From The Dogist—the New York Times-bestselling author and content creator also known as Elias Weiss Friedman—comes a uniquely insightful, uplifting, emotional, and informative book that shows us how dogs make our lives better by making us better people.

Elias Weiss Friedman first became known as The Dogist when he took thousands of photos of dogs and posted them online along with their unique dog stories. Even before he was The Dogist, though, he was a dogist—a fervent dog lover and somewhat of an evangelist when it comes to the relationship between dogs and humans and the joy they bring us in the modern world.

Over his decades of studying dogs and their people, Elias has arrived at a deceptively simple realization: Dogs make people’s lives better by making people better. Dogs improve us. They save us. They give our lives greater meaning and make our lives feel more fulfilled. By bringing them into our lives, they teach us to become the best versions of ourselves. They help us better understand our identity. They teach us patience and to foster deeper relationships with others. They remind us of the concept of purpose and commitment. We constantly seek those things in our human life, but so many of the answers are already right in front of us, in our dogs.

This book weaves together stories of the many dogs throughout Elias’s own life—the dogs he grew up with, the dogs of people he knows, and the tens of thousands of dogs he has encountered on the street while doing his Dogist work. Told in a light tone that does not shy away from more serious issues (Elias is not above the occasional sentimental moment or dog pun), the book charmingly explores the ways that dogs are not just our family and our friends, but also irreplaceable beings capable of generating boundless love and restoring balance to our lives.

In an increasingly alienating and divisive world, there is one clear remedy: the one with four legs that rolls over for belly rubs. Dogs can change our lives, and this book might just change yours.