Brio: A musical term meaning a directive to perform the indicated passage with vigor, vivacity or spirit. Brio is the perfect name the author chose for her new puppy and the inspiration of Soul Dog. It turns out that the name, meaning spirit, could not have been more perfect. As the author and Brio's relationship develops Ms. Mannes begins to explore the world of animal communicators. Are they "the real thing", are they reading owner's minds, are they con artists, what IS going on with animal commicators or "pet psychics"? Ms. Mannes delves into this as a serious journalist and suffice it to say, the findings are convincing and impressive that yes...it is real. Of course, like all fields I'm sure there are scammers out there, but there is truth too. That said, our animals communicate in their own way no matter who is listening, or not. They do have hearts, minds and souls. I always knew this myself and I've listened in my own way. If you want to know more about Animal Communication I highly suggest this book to learn the facts and the truth, while enjoying the beautiful story of Brio and Elena Mannes.
#netgalley #souldog

If you have ever had a spiritual connection with an animal, I encourage you to read this book. And if you are thinking that such a thing as impossible, I also encourage you to read this book! The author does a beautiful job of expressing the connection between humans and animals, and her case a spirited, loving black poodle named Brio.

I have always been a cat person but fell n love with our dog Suzy 9 years ago when we adopted her from a rescue organization. Having nurtured, loved and kept company with 5 cats in my adulthood, I can honestly say that there are indeed ways to communicate with animals, and them with us.

The author does a brilliant job of weaving actual examples of pet communicators working with a variety of animals, along with scientific studies/research and scenes from her own relationship with a Brio.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read a book like “Soul Dog: A Journey into the Spiritual Life of Animals” by Elena Mannes, which recounts her amazing relationship with her dog, Brio, and their spiritual connection that continued after his death.

I’ll let the Publisher’s Note explain more about their phenomenal spiritual journey, while awarding this unique book 5/5.

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Looking for companionship after a near-fatal car crash, Elena Mannes, an award-winning television journalist and producer, decided to get her first dog. But what she found with her dog Brio shook the foundations of her physical and spiritual worlds, sending her on a quest to discover the nature of his spiritual origins and to contemplate and seek out the possibility of interspecies communication--even after death.

Soon after bringing her puppy home, Mannes realized that the master-companion relationship would not be possible with Brio, who quickly showed that he had a mind--and a spirit--of his own. A healer Mannes visited immediately focused on Brio, exclaiming that he was an old soul. Mannes’s growing curiosity about the intelligence, emotions, and consciousness of Brio and other dogs led her to contact an animal psychic in California who described, with amazing accuracy, Brio’s favorite walks and the author’s apartment from the dog’s point of view. Motivated by her experience, Mannes produced a filmed segment with Diane Sawyer featuring the same psychic, who described Sawyer’s country house and her dog’s favorite spots in the yard. Mannes’s skeptical journalist background compelled her to investigate further. She delved into the world of animal communicators, psychics, and scientists studying animal intelligence, including Rupert Sheldrake, to find answers to her multiplying questions: Do animals have thoughts and feelings? Consciousness? Souls? Is interspecies communication possible? Can animals reincarnate?

Spanning the entire life and afterlife of Brio, including his last days and his messages to the author after he passed on, this book also explores Mannes’ investigations into the spiritual life of animals, offering a new understanding of the unbreakable bond between humans and animals. Mannes invites readers to move beyond the owner-pet relationship and shows us how to see animals as thinking, feeling, spiritual beings whose connections with us extend far beyond life and death.
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Pub Date 13 Nov 2018   

Thanks to Inner Traditions and and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#SoulDog #NetGalley