The Wolf in the Parlor The Story of How the Dog Stole a Piece of Your Brain
From a Pulitzer-Prize winning storyteller, a mind-altering work no dog lover or science watcher should be without. The old man’s bones lay in the shadows at the bottom of the pit. Time and the chemistry of the grave had done its obliterating work and his flesh had melted into the surrounding earth. His bones, calcium white in life, had slowly turned a dark earthen brown. His lay with his right arm extended in a full reach toward a smaller skeleton. A puppy. With this startling image, master storyteller Jon Franklin hurls the reader into the enthralling true tale of how humans and dogs evolved into a symbiotic team. Much has been written about dogs, their behavior, their breeding, their training. But no one has addressed the basic question: Why? Why are dogs found everywhere, even in city apartments? Why do we expect American presidents to bring dogs to the White House? Why do people either love or hate dogs? Why did Mao Tse Tung try to ban them? Why did Chinese citizens risk Mao's death sentence to keep their beloved dogs? The grave of a 12,000-year-old man and a puppy set Franklin on a quest to answer these questions. Franklin's journey began with the arrival of his own puppy and lasted 20 years. The Wolf in the Parlor is a riveting tale of love, betrayal, desperation and hope. With his standard poodle Charlie as guide, Franklin weaves a story through archeology, neurochemistry, psychological and behavioral sciences to uncover the secrets behind the human/canine bond. His stunning conclusion will satisfy both dog and science lovers.