Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1605980331 ISBN 13: 9781605980331

Verlag: Pegasus Books, 2009

This fascinating book charts the relationship between Mark Rowlands, a rootless philosopher, and Brenin, his well-traveled wolf. After acquiring Brenin as a cub, it quickly became apparent that Breinin was never to be left alone, as the consequences to Mark’s house and its contents were dire. As a result, Brenin and Mark went everywhere together―from classroom lecture to Ireland, England, and France. More than just an exotic pet, Brenin exerted an immense influence on Rowlands as both a person, and, strangely enough, as a philosopher, leading him to re-evaluate his attitude to love, happiness, nature and death. By turns funny (what do you do when your wolf eats your air-conditioning unit?) and poignant, this life-affirming book will make you reappraise what it means to be human.

About the Author:

Mark Rowlands is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Miami and the author of The Philosopher and the Wolf. His books have been translated into fifteen languages.

From Booklist:

“The wolf . . . is the clearing in the human soul. The wolf uncovers what is hidden.” A philosophy professor and author (Body Language, 2006), Rowlands grew up with dogs, big dogs, so when he saw an advertisement for wolf cubs, he went to have a look. When he saw the soft, fluffy cubs and their imposing parents, he took one home that day. Since his new pup, called Brenin, could not be at home alone without leaving utter destruction in his wake, Rowlands begain to take him everywhere. By training the wolf to take his lead, Rowlands taught Brenin how to be comfortable with all sorts of circumstances. Their remarkable closeness, both physical and mental, led to this book—a sort of autobiography mixed with wolf philosophy, human philosophy, and an exploration of the bonds between human and animal. Discussing what humans can learn from wolves, Rowlands elevates the run-of-the-mill memoir about life with an exotic pet into something more, a treatise on the meaning of true companionship. This one moves well beyond the Rascal mode. --Nancy Bent