Based on the popular series of articles appearing fortnightly in the Telegraph, Ed Stourton muses on the meaning of life and all things canine as he walks his dog Kudu.Anyone who ever walks a dog will know that if you are accompanied by a dog you can talk to anyone, and anyone can talk to you -- about anything. What is more, while we may know that a dog is just a dog, we continue to allow ourselves to speak and think of our dogs as friends, individuals with a full claim on our affections. "The reward is that dog-walking becomes like reading a novel, or watching a play: disbelief is suspended and for an hour or so, we are given licence to escape ordinary life. Fantasy flourishes and really quite trivial moments in a dog's life become a source of wonder to be laughed about and even worried over."As Ed Stourton takes Kudu for his walk he finds himself considering the whole gamut of things canine: Just how well does he know Kudu -- and can our dogs know us as well?; do dogs perceive ownership as we do? How devoted is a dog? Are dogs ever really guilty? And why are they a symbol of depression when so much of the time our dogs cheer us up... ? Along the way he finds himself exploring much bigger subjects -- war, bravery; office politics, current affairs, all given sudden levity and a new sanity when viewed through the prism of walking the dog.Funny, touching and surprisingly revealing -- this is a sparkling source of amusement and comfort for dog-walkers everywhere.From the Hardcover edition. - from Amzon