Man's best friend has been the subject of many books, from heartwarming tales of wagging tails to hilarious memoirs about the family hound. Here are just a few:

A journey inside the world of dogs that reveals the remarkable depth of canine emotional complexity, explaining how dogs' sense of smell shapes their perception of reality and the expression of such emotions as gratitude, loneliness, and love.

Some of the Yorkshire vet's favorite stories about one of his favorite animals, each tale as memorable and heartwarming as the last.

Sometimes, change comes on four legs. ...A Dog Year shows how a man discovers much about himself through a dog, whose temperament seems as different from his own as day from night.

In this luminous book, Gaita trains his philosopher's eye on the mystery and beauty of the animals he has known and loved best.

Part memoir, part diet book, West Virginia's own Patti Lawson takes a humorous look at our obsession with weight loss and offers a simple and natural method for shedding unwanted pounds.

Dan saves Gracie, the loneliest pup in the litter; then, over the next ten years, Gracie saves Dan and his friend Mark, teaching them the real meaning of happiness.

Bass took Colter, the runt of the litter, because nobody else would. Soon, though, Bass realizes that he has a genius on his hands.

Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable. And then there's Marley...

The unforgettable account of Paulsen's ambitious quest to know a world beyond his knowing: to train for and run the Iditarod.

A hilarious look at women, men, life in the entertainment industry and, most importantly, dogs, from the creator of David Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks."

Tulip was skittish, possessive, wild...and loved. In telling the story of his beloved Tulip, Ackerley has written a book that is a profound and subtle meditation on the strangeness abiding at the heart of all relationships.

In 1960, when he was almost 60 years old, John Steinbeck set out to rediscover the United States with his dog, Charley, a French poodle.

Children from all over the country wrote to the Clinton's "First Pets," and the former First Lady compiled them in this entertaining and thoughtful book.