Have you ever wondered what your dog would say about you if he could speak? The Art of Racing in the Rain, a book by Garth Stein, creates some intriguing possibilities.

The main character in this hard-to-put-down story is a lab/terrier mix named Enzo. He is a special dog in that he is highly evolved and preparing to be a man in his next life. How does he know this? He's been watching TV, and he saw a show on the Discovery channel that explained what happens to dogs such as him.

Enzo is the book's narrator and as the story begins, he is an old dog that is dying. On the eve of his death, he reminisces about his life with his owner, Denny Swift, a race car driver. His keen observations about life's ups and downs often include parallels between race car driving and life. His biggest regret is that no one can hear him. He is a dog, after all.

Enzo loves Denny, and respects and admires his abilities, his character and his courage. As he follows Denny through the years they share, he observes how he handles love, marriage, the arrival of a new baby, his wife's death from cancer, his in-laws battles to gain custody of his child, and their precious time together. It's humorous at times, touching and sad at others.

One parallel Enzo draws between racing and life is how Denny has taught him that your car goes where your eyes go. That's why Denny often walked a race track to see for himself where all the bumps and uneven surfaces were. He was always prepared for how to handle his car in a race. In life's race, we humans would get far better results if we had a clear picture of where we're going and how we're going to get there.

Even though he is frustrated by not being able to speak, Enzo, at times, gets his point across without question. When Denny's lawyer brought him papers to sign that would have taken his right to his daughter's custody away, Enzo wouldn't let him sign. He grabbed the papers in his mouth and outran Denny's attempts to catch him. Then he urinated on the papers for good measure! Denny never signed those papers and eventually won his case to retain custody of his daughter.

Enzo's story is very heartwarming and engrossing and a must-read for pet lovers. Who knows if dogs really think as deeply as Enzo or try to communicate their love, support or insight with looks or gestures? As someone who loves pets, I like to think so.

There is something for everyone to learn from Enzo's story -- even if you're not a believer in reincarnation. Take, for instance, Enzo's advice on winning and losing: "There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose." That's dog wisdom at its finest.

To see reviews of The Art of Racing in the Rain, go to http://www.amazon.com/Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329240952&sr=1-1