A Dog's Purpose
by W. Bruce Cameron
★ Top 25 book of 2010 · #14 on Best Books of 2010
American author W. Bruce Cameron's 2010 novel follows one dog through four lives by way of reincarnation. As the journey unfolds, the dog looks for his purpose in each of those lives.
Best for: Dog lovers who enjoy stories of reincarnation and a search for purpose
A Dog's Purpose is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2010, out of 43 2010 books that cleared our data bar.
What A Dog's Purpose is about
A dog begins life as a feral puppy with no name and no idea why he is here. That question follows him through four lives, as he is reborn again and again in a new body and a new home. He is a Golden Retriever called Bailey, growing up beside a boy named Ethan. He is a female German Shepherd named Ellie, working as a search-and-rescue dog alongside a police officer. He is a Labrador called Bear. Each time he asks what a dog is actually for, and each time the answer shifts a little.
The story is told from the dog's own point of view, which gives it a plain, trusting warmth. It deals openly with loyalty, loss and death, and it is sentimental in a way that many readers find moving rather than heavy. Anyone who has loved a dog, or lost one, will recognise a lot here. A sequel, A Dog's Journey, followed in 2012.
A Dog's Purpose on the Best Books of 2010
A Dog's Purpose came out in 2010. Of the 43 books first published in 2010 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #14 on our Best Books of 2010 list.
Why it made the list: 402 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (23 ratings); 24 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2010 list
- A Long Walk to Water( Linda Sue Park) Linda Sue Park, #12
- Full Dark, No Stars Stephen King, #13
- No Excuses! Brian Tracy, #15
- Rework Jason Fried, #16
See all Best Books of 2010 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2009 Best Books of 2011.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 346 want to read it, 24 are reading it now and 32 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 from 23 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 58 | 55% |
| Reader love | 91 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 63 | 20% |
Questions about A Dog's Purpose
When was A Dog's Purpose published?
A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron was first published in 2010.
Was A Dog's Purpose one of the best books of 2010?
A Dog's Purpose is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2010, out of 43 2010 books that cleared our data bar. 402 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (23 ratings); 24 are reading it right now.
Why is A Dog's Purpose on the Best Books of 2010 list?
402 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.5 out of 5 (23 ratings); 24 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2010
- The Lost Hero Rick Riordan, #1
- The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson, #2
- Divergent Veronica Roth, #3
- The Personal MBA Josh Kaufman, #4
- The Red Pyramid Rick Riordan, #5
- It's Not Summer Without You Jenny Han, #6
See the full Best Books of 2010, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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