuel...more
The best book about dogs that I know of.
Read in 2007
Katz always manages to make me feel like I've had a good chat about dogs with a good friend. A thought provoking book about contemporary relationships with dogs.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All About Animals: The New Work of Dogs by Jon Katz-Chapters 6 to 10 | 1 | 3 | Aug 29, 2012 09:18am | |
| All About Animals: The New Work of Dogs by Jon Katz -Discuss Chapt. 1 to 5 | 1 | 3 | Aug 29, 2012 09:14am |
Jon Katz is an author, photographer, and children's book writer. He lives on Bedlam Farm with his wife, the artist Maria Wulf, his four dogs, Rose, Izzy, Lenore and Frieda, two donkeys, Lulu and Fanny, and two barn cats. His next book, "Rose In A Storm" will be published by Random House on October 5.
He is working on a collection of short stories and a book on animal grieving.
More about Jon Katz...
He is working on a collection of short stories and a book on animal grieving.
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