Lives of the Monster Dogs
Kirsten Bakis
Warner Books, 1997I like to look for offbeat fiction and new authors, so this book naturally caught my eye. Either a book grabs my attention right away, or it never does. This one hooked me in immediately with its multiple viewpoints and time-frames.
The "monster dogs" are dogs that have been bred, for generations, for superior intelligence by an egomaniacal Prussian who carried out his experiments in Canada's frozen wasteland. Eventually, the dogs -- walking on two legs and wearing elegant 19th Century clothing -- arrive in 21st Century New York. It may sound a little corny, but it is a well-written and riveting story about beings who feel that they have no place in the world, and a commentary on human arrogance. It will hold your attention, but really is a tragic story.
Living With Our Genes
Dean Hamer and Peter Copeland
Doubleday, 1998
This book is an attempt to "prove" that much of human behavior is genetic, which is to expected since Dean Hamer is a genetics researcher at the National Institutes of Health. He doesn't actually discuss how to live with such genetically influenced behaviors as thrill-seeking, addiction, and eating habits so much as he seeks to demonstrate the genetic connections involved. The book falls short of the title's promise.
I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the genetic and biochemical aspects of behavior. It is informally written and easy to read. Just don't expect good advice about how to live with depression, anger, or anxiety.
Researchers avoid discussing other bases -- such as soul, personal choice, and creativity -- for behavior. The researcher's viewpoint is rather impoverished.
The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling
James Hillman
Warner Books, 1996
In sharp (and refreshing) contrast to the book previously discussed, this one searches for the elusive soul. James Hillman is a Jungian analyst and the originator of "archetypal psychology." The title of Chapter 6, "Neither Nature Nor Nurture -- Something Else," describes his basic premise. Hillman discusses such subjects as the "call" to carry out a certain life work, which is experienced by many people. His "acorn theory" begins with the proposal that each of us is born with a soul template -- a calling, a life mission, a lifework, or whatever you choose to call it -- and he uses anecdotes from the lives of famous people to illustrate his point.
In the first chapter, he attempts to break through modern psychology's paradigm of pathologizing people's lives and behaviors. Instead he tries to make sense of our complicated human lives by offering us a new paradigm of soul.
Though the book is beautifully written and not very large, it took me well over a month to finish reading it because of the paradigm shift and the intensity of the subject. But it was well worth the time and the effort.
