Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain

I bought this book because I'm very interested in dogs and had visited Japan. While the book really was about a man who saved Akitas after WWII, it was so much more. Interwoven was a very interesting history of what the Japanese endured from close to the end of the war until today. I was in awe of the hardships they faced and the tremendous number of things they achieved. I feel I'd need more than one lifetime to even approach accomplishing what they have. The author kept the momentum going and has produced a really wonderful book that was never dull and brought life during these times alive. Effortless reading. I have read that the Japanese take one idea and keep refining it, not just always looking for the next best thing. This is how Dog Man approached his life with dogs. Wonderful book.

Let's get this out of the way right up front... We are Akita owners so we are slightly biased. Martha Sherrill does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the breed and tells an amazing story. You rarely hear her voice in the telling, but you feel well guided through the tale. As an author she was wise to stay out of the way of this amazing tale of a man who wants, and ultimately led, the simple life. In "Dog Man", Morie remained true to himself and his particular view of the world. He was not without his faults, but his wife, dogs, and yes, even his children loved him. His legacy is one of creation. What Morie created, his dogs, mountain retreat and legacy of kindness resonates with those hoping for something more from the world. In fact, the book makes such an impression, that a different outcome for "Into the Wild" might have occurred had this book been available... For me... maybe one day my partner and I will end up with our own tin roofed cabin in a spot of the world that takes your breath away. Of course when I say "cabin of our own" that includes an Akita sleeping on the bed. Morie and Uesugi would not have approved of an Akita in the bed, but I bet Kitako would not mind so much! Thank you Martha Sherrill for writing this book. Even though it is only March, I now know what our friends will be getting for Christmas this year.

This book is a rare treasure. As a dog lover, an amateur student of Japanese history, and a resident of Japan, I found it irresistable. It provides great information about a relatively unknown place in Japan, even to Japanese folks. It also chronicles a period of time in Japanese history from an unusual vantage point. The book is an excellent book for dog lovers, but it's about much more than that. It details incredible human relationships in tight, hypnotic verse, it tells about the most beautiful areas in Japan, and it tells about the changing dynamics of Japanese marriage. I read it from cover to cover, totally unable to put it down. A must read!

I bought this book prepared to like it purely because it included the subject of akitas. It surpassed all my expections by far. The writting is wonderful. Great memories clearly presented with beautiful photos throughout. I will be recommending it to many of my doggy set friends. Even though it encompasses alot about the history of the akita, it is a story about so much more than dogs. It is about a life well lived and convictions, even at the cost of financial security in hard times. Bravo to the author for sharing the story with such grace.