"Rabid"

New from Bloomsbury USA: Rabid: Are You Crazy About Your Dog or Just Crazy? by Pamela Redmond Satran.

About the book, from the publisher:

Dogs now dominate the $55 billion a year pet business, with nearly 40 percent of American households owning a total of 78.2 million dogs. Dog products, dog services, dog admiration--okay, let's call it dog worship--has become totally over the top, with doggie treadmills, dog swimming pools, caffeine-free doggie java, dog massage, dog perfume, aromatherapy, hair coloring, and, yes, dog tattoos that would have seemed outlandish a generation ago when applied to your everyday household Rover.

But Rover isn't called Rover anymore: he's called Rufus. Or Lola, according to the Tumblog Hipster Puppies. In fact, all Top Ten Dog Names are people names. And the canine Rufus doesn't stay home alone all day; he goes to Doggie Daycare. Eats brightly frosted martini-shaped doggie treats. Wears designer tutus. Gets married on the beach. Has...

Well, you'll see. With hilarious full-color photos throughout, Rabid holds a humorous mirror up to our dog-centered society, helping us laugh at our own behavior and at the even-more-insane antics of all those other dog people.

Visit Pamela Redmond Satran's website.

Writers Read: Pamela Redmond Satran (September 2009).