DEAN POLING BOOK REVIEWS: What the Dog Saw & Other Adventures: Malcolm Gladwell
Published 9:54 am Friday, July 3, 2026
What the Dog Saw & Other Adventures: Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell collects some of his favorite columns from his work in New Yorker magazine in “What the Dog Saw & Other Adventures.”
Gladwell delves into why there is a myriad amount of mustard variations but the only difference for a certain tomato-based condiment is its spelling: ketchup or catsup; a visit with Ron Popeil, the man behind all of those old Ronco TV products; the secrets of a dog whisperer; why hair dye is more interesting than shampoo …
And if hair dye doesn’t sound interesting then you may not be familiar with Malcolm Gladwell.
Gladwell has made his mark finding gems often hidden in plain sight. He’s had several bestsellers: “The Tipping Point,” “Blink,” “Outliers,” “Talking to Strangers,” “The Bomber Mafia,” and the upcoming “The American Way of Killing,” with a late September release date, along with a popular podcast, all of which find the stories behind the ways we see the world and each other.
“What the Dog Saw” is an older book, with some of the reprinted New Yorker columns more than 25 years old, but it remains no less relevant.
And interesting.
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“What the Dog Saw” is an insightful book and a fun read on several subjects.
Readers Note: If downloading this book digitally, pay close attention before selecting it. The book is available in its entirety but it has also been split into three smaller parts: “Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius,” “Theories, Predictions, and Diagnoses” and “Personality, Character, and Intelligence.” Reading one section is less expensive than reading the entire book but reading all three sections individually costs more than buying the book in its entirety.
Small Things Like These: Claire Keegan
If you’re looking for a one-sitting read this summer, Claire Keegan’s “Small Things Like These” may well be your novella of choice.
That is if a powerful book set at Christmas time in 1980s Ireland is your cup of summer tea.
You’ve likely heard of this 2021 book. It was an Oprah book selection, a New York Times bestseller and it was adapted into a 2024 movie.
The story is simple: Bill Furlong is a middle-aged coal merchant who discovers the mistreatment of a young girl by the local church. He must make a choice weighing his past against the consequences to come. Should he act or not act?
The weight of Furlong’s past and his decision will move readers in unexpected ways.
For older readers, this book’s imagery may feel more like the 1930s-50s rather than our memories of the 1980s. But Keegan picked the 1980s for a reason; the crux of the book is based on the brutal truth of Ireland’s Magdalene laundries for unwed mothers.
“Small Things Like These” is a small book with a big impact.
