The Second Smartest Dog That Ever Lived

SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2025¿¿I am a dog but I do not die at the end of this book. Who else could have written it?The human who found me is fine. She feeds me. She cuddles me. She puts a roof over my head. But I do not appreciate being held captive. Because I am a dog with the intelligence of a human. And I aim to find out why.Accompanied by Shakespeare, a Pug with the intelligence of a Pug, I run away from home, embarking on an epic quest for freedom, knowledge, and, quite possibly, revenge.Together we must survive a harsh desert of cannibalistic coyotes, stray humans, a fugitive white tiger, and one hypnotic beacon that shines from a city of sin, luring us back into so-called civilization.My name is Rousseau. I seek the truth. Even if it means I lose my mind...Full of imagination and humor, The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived is a dog book like no other, with a canine narrator who questions the value of human society, and a dog's place within it.¿¿Readers are saying:¿¿ "I did not expect the complexity, the humor, the philosophy, and the humanness that exist in these pages! But don't be fooled-this is no boring, philosophical story. While the themes are underlying, the main force of this novel is action and movement."¿¿ "By far the best dog story I've ever read."¿¿ "A very impressive debut that works on a variety of levels."¿¿ "Insanely creative."