A greater appreciation for being home?

[Scott]

Following is a discussion question from the author for the December 2014 book of the month, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein.

Some early readers of the novel have observed that viewing the world through a dog’s eyes makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why do you think this is?

Reading the book definitely lets you appreciate being human. Having thumbs and being able to speak sure does come in handy! What do you think?

[gali]

It certainly caused me to appreciate being human more, though my dog has a perfect life.

We adopted our dog from the Animal Welfare. He was abused before coming to us and now he has great life. I always thought that dogs need luck ending up in the right house.

what kind of adaptation did you do gali?

A friend of mine has an adopted son & when he was little he used to tell anyone new he met that he was adapted

-- December 4th, 2014, 5:57 pm --

lol A typo.

Hello Fran

[Skillian]

I think I giggle every time Enzo showed thumb envy. I totally appreciate a lot of things in a different way... and at least for an hour or two it was fun to go about my day with an awareness of the things I am capable of doing. It is also funny to think of how I might try to accomplish it if I had been a dog instead. Most cases... I simply wouldn't. haha

Being human is great. I watched a movie recently which spoke about earthworms in how they only have two senses. So they basically live in this world and really have no ability to have the vaguest concept of it as a whole. Their lives are so limited.

It also gives some perspective into having appreciation for being a capable human, which is something not all of us are. I can't imagine what it would be like to have a disability. I am completely grateful.

[arooj]

I agree with most of the other poster about the charm of the story is due to the special narrator.


__________


arooj

[Anacoana]

I love books that are told from a nonhuman perspective, and it always gives me a sense of how lucky I am to be able to do the things I do, which is something I think everyone needs once in a while.

[Dando]

I guess I did find myself feeling grateful for being human. Although, I found it irritating how Enzo seemed to worship the human experience, but really railed on other animal species...kind of a self important jerk if you ask me.

[3chicnP]

It makes me appreciate being a human and living in a great home. I always wondered what it would be like to be an animal- it's weird.

[Moribund]

I feel like being human is about the most awesome thing in the world and also the most horrible

We get the chance to feel love so intensely, but oppositely so much pain. We have the ability to use our senses to create shape and experience. However so much of what we do is destroy

Reading the story through a dogs eyes did help me to re-center on the amazing thing it is to be a human. One of the most amazing things right now for me is to be able to share ideas and thoughts through reading and discussion

[Lilapo9]

I thought it was interesting how Enzo wished to be human-like and his dream of being reincarnated as a human showed that he wanted to strive to be more than he was. I saw a connection to a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data. Who although he was an android also was constantly striving become more human. What was interesting was that as Data strove to become more human he had the ability to show others how they often took their own humanity for granted. Enzo in his own way does this for us too.

[freelancer101]

The answer to the question 'Why and How is the human race the best of creations?' lies in this book. Though at times author makes you think that dogs are wiser, they just don't have the power to communicate their thoughts. Being a human you get the power of free will. You can choose to do either good or bad and endure the respective repercussions, but you have a choice. So despite the fact that it is a blessing, it is a big test for us!

[melbuhtoast]

Being a human you get the power of free will. You can choose to do either good or bad and endure the respective repercussions, but you have a choice. So despite the fact that it is a blessing, it is a big test for us!

I agree! I'm not sure that the book gave me a greater appreciation for being human, specifically, but rather it gave me a greater appreciation for my life and what surrounds me. I became aware of all the things pulling me away from what is really important (friends, family, hobbies, etc.). I have a choice and need to be diligent about prioritizing what's important.

[Bookl0ver657]

Yes, I do believe that this book causes you to be grateful for being human. I never really thought about the advantages that thumbs can give humans. They do allow us to do many things. Grabbing, opening, and carrying items are just some of the tasks thumbs can allow us to accomplish. Also, I would find it very hard to communicate feelings and thoughts without being able to speak.
In the words of Enzo, "Gestures are all that I have." Without the power of speech it would be very hard to communicate the need to pee or answer questions people ask you. These are things that we (humans) can accomplish on a daily basis without any struggle. If we only had gestures to communicate, I think our world would be very different and challenging.

I am very grateful to have thumbs and more than gestures to communicate.

[Kappy]

Being human these days is nothing to brag about. Mark Twain had some interesting thoughts on the subject:

"Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in."

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man."

"The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's."

[angelbeats1]

I guess in the end I did find myself greatful for being human. There are so many other things that I could have been. I could have been a mouse, eaten by a cat. An insect killed by pesticides, or even a jellyfish, mindlessly roaming our in the open ocean. Btw some jellies are actually immortal. That would have been interesting though. After this book, I look at my dog differently.

[TammyO]

This novel does give one a greater appreciation for being human. There is so much that we take for granted. Speaking and being able to express ourselves is something that we definitely take for granted. Dogs or just most animals can be very expressive in the looks that they give or their actions even. But you can never truly know what they are thinking or feeling; its so different from being human. We can say what we think or express how feel. There have been times when I wish I knew what my animals were thinking. This is why I can't understand how people could mistreat animals; they are really defenseless and cannot protect themselves in the way that a human can.