The Life & Love of Dogs

In this a sequel to The Life & Love of Cats, Blackwell compiles a massive number photos of all manner of dogs from a variety of contributing photographers. It’s difficult to flip through this collection of candid and posed shots without feeling some sort of kinship or fondness for the animals: images of a mud-covered Havanese proudly bounding toward its owner bearing a stick, a sheepdog watching over his charges, a wistful bulldog, and a Münsterländer racing through the surf are sure to spur some emotions. Blackwell includes a combination of quotes, images, and a narrative about the species and how its evolutionary path dovetailed with our own. He even examines the trend of dog-as-fashion-accessory. The book’s visual style is certainly appealing but sometimes at the expense of the content—the featured dogs in the photos are never identified by breed and sources for the quotes and photographs are often left to the backmatter. If readers can forgive those flaws, they’ll find this to be a terrific reminder of the roles dogs play in our lives and will feel a deeper appreciation for the species. It’s sure to invite many a casual flip-through when placed on the coffee table. 150 color photos. (Oct.)