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Two Thousand
Years of Literary, Royal, Philosophical, and Artistic Dog
Lovers and Their Exceptional Animals
Mikita Brottman
Harper
October 7, 2014/ ISBN 9780062304612
Non-Fiction / Dog & Human bond
Reviewed
by Linda Morelli
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In The Great Grisby, Mikita Brottman, Ph.D., an Oxford-educated scholar,
critic and psychoanalyst, discusses why people tend to choose
certain breeds of dogs, and how owners can easily become passionate
about their dogs. She includes many famous authors, artists,
politicians and influential personages, as well as fictional
characters, in asking the question: Do dogs truly reflect
specific traits and/or personalities of the humans with whom
they interact?
Ms. Brottman does an excellent job in presenting us with numerous
possibilities and includes fascinating facts about the origins
of various breeds and their uses. For instance, “lap
dogs” were originally used to provide heat in olden
days. I'm not surprised. My two lap dogs can generate 100
plus degrees even on the coldest of days.
While some dogs are raised for protection, others can be a
source of calm, or confidants with whom one can share fears
and emotions without fear of recrimination. A dog is a faithful
companion whose love is unconditional. A dog is loyal, steadfast
and, while not always on the best behavior, can be a source
of laughter and definitely love.
All the facts revealed in this book are fascinating, but I
enjoyed the chapter endings most, in which Ms. Brottman illustrates
how that chapter’s topic relates to her adorable French
bulldog, Grisby. Many times she had me laughing out loud.
I smiled each time I found echoes of my own dogs’ adorable
canine idiosyncrasies.
For Ms. Brottman, Grisby reveals “how dog is the mirror
of man.” Perhaps that’s truly why we love our
dogs: they’re a reflection of our inner selves. As a
source of bountiful facts and keen observations on the unique
human-dog relationship, The Great Grisby is a must
read book for all dog owners.
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