Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of The Word of Dog. This thoughtful and engaging work offers a unique philosophical meditation on existence through the eyes of our canine companions. Rowland blends endearing anecdotes from his own life with dogs, general reflections on the nature of our relationships with them, and deeper philosophical musings on the meaning of life.

Rowland’s writing is insightful yet approachable, making this a perfect read (or listen) for anyone interested in exploring the profound mysteries of existence while considering the important role dogs play in our lives. This book offers both intellectual stimulation and emotional warmth for canine lovers everywhere.

Additionally, the audiobook format provides a perfect companion for your daily dog walks!

Generally an ok book; part love letter to the author's dogs and part intro to philosophy. The narrator had some annoying quirks with accents, but generally did a good job. While the philosophy was well explained, it wasn't totally convincing - the Sartre section especially could have used a little bit more explanation. And while I love *my dogs* and try to learn from them, I don't have the same emotional connection to the author's dogs, so the bouncing between emotional descriptions of his dogs to detailed philosophical explanations was a bit whiplashy. Good but not my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was not what I was expecting. It is a highly analytical and philosophical book about how dogs have helped the author grow as a person and help explain some behaviors of dogs and the fallible thought process that humans can have with assigning human-like behavior to dogs.

If you like a more philosophical kind of book, this would be for you. For me, I just could not get into it, but it's not a bad book.