Customer Reviews

Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

Dog Man: An Uncommon Life On a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill The Penguin Press New York 2008 (Hardbound, ISBN 978-1-59420-124-0, $25.95)

Reveiwed by Jim Stembridge

Morie (Mor-ee-ay) Sawataishi is living an honorable life, some would say a spare existence, in the far north forests of Japan. Aside from episodes involving his pre-World-War-II stint with the Japanese navy in Manchuria, and his hydro-electric dam project management with the Japanese giant Mitsubishi, the chapters of Morie's life can be seen in the succession of his dogs. We follow Morie's life on the edge of the forest, spare of luxuries, but rich in close symbiosis with a beautiful, if rugged, part of the world.

Morie, during the strife of the World War, decided that it was his destiny to save and propagate the iconic Japanese dog breed, the Akita. But the few Akitas remaining in those early days were ill-defined. Their desirable traits had yet to be agreed-upon, so there was much competition among breeders. Long face? Round face? Long legs? Short? Loose skin? Tight skin? Red with white markings? All white?

For Morie, whose life away from work is all wilderness, primitive living, and hunting, what's desirable in an Akita is kishô, an almost indefinable boldness, courage, loyalty, and presence. But kishô is found only rarely, especially these days, Morie would say, when dogs are bred to look pretty or, worse, to just make money from sale of the puppies. From "No-Name" and "Three Good Lucks" through "Samarai Tiger" and "Shiro", we meet Moriie's Akitas with kishô, and follow Morie's efforts to define and develop the breed.

"Morie and his dogs were heroes every morning, and heroes again every night. With each walk into the wild, they were bold and resourceful. They were alive and alert, their senses acute, poised for the natural excitements that the rest of us must crave when we turn to flickering screens for adventures and when we ache to connect with nature and animals. We yearn for the company of dogs because they return us to an ancient way of life, vanishing now."

Martha Sherrill, whose celebrity profiles were wll known to readers of The Washington Post, did extensive interviews of Morrie and his wife, Kitako, and their adult children, traveling to Japan in 2006. The story's contexts of Japan following the war, Japanese family life, dog breeding, and rural electrification seem genuine. The result is an endearing story of an honorable life--dreamy descriptions, written in spare, precise language, bold and resourceful---kishô.

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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.

My mother heard a lady talking about this book at the veterinarian's office and told me about it. I immediately ordered it on Amazon.com.

It is a wonderful story about a man, his integrity, a committed wife, their children, and the Akita dog breed. Even if you are not an "Akita person" I am sure you would find this book very interesting. If you are an "Akita person" I am sure it will be on your shelf of favorites. I will be ordering more for gifts... it's that good.

Thank you Mr. Morie (Mor ee ay) for preserving and developing my favorite breed. I have 3 living Akita's, 2 have passed away, and they are like no other dogs. Their intelligence, judge of character, and loyalty amaze me everyday.

Thank you Ms. Sherrill for sharing this man's story with us. Thank you for sharing Kitako (Mr. Morie's wife) and their children's views also. Thank you for showing us an example of integrity and committment, even though it's not the easy road, it is always worth the journey.

I LOVED IT!

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.

A truly unique window into the world of a Japanese family. After the first chapter, I was so interested in this unique man and his wife that I could not stop reading the book. I think both dog lovers and history buffs will find this a worthwhile read.

This book has touched me. The main character is morally strong, and the result of his strength has affected a breed of dog to a point beyond comprehension. If you own an Akita, this is a must read. If you do not own an Akita, you need to read this as well.

Martha Sherrill is an extraordinarily gifted writer across many genres. Here, her voice, muted and elegaic, captures a lost world with delicacy and economy befitting its subject matter. So much more than a dog story--although as someone who loves a good dog story I enjoyed it on that level too--it is an unexpected window into an often opaque culture and a love story that transcends a specific place and time..

I have read the other reviews written by Amazon readers and am so impressed with them. For my part, I agree with the others, and then some. I found that Morie and Kitako are elegant and honorable, much as their dogs were. As with any book one reads and thoroughly enjoys, I dreaded that the words would end and I took my time with every story. I found hardship, honesty, love, respect and great adventure within this book's pages. The children that Morie and Kitako raised are also an interesting bunch. Samarai Tiger is my favorite dog, bigger than life. I would like to meet Shiro and would have loved to know Hoku.