Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

At the age of 55 I began my first ever love affair with Jackson. He was a 12 week old Golden puppy and he took my heart completely into his keeping the day he rode home on my lap from the breeder. We had a good life and at the age of 12 1/2 he left for the Rainbow Bridge. That final day, in the comfort room at the vet, I sat in the floor, face to face with him looking into his eyes as he looked into mine. There I saw reflected tenderness, a little bit of fear and resignation but still the unbridled bond/love we shared. I loved him even more in that moment than I ever had, and he knew it. He laid down, head in my lap and closed his eyes and went peacefully on his way. It's been three months since that day and I have prayed every day that he truly knew how much he meant to me. Gregory Berns' recount of the Dog Project has given me great insight into the whole love affair I had with Jackson, and has assured me that all those moments of eye contact and caressing were truly reciprocal. The work is a great discussion of how it 'happens' with humans and their pets, especially dogs. There were times during the reading that I wanted less discussion of the science of fMRI and wanted to get to the real answer of my question, "Did Jackson love me?" In the end, however, even though it is a lengthy discussion of how the whole MRI process works and how it is applied scientifically, it was an 'easy to read and consider' recap, and it made perfect sense why the discussion was necessary. If you love a dog, read this book and find out how to glean even more of the euphoria you experience when the love from him or her begins to show. You are not crazy. You are not imagining it. You can make it even bigger and better if you understand "why." I thought never to have another dog. How could I surpass this past perfection? Now, I'm not so sure. What if I could do it again and make it better? I wept again in my grief. Now I rejoice in the respect and love that Berns and his family share with their pets and appreciate all the efforts, care and concern the team displayed in the whole project process. Thanks for telling me.