For a long time , as a psychologist, I have watched the behavior of people and learned from it. In the past 10 years, semi-retired, a large part of my attention has shifted to the behavior of dogs. At the risk of being anthropomorphistic I tend to interpret that behavior in human terms. On the other hand, at the risk of being canidomorphistic I often interpret the behavior of humans in canine terms. All of which makes, for me, an interesting and, I think, enlightening exercise. So my book speaks both to dogs (how to treat them and train them) and to people (how to live with them.) I like the book so much that I'm writing a sequel to it. Others like it too. I hope you will. H. D. Johns Excerpt from What I Need to Know about Living I Learned from My Dogs. About Our Ancestry: Dogs or Monkeys? Monkeys, in their several forms: gorillas, chimpanzees, apes etc. are seldom referred to as man's best friend. They are clever and rather intelligent. They make us laugh sometimes and sometimes, when we hear of them being utilized in medical science experiments, they cause us to cry. They are even domesticated as household pets in homes containing more adventurous and courageous people than I am. They often are frequented by lice and I suppose they should always be housed in pairs so that they can groom each other. Most of us were pleasantly surprised, recently, when a gorilla gave up a child who had fallen into its zoo enclosure, without harming him. But for the most part, Monkeys are funny! Dogs are different. From their beginnings they appear to have lived with human families. They are loving and protective. Just today a friend told me of a dog named Fluffy who belonged to his family and became a hero by grabbing a child by the seat of his pants and pulling him out of a swimming pool where he had fallen. Maybe that one gorilla would have done that, too. The truth is we are not surprised by the dog doing it. For dogs take human life seriously! So, what is this about man evolving from monkeys? Aside from their physiques being similar to a human being what other similarities do they bring to bear on the question of evolution? Oh, they recognize symbols and pull the correct levers to release food. They have been known to pile boxes one on top of another to elevate them so that they can reach food placed above their heads. What does that have to do with human qualities?... ...I'll say it: I believe that human beings sprang from Dogs!!! And then I look at the weird behavior of congressmen and other public officials and I doubt that it could be true. Perhaps it was monkeys after all!