The Maxim Chronicles

by Doug Jordan

A story about a year in the life of a dog and his various families. Maxim was a Standard Poodle who lived for a time in Israel only to return to Ottawa as a 'teenager' and learn to accept a whole new family. A memoir full of humour and information as Max and his family enter the world of conformation shows, and finally becoming a champion, in more ways than one. Clearly narrative therapy, it may also prove therapeutic to the reader as well.

220 pages, Paperback

Published June 19, 2016

About the author

Executive Coach by day; author/writer by night, though these days it's mostly writer day and night with the occasional consulting gig.

I have [self-]published eight books so far: the latest a novel about a boy growing up in a small village in 1960s Ontario. In 2020 we released 'Travels With Myself' about my transition through grief to a renewed sense of purpose following a novel in 2019 about the loss of love [Amitié, A Novel]; three on career and management effectiveness [The Dynamics of Management]; and two memoirs about the family dogs [The Maxim Chronicles and its sequel, The Hallelujah Chorus].
My blog, Travels With Myself II continues with reflections on life, purpose, self-discovery, and writing.
I hope to get back to The Philippines soon to continue my research for my next opus, The Girl from Santa Rita. A couple of romances are lurking somewhere too.

I am the Principal in my own firm, AFS Consulting, in Ottawa. Canada. I spent the first twenty years of my career in industry in Human Resources Management, and the next twenty in consulting in organization and management effectiveness. In addition to my books and blogs as Doug Jordan, author, I have also written dozens of articles on management, and life. You can investigate these at http://www.afsconsulting.ca/blog/
I have a B.A. in Politics and Economics and an MBA from Queen’s University, Kingston.

In all these endeavours I hope to entertain, possibly to educate.

Reviews

[Marisa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author writes about the Standard Poodle his wife co-owned with a breeder - the trials and triumphs of dealing with a show dog. Very educational for those that know little about Standard Poodles and dog shows. I bet you don't know the American Kennel Standards for Poodles. Book is also about a family that has had and lost 2 previous dogs and adjusting to the fact that a new dog has his own personality and ways. Some very amusing stories of dealing with a dog.

All animal lovers will love this book. Others may find parts a bit too detailed.
Recommend you read it.

[Liza Ricetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous and entertaining! I could not put this book down. A book for all dog lovers not just poodle enthusiasts. It made me laugh out loud, smile and cry. Maxim was a brilliant, beautiful dog and now his memory is preserved in the pages of this magnificent book!

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my own book! Of course I read it and have mixed feelings about it, as any author would of his issue. Please read it and rate it for me.

[Shannon Christner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book. This novel follows the adventures of a "champion" poodle and the very FUNNY family that owns him. I think Maxim, the poodle, owns the family! Insightful and clever. I laughed out loud and I even shed a tear. The illustrations really helped to give an even clearer picture of the story. Looking forward to more books from this author!

[Christine Cavanaugh-Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book had an enjoyable double impact. I fell in love with this dog and walked away with a deep appreciation for how special an individual Maxim and dogs in general can be. I also thoroughly enjoyed the voice and humor and heart of the author. The book both took me someplace where I walked away with insight and laughs.