The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived - Paperback

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."