Book: Work Like Your Dog
I ordered the book 'Work Like Your Dog' by Matt Weinstein and Luke Barber from Amazon after reading good reviews about it. It arrived last Friday and I have been reading it whenever DD1 plays with her toys and DD2 takes a 2-3 hour nap.
The book focuses on how to incorporate fun in your workplace. And the title of the book is kind of based on the author's dog's ability to have fun while being a 'working dog'. What kind of work does the dog do? Well, she is the author's running companion. Here are a few extracts from the book that I find inspiring.
'As soon as Blue notices that I'm getting dressed for a run, she does not let me out of her sight. When she sees the running shoes being pulled from the closet she gets so excited that she literally leaps in the air, with all four feet leaving the ground. A huge smile lights up her face as she springs toward the door. How many people do you know who show that kind of enthusiasm for going to work in the morning?' (Page 41)
'... She also demonstrates another very positive work ethic-consideration and sensitivity-by modifying her game when she is retrieving for young children. She rushes back with a retrieved ball, stops a few feet away so as to avoid startling the child, and then places the ball on the ground before gently nudging it to the child with her nose. Children squeal with delight.
Of course, not every part of Blue's workday is all that perfect or positive. Like most golden retrievers, she rarely passes up an opportunity to roll around in cow poop, dead fish, or any other disgusting matter she can find. (Many of us can relate to this kind of experience in our own workday. You probably have had a similar feeling of being covered in cow poop countless times as you walked away from a particularly difficult meeting.) On today's run, for example, Blue was caught in a torrent of filthy water rushing through a drainpipe, and she spent quite a bit of time wandering around looking like a drowned rat. However, she doesn't let these little setbacks and digressions ruin her day. She puts the negative stuff behind her and gets on with her work.' (Pages 42-43)
'Nearly all working dogs-whether it's Blue or a rescue dog working the ski slopes-are great models for us to emulate in our own work lives. They approach their work not only with dedication, loyalty, discipline, sensitivity, and love, but also with joy, enthusiasm, and happiness. If you want to increase your abilities in this area of study, spend a few hours this week in the company of a dog. The first thing you will notice is that the dog is constantly living in the present moment. Everything is of interest to her: the sights, the smells, the slightest movement in the world around her. Nothing seems boring; every interaction with another being brings its own excitement...' (Page 43-44)
The book focuses on how to incorporate fun in your workplace. And the title of the book is kind of based on the author's dog's ability to have fun while being a 'working dog'. What kind of work does the dog do? Well, she is the author's running companion. Here are a few extracts from the book that I find inspiring.
'As soon as Blue notices that I'm getting dressed for a run, she does not let me out of her sight. When she sees the running shoes being pulled from the closet she gets so excited that she literally leaps in the air, with all four feet leaving the ground. A huge smile lights up her face as she springs toward the door. How many people do you know who show that kind of enthusiasm for going to work in the morning?' (Page 41)
'... She also demonstrates another very positive work ethic-consideration and sensitivity-by modifying her game when she is retrieving for young children. She rushes back with a retrieved ball, stops a few feet away so as to avoid startling the child, and then places the ball on the ground before gently nudging it to the child with her nose. Children squeal with delight.
Of course, not every part of Blue's workday is all that perfect or positive. Like most golden retrievers, she rarely passes up an opportunity to roll around in cow poop, dead fish, or any other disgusting matter she can find. (Many of us can relate to this kind of experience in our own workday. You probably have had a similar feeling of being covered in cow poop countless times as you walked away from a particularly difficult meeting.) On today's run, for example, Blue was caught in a torrent of filthy water rushing through a drainpipe, and she spent quite a bit of time wandering around looking like a drowned rat. However, she doesn't let these little setbacks and digressions ruin her day. She puts the negative stuff behind her and gets on with her work.' (Pages 42-43)
'Nearly all working dogs-whether it's Blue or a rescue dog working the ski slopes-are great models for us to emulate in our own work lives. They approach their work not only with dedication, loyalty, discipline, sensitivity, and love, but also with joy, enthusiasm, and happiness. If you want to increase your abilities in this area of study, spend a few hours this week in the company of a dog. The first thing you will notice is that the dog is constantly living in the present moment. Everything is of interest to her: the sights, the smells, the slightest movement in the world around her. Nothing seems boring; every interaction with another being brings its own excitement...' (Page 43-44)
Labels: favorite books, humor
posted by Jiru at
8:27 AM
