Dog's Purpose (Cameron)

A Dog's Purpose 
W. Bruce Cameron, 2010
Tom Dougherty Assoc.
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780765388117


Summary
Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend.

This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

Bailey's story continues in A Dog's Journey, the charming New York Times and USA Today bestselling direct sequel to A Dog's Purpose. (From the publisher.)

Don't miss the 2017 movie version with Dennis Quaid. Be sure to take a hanky—that goes for guys, too!

Author Bio
• Birth—1960
• Where—Petosky, Michigan, USA
• Education—West Minster College
• Awards—(for journalism: see below)
• Currently—lives in California


William Bruce Cameron is an American author, columnist, and humorist. He is most famous for his novel A Dog's Purpose (2010) which spent 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is the first book in a two book series that concludes with A Dog's Journey.

 A Dog's Purpose, both hard- and soft-cover, spent a year on the New York Times Bestseller list. It became the basis for the 2017 film with Dennis Quaid, Britt Robertson, Peggy Lipton, K.J. Apa, Juilet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz and Pooch Hall.

Cameron is also the author of the best-selling self-improvement book, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2011) which was later adapted into the ABC sitcom of the same name that aired between 2002 and 2005. His book, 8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter, released in 2008, already had a Hollywood movie deal before its publication, with 89 Films and Wendy Finerman, producer of The Devil Wears Prada.

Cameron is the author of How to Remodel a Man (2004), which was excerpted (before publication) in the August 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, and was the subject of the November 1, 2005 Oprah Show.

He is also a columnist for Hawaii's MidWeek Newspaper, with his "8 Simple Rules" column named after his bestselling, a humorous cautionary tales and memories of his life.

Awards
2006 - Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor
2006 - National Society of Newspaper Columnists Award for Best Humor
2011 - Columnist of the Year National Society of Newspaper Columnists. (Author bio adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 2/1/2017.)

Book Reviews
This is an exquisite, magical, fantastic book. I devoured it in a, "I-resent-anything-that-prevents-me-from-getting-back-to-the-book-why-do-I-have-to-work-my-kid-is-almost-six-can't-he-drive-himself-to-school?" way. I adored Bailey, the dog narrator, and though I got teary, I absolutely loved this book. You should quickly fetch "A Dog's Purpose," an exemplar of the literary canine canon.
Duncan Strauss -  NPR, Talking Animals


A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooe...fiction debut.... Cameron also successfully captures the essence of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily, unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul.
Publishers Weekly


Through his many lives, Bailey searches for his purpose, his reason for living and living again. Bailey's courage and determination are tested as he travels towards his goal. Verdict: By turns funny, heartwarming, and touching without being overly sentimental.
Library Journal


Through all [his] lives, Bailey contemplates his purpose in a voice full of curiosity and humor. He ruminates on the usefulness of cats (“none”) and the strange natures of humans (“Am I a good dog or a bad dog? They can’t decide”). This quickly paced, touching novel will charm all animal fans. —Kaite Mediatore Stover
Booklist


[T]he spiritual journey of a dog through four incarnations.... Toby-who understands human language as soon as he hears it-is immediately drawn to the human kindness.... Marley and Me combined with Tuesdays with Morrie.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for A Dog's Purpose...then take off on your own:

1. Talk about how Bruce Cameron uses point of view to find both humor and pathos in his novel.

2. Follow-up to Question 1: How well does the author do in his ability (or not) to mimic what a dog might (might!) be thinking? Is there a certain credibility, or not, to the novel's premise—a thinking dog?

3. Talk about Bailey's feelings toward the cat Smokey. Agree...disagree? In other words are you a cat or a dog person. Or maybe you're both.

4. What is the problem with Todd, and why does his sister save Bailey? Why did Todd take Bailey in Chapter 9?

5. What gives humans purpose in life...and what ultimately does Bailey come to see as his purpose? Is it any different than what our purpose in life might be?

6. Are you a proponent of reincarnation? For humans...or pets?

7. Talk about sociopaths and their treatment of animals. Do some research and talk about the disorder and its diagnoses. Is Todd a sociopath?

8. Do dogs dream?

9. At one point, Bailey is reborn as a working dog. How do they, perhaps, differ from a normal pet, especially in terms of  temperament and intelligence?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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