Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac: The True Story of a Man and the Dog Who Saved His Life

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 288 pages
• Published by: Da Capo Press March 10, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1568583842
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1568583846
• Book Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
In this man-boy-meets-dog memoir, first time author Goldstein hits a number of satisfying, if familiar, notes relating his story of heartbreak, mental illness and redemption in the big city. Suffering with bipolar disorder, crohns disease, a lousy job at a "possessed advertising agency" and a devastating breakup, New York-based twenty-something Goldstein decides owning a dog might help him to better cope with life. Though the narrative takes time to get going, the story gains momentum once Ozzy the black lab enters the picture. Despite looking like one of the "pricey stuffed animals from FAO Schwartz," Ozzy was "more than alive." Soon, the dog's boundless vitality and complete dependence are leading Goldstein from the brink, challenging him to take responsibility for himself as well as his furry charge and teaching him the joy of selflessness. Goldstein's chronicle is funny and absorbing, and should have dog lovers nodding along in happy recognition.
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Product Review
"An uplifting romance that will inspire anyone who's suffered from depression and remind women everywhere why they started loving men in the first place--because deep down, they're pussycats." -- Zink

"From the opening sentenceto the lastreaders will appreciate how one seemingly insignificant four-legged creature made a life-altering difference to a young, suicidally depressed man. Four paws upJoining the recent wave of memoirs about dogs and their owners, Goldstein's book differs in that it focuses on the ability of canines to touch our souls and provide unconditional love and support during times of extreme psychological stress. In that respect, it is similar to Mark Doty's Dog Years." -- LibraryJournal.com

"The book is filled with stuff any dog owner can identify withQuite funny and always honest." -- "My Pet World with Steve Dale," nationally syndicated column

Reader Reviews
The two key points of this book are the author's manic-depression and the fact that he finally discovered what dog lovers know: a dog's loyalty, warmth, playfulness, and dependency can be highly therapeutic, beyond the sheer pleasure of owning a dog. The author provides a glimpse into his roller-coaster mental state and his deteriorating social life before he suddenly decides that a black dog will be his salvation. So we watch him make a trip out to Long Island during the height of Hurricane Bertha to get a six-week-old black lab puppy, later named Ozzy. The book never pretends to be a primer on mental health or dog rearing. It is simply the experiences of one man over a few months in 1996 in Manhattan. Complicating the author's life is the breakup with his first true love, mostly over his illness, and his dealing with Crohn's disease. The author discovers that owning a puppy is extremely time-consuming with never ending basic practicalities, made more difficult by living in an apartment in NYC. The book is a bit repetitious with many bouts of depression and crying relayed but with minimal effort to offer much in the way of explanation. The drug of choice to treat manic-depressives lithium seems to have been only marginally effective in the author's case. We do learn, unsurprisingly, that puppies are chick (female) magnets, and the author seems obsessed with that phenomenon. Curiously, he seems not to have met his wife in that manner. The book is interesting, relating an obviously cathartic experience for the author, but it is safe to say that many, many people could write equally fascinating tales concerning their unique experiences with their beloved dog(s).