Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living [Hardcover]

Trixie Koontz (Author), Dean Koontz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2004

Many readers wonder what inspires the creative genius of bestselling suspense writer Dean Koontz. Much of the credit must go to Trixie, the golden retriever who has taught him things about life that no human ever could. Trixie shows us how to be happy every moment of the day, except those fleeting moments after a meal when the dish is (temporarily) empty. Dogs know how to work hard and to play even harder. With words of wisdom only a bird dog knows, and beautiful photos to warm your heart, this book will lift your spirits and make your leg shake uncontrollably with pleasure!

Trixie wrote LIFE IS GOOD to support her friends who are service dogs for people with disabilities. She is donating her royalties to Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), the national organization that breeds and trains assistance dogs for adults and children with disabilities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

People often say they wish they could have a dog’s life, with nothing to do but play, eat and sleep. In this charming gift book, popular novelist Koontz channels his golden retriever, Trixie, a former Canine Companions for Independence service dog, to get her tips on the good life. In breathless, stylized dog grammar ("Chase ball! Chase butterfly! Chase cat!"), Koontz advocates long naps, daydreaming and appreciating nature. Some of the advice is clichéd ("take time to smell the flowers"), but Trixie also wants people to "eat joyfully" and to think of themselves as movie stars (though "don’t get drunk, punch reporter"). The book is laid out beautifully, with adorable pictures of Trixie playing, napping and nuzzling Koontz. In the margins of some pages, she ponders various "eternal mysteries" such as "did Shakespeare really write his plays himself or did his dog help?" She tells amusing stories and confides her fantasies, one being that a big rig carrying hot dogs will overturn: "I’m only dog for miles around, and same day Mom buys 20-gallon drum of mustard." There are entertaining riffs on the joy of summer and the virtue of books ("Books are fun. Dad’s books are especially fun"), as well as a pleasantly goofy argument for why dogs should be allowed to drive ("Look so cute. Sight of driving dog lift spirits of human drivers, make highways friendlier"). That all the book’s proceeds will be donated to Canine Companions should give both dog lovers and Koontz fans extra incentive to add this endearing volume to their collections.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Author

Trixies’s Top 8 Reasons WHY DOGS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE CARS"

1) We are by nature obedient. Would break no traffic laws. Except when toilet stops require brief parking in front of fireplugs. 2) Look so cute. Sight of driving dog lift spirits of human drivers, make highways friendlier. 3) Because ears tend to flap in wind, dogs make better use of convertibles than humans do. 4) Dogs do not drink alcoholic beverages. So can never drive under influence and never blast passengers with beer farts. 5) Guide dogs who drive could better serve blind people. 6) Is civil rights issue. 7) Have better self image, bark less, wag more. 8) Dogs don’t need maps. Can smell our way anywhere.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 79 pages
• Publisher: Yorkville Press; First Edition first Printing edition (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972942777
• ISBN-13: 978-0972942775
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania where I graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University). When I was a senior in college, I won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and have been writing ever since. My first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where I was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. During my first day on the job, I discovered that the previous occupier of my position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and I was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. I wrote nights and weekends, which I continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, my wife, Gerda, made me an offer I couldn't refuse: "I'll support you for five years," she said, "and if you can't make it as a writer in that time, you'll never make it." By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of my writing career. Gerda and I, along with our dog, Trixie, live in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miss Trixie tells you how to enjoy life, November 26, 2004

By 

Janice Sims "a reader & a writer" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living (Hardcover)

For certain, we weren't all blessed with her beauty or her poise, nor that glorious golden-brown hair or those big brown eyes. But we, mere humans that we are, can still learn how to be happy, and Trixie tells us how. First of all, you should relish every morsel you put in your mouth. Good food is sure to lift your spirits. I know it makes Me happy! Secondly, getting your rest is a must if you're to have the energy to enjoy life. So, sleep as much as you possibly can. Last, you must learn to be playful. So many humans forget to play. We're so busy going to work, taking care of the family, cooking, cleaning, that we neglect our playful natures. Get back to the basics: Good food, good rest, and playing. This lovely gift book is simply a reminder that all work and no play isn't good for a soul, whether it's a pooch's soul or a human soul. Remember to be joyful. The photographs of Trixie and her dad (Dean Koontz) were charming. Trixie's obviously a very lovable canine. Generous too, because she's donating her earnings to Canine Companions for Independence.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love is the Golden's Light, May 13, 2005

By 

Kathy A. Pippig "Author of Shape-Shifter Books" (San Joaquin Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living (Hardcover)

Love is the Golden's Light

I read this book in one sitting and I slowed down the closer to the end I got, simply to savor each word and each picture. This book is a heart-sparkler. I laughed so many times and my face is still sore from wearing a big smile from the first page to the last. Insightful, delightful, touching--this book is a treasure. If you have ever shared your life with a Golden, the words and pictures in this book will serve as an affirmation to the deep, shining love and the ever-positive nature of these furry beings. If you have not had the honor of sharing your life with a Golden fur kin, it matters not, Trixie's words will speak to your heart and soothe your soul.

Kathy Anne Harris

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true moment of joy in a day of pain., April 6, 2005

By 

Scott C. Kennedy (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living (Hardcover)

My wife & I read this book while waiting in the Animal ER for our 7 year old yellow Labrador, Bailey's to come out of surgery. While we read the pages all of the photos, humor, style, and joy of this book provided a much needed break from our fear and pain. Although Bailey's later succumbed to her injuries, we chose to use this book as a central piece to the remembrance book for her.

"Life is Good" is the true mantra of any dog, and should be for us as well.

Scott