Come Back, Como audiobook

I have been reading animal books for years, and this is definitely one of my favorite of the genre. Instantly, you feel connected to this poor author, who, after having bad experiences with dogs, is reluctant to get one for his insistent daughter. I know exactly what it's like to get your long awaited furry bundle of joy home, and have him instantly attack the furniture (or in my case, the yard; see giant pot holes) Como himself is no exemplary dog; this is a story of an average dog, with no special talent other than that of all pets; to fill our lives with a little more joy, a little more mess, and a little more happiness we never knew we were missing. If you're not drawn in my his gently perked up ears, doggy nose and hopeful expression, hopefully this review leads you to reading this wonderful example of experiences with a reluctant dog.

"Anybody could love an easily lovable dog. It was the hard ones, the thorny, bruised and highly amped dogs who put you to the test of how far you are willing to go, how much of yourself you were able to give up, how much it meant to connect to another flawed being". (pg 148)I love dogs in the same determined way the author's daughter loves dogs. She campaigned for years until her parents reluctantly adopted a shelter dog (from a no-kill shelter) who seemed to be damaged beyond saving. But with love and patience and acceptance and a terrible accident over the next 18 months, the dog became a most beloved, integral part of the family, And the guy who had to work the hardest to find connection with the dog ended up loving him the most.Great story and wonderful testimony to adopting shelter dogs.

Como resembles my own little Duffy, which is why my friend got this book for me for Christmas. The book had its origins in a series of columns written for the San Francisco Chronicle, and it's another "chronicle" of a clueless human who has to learn the hard way how to connect with a dog; kind of like me with a couple of my dogs. The author finally does begin to understand that Como is coming from some bad experiences that color his perceptions of people, other dogs, and the world he lives in now. A rare dog book: it doesn't end with the dog's death.

Pooh, Pooh, to those reviewers who didn't like this, or thought it was too much fluff.I enjoyed this immensely. I was drawn to the dog on the cover. I volunteer in a shelter, and know all too well that this histories of the animals are a mystery, and it takes lots of patience and time for them to trust again. Mr. Winn writes with such humor about his dog relationship, that I found myself laughing. And I loved that this didn't have the typical ending... you know, one that requires much kleenix. Great read.

Como Is a Handful! Como is a small, fluffy white dog of unknown lineage. He bonds easily with both the mother and daughter of the family that adopts him but is afraid of men, frustrating and intriguing the author. Como is able to get himself out of anything he is put in, including wire kennels and the house, leading to difficulties for the family. Almost anyone who enjoys dogs as family pets would most likely enjoy Come Back, Como.

Good- not great!I think it took a long time to get my interest. I usually enjoy stories about animals- especially dogs and cats. This story was not about Como the dog ! It was about the man in the story. When I realized that the story became more interesting. I feel that is has a good ending.

I am a lover of all animal books. We owned many different breeds over the past 50 years, each had their own special memories for us. Our last was a Carrin terrier who owned us with all his heart. This book brought back so many memories of Maui. Our last great companion. Enjoy this book and the memories it will stir up. Be sure to keep a Kleenex handy.

Slow startI got tired of the waffling back and forth about getting a dog and the pet history of the family at the beginning and almost quit reading. However, once the story of Como,Z, started it was the dog book I had picked up. The author masterfully shows how dogs intertwine themselves into our family. It was a heartwarming read.

A charming story of a man's attempts at winning the favor of a stray dog his family adopts. Since I have adopted a stray as well, I really enjoyed the ends he went to in order to finally be accepted by the stray mutt.

Warm, wonderful story.Como is the sort of dog everyone should own. If dogs could only talk so we would know what they were thinking. Adopting a shelter animal is the only way to go.

Heart rendering story of a dog.

I love books about dogs, especially ones that are true.This one just missed its mark for me. It was just ok.

An enjoyable true account--liked the author's style and humor. And I do like ready memoirs!

Good book!Fast read mainly because it's so well written and with feeling. I have three Westies and see a bit of them on every page..plus our six dogs before them.

What a cute book, and what an idea to write a book about. A dog with problems! I really liked this one and it didn't have the usual sad ending that most dog books have. I don't think I could have read it if I knew it had a sad ending. A delightful read.

Como is a funny tale of a reluctant dog owner. Steven and his wife are hesitant to get a dog, due to traveling and other such things as daily living. Their daughter has always wanted a dog. So they relent and decide a shelter dog will be the one for them. They look at several shelters until they come across a dog named Gandalf. He is around a year old and is a terrier mix. When they get him home all hell breaks loose. He hates cages and eats through his first one, He is afraid of men..he is nerotic about shiney black shoes.So the Winns start a count down. They can take him back to the shelter within 30 days of purchase.But the little guy gets on their heart and soon into the household as well.His biggest problem is he is a excape artist. and he gets out and gets in trouble.One day Steve has some folks working on his home and Como gets out again. Steve gives chase in a bathrobe and while funny.. the enevitable happens. Como and a car meet. The tale goes on with the recovery and sudden insights that Steven learns about himself.

I may be biased because I am a huge fan of Steven Winn as an interviewer at City Arts & Lectures (that man could interview a dead battery and keep me entertained- and I seriously love his soothing voice), and I also love dogs, but this was really a very fun read and well-written, too. I can imagine the same book written by a less skilled journalist, and I can imagine the review I would write, saying that while the story is charming, it would have made a better article or essay than an entire book; but Winn manages to maintain the charm and easy flow throughout- I never got tired of Como's antics at all, which is more than I can say of many protagonists who should (in theory) be more compelling than a dog.