WACO, Texas, 13 Feb. 2014— “Humans can only really understand themselves when looking in a mirror that is smudged by a dog’s tongue,” says Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster in her new book, “A Dog’s History of the World” (Baylor University Press, $29.95 cloth, April 1, 2014).
Over 43.4 million American homes have a dog. But dogs’ roles expand beyond just being family members. Canines bravely test equipment for space exploration, courageously fight beside hu- mans in war and selflessly provide physical and emotional therapy for the sick and wounded.
In fact, Hobgood-Oster shows that neither humans nor dogs could have survived without each other. She also explores ethical questions about dogs and humans’ joint past, sharing individual accounts of well-known canines.
“A Dog’s History of the World” speaks to genuine dog-lovers who want to learn more about humankind’s best friend and appeals to readers interested in history, archaeology and animal rights.
Dr. Hobgood-Oster is available for op-eds, interviews and media appearances.
About the author
Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster is the author of “A Dog’s History of the World” (Baylor University Press, 2014) and “The Friends We Keep” (Baylor University Press, 2010). She is Paden Chair and Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies at Southwestern University. Hobgood-Oster received her master’s of divinity from Vanderbilt University and her doctorate from St. Louis University. She was featured in the Humane Society documentary “Eating Mercifully.” She lives with her husband Jack and their two rescue dogs, Codi and Cooper, in Georgetown, Texas and serves as the dog rescue coordinator at Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Georgetown Animal Outreach.
* High resolution cover image is available from [email protected].