Lucy Reviews .... What The Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcom Gladwell

I'll be the first to admit that when I picked up What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by Malcom Gladwell, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not much of a nonfiction fan, and I had never even heard of Mr. Gladwell. It turns out that he's been a staff writer at The New Yorker for years and his modus operandi is simply write about what interests him. For example, in one article, he profiles Ron Popeil and the Popeil family's history of hawking gadgets on boardwalks and at carnivals. In another one, he describes how the American education system has a "quarterback problem" and proposes an interesting solution (which, it seems, has gained some traction in the last few years.

But it is the titular essay--What the Dog Saw--that fascinated me the most because, lately, I've been wondering about Bailey. For months, I assumed that Bailey and I were pretty much alike. We both walked on all fours. We both like to drink out of the water dish (although when I get caught doing that, I get yelled at). And we both enjoy competing for mommy's attention.

But guess what? We're not the same. Bailey's an entirely different species. I started to piece this together after I learned to walk and when I realized that I didn't go to the bathroom in the neighbor's yard (usually). So this naturally made me curious about how Bailey sees the world.

Well, this book answers that in an incredibly fascinating profile of Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Why do dogs respond to him and not their owners? What do they see that we can't seem to see in his body language?

Some other gems in the book include essays on ketchup, hair dye, the paradoxes of intelligence reform, why smart people might be over-rated, and how one man foresaw the recent economic collapse and made millions.

After reading these essays straight through, Mr. Gladwell's formula becomes sort of predictable ("Here are two seemingly unrelated things--let me show you how they're actually very closely related"), but no less enjoyable for it. In fact, it is sort of fun to try to guess how he is going to connect, for example, Chase Daniel, the former Missouri quarterback who had contended for the Heisman Trophy, with our country's much-needed education reform.

I give What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures 8.0 rattles out of 10. If you've ever wondered about why you can buy hundreds of varieties of mustard, but only one type of ketchup, or if you are just interested in an in-depth look at what appears, at first glance, to be minutia, then you should pick up this book. It will be released on October 20, 2009, and I imagine most booksellers will have it. Or you could just click any of the links here and pre-order it on Amazon.

Thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group for passing What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures along.

I have a few other reviews in the coffers, including Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame by Jim Dent and Netherland by Joseph O'Neill.

Also, check back later today when I unveil something new here on LEBSAB!