“Informative, entertaining and sobering…As the man says in this terrific book, it’s not about the dogs, it’s about the people.”

—Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

“A Fast Food Nation for dog lovers, this astute and amusing investigative report offers a “journey into the $41-billion-a-year world of the modern American pet.” Each chapter focuses on “a different realm of the pet universe,” and the total effect is reminiscent of Tom Wolfe’s New Journalism essays on the sociology of pop culture. Schaffer explores baby boomers who devote themselves to “fur babies” after their children have grown up and moved out. He attends the 2008 Global Pet Expo to take stock of the 2,400 display booths of retail pet items. He observes New York’s “burgeoning canine social scene.” In San Francisco, he looks at how arguments over dog leash laws are case studies in how cities need to “navigate the controversies” of a new pet-friendly world. And his fascinating piece on the evolution of pet toys—from the first “purportedly educational” ones made in a Colorado garage in the 1970s to today’s “veritable arms race”—is essential reading for anyone whose dog has become hooked on Kong bounce balls.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Doggone entertaining.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“With perspicacity laced with humor, journalist Schaffer examines the sometimes over-the-top attention Americans lavish on their canines in the form of designer clothing, dog parties, cutting-edge medical treatments, mental stimulation toys, professional pet sitters, luxurious pet hotels, pet cemeteries with grief counselors, and superpremium dog food made with ingredients fit for human consumption. But this is no scathing exposé—Schaffer is a willing participant, an inside observer, forcibly immersed in the ethos by his adoption of a rescued St. Bernard who suffered from separation anxiety. Nevertheless, he offers a serious investigation of the human-animal bond and the forces that have driven “pet parents” to what some might consider extremes. Well researched with copious notes yet accessible to lay readers who will chuckle in self-recognition; highly recommended for public and academic libraries.”

—Library Journal

“What makes this book so great is that it neither preaches nor rationalizes - it just explains. Schaffer could look derisively at someone who would put his dog on Prozac, but in finding himself doing just that, he can’t take the easy way out. He alternates easily between research and laugh-out-loud tales of his runty St. Bernard, Murphy, and cat, Amelia. And with a historical sweep, he shows us how we got to this place. Ultimately, “One Nation Under Dog” is not about our pets - but about ourselves.”

—Florida Times Union

“A tidy explanation for the reasons why untold millions of Americans find such attention not just appropriate but essential. He writes that we spend $43 billion a year on our pets, a dollars-and-cents representation of the family dog’s evolution to member of the family — the ‘fur baby.’…Schaffer is a conscientious reporter whose dispatches from a pet expo featuring the latest in toys and accessories, and from Pet Fashion Week in New York — complete with runway shows and brand snobbery — displays a proper skepticism and an admirable lack of snark.”

—Miami Herald

“An investigative tour of the $43 billion-a-year pet industry…Schaffer offers a surprising, often hilarious view of the American pet scene, following professional dog walkers, the burgeoning business of pet medical insurance, the growth in companion-animal litigation (this is the U.S.A. after all) and grief counselors briefing veterinary students on what to say to bereaved owners.”

—Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News

“In a finely tuned voice full of wit and grace, Michael Schaffer takes an incredibly smart look at an important cultural phenomenon that too often is dismissed as a four-legged sideshow. I couldn’t stop reading, except to repeat to whoever was around some stunning fact or anecdote about Fur Baby America. If you want to understand how we live now, One Nation Under Dog is essential reading.”

—Benjamin Wallace, author of The Billionaire’s Vinegar

“One Nation Under Dog is a masterwork of comic sociology: The pooch set has found its Max Weber. With witty analysis, great storytelling and a generous spirit, Schaffer has done more than provide a window into our dog obsession; he has provided a portrait of American life.”

—Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World

“Michael Schaffer’s terrific One Nation Under Dog is long overdue. Schaffer understands that the mushrooming love affair between Americans and their companion animals - especially dogs - is one of the most fascinating cultural phenomena in recent history, and that this shows no signs of abating even in hard times. As pets have moved to the center of our families and our emotional lives, One Nation Under Dog - well written and thoroughly reported - explores how and why they have become mirrors of our society.”

—Jon Katz, author of Izzy and Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me and A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs and Me

“Simultaneously amusing and eye opening, One Nation Under Dog holds a mirror to our pet-obsessed culture, wherein even we cat lovers will see ourselves reflected. Astutely illuminating the political, social, and economic aspects of our devotion to our animal companions, Michael Schaffer makes us chuckle – and sigh with recognition.”

—Kathryn Shevelow, author of For the Love of Animals: The Rise of the Animal Protection Movement

“Michael Schaffer has written a thoroughly researched, jaw-dropping, laugh-out-loud exposé of our love affair with the pets in our lives. Go find yourself in One Nation Under Dog!”

—Nick Trout, author of Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon