As appealing to readers of history and social science as it is to dog enthusiasts, journalist Dickey's unique first book throws a wide searchlight on the phobia-shrouded dog-breed group familiarly known as pit bulls. Dickey acknowledges that the opinions she's gathered are sure to challenge or offend some readers and inherent in her supposition is an emotional attachment many humans have to their ideas about dogs. Data-heavy and drawn from experts, Dickey's strata-spanning examination of pit bulls, their reputation and lore, is as much an examination of all dogs and of pets in general and Western societies' attachment to them. With able writing, in tightly packed and thorough chapters, Dickie shares much food for thought, including histories of dogfighting and breed construction, public obsession with violent dogs, how a dog's appearance can dictate human interaction, and much more. Digging deeper, the author considers how pit bulls have been touched by perceptions of poverty and how trends in the dog world follow other media-modeled, societal waves. Dickey's broad scope will leave readers affected and pondering.--Bostrom, Annie Copyright 2016 Booklist

In her debut, essayist and journalist Dickey, a contributor to the Oxford American, addresses how the prevailing negative image of pit bulls is not only misguided, but also a mark of broader social prejudices. The author notes how iconic images of pit bulls "as snarling beasts" are frequently evoked to market a wide variety of products, from sunglasses to energy drinks. During the 2008 election, Sarah Palin joked that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull was lipstick. The well-publicized 2007 indictment of NFL quarterback Michael Vick for his involvement in illegal dogfights between pit bulls was not only shocking, but it reinforced the negative image of the dogs. After adopting a pit bull herself, Dickey was shocked to witness the negative responses her pet evoked. Tracing the breed's history in the United States, she learned this was not always the case. The author traces the pit bull's decline from social prominence, partly due to the mythology associated with purebreds. After World War II, she writes, when middle-class Americans began to populate suburbs, status symbols took on a new importance, and "dog fanciers turned breeds into brandslarge pedigreed dogs became essential components of the all-American 1950s family." Social stratification was mirrored by the stratification assigned to pedigreed dogs as opposed to mutts, and breeders amplified these ideas. Fads and fashion became significant when selecting a pet, while temperament was devalued; owning a dog without a pedigree carried a social stigma. At the same time, pit bulls, due to their association with dogfights, became suspect in the popular imagination, singled out by media hysteria over isolated incidences of dog bites by the breed. Such coverage in the media contributed to a law in Denver that requires pit pull owners to take out a $300,000 dog-insurance policy. An appealing look at how our relationships with man's best friend provides a mirror of cultural mores. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Like the pit bull itself, this book is sturdy, complicated and resists easy categorization. Dickey's central argument: We created a group of dogs to be loyal, steadfast and occasionally intimidating, only to use those traits against them as markers of class and potential criminality. She points out that "pit bull" isn't a breed but a social construct, including four breeds: the American pit bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier and the American bully, but also any mixed-breed dog with a blocky head, white chest markings and a brindle coat. She suggests that as urban crime soared, people turned to pit bull guard dogs for protection. And so, after a storied history in which they were known as Yankee terriers and adored by the likes of Helen Keller and Teddy Roosevelt, the dogs began to be associated with the very criminality they were brought in to defend against. Eventually, Dickey writes, they were taken up as symbols of power by the hip-hop movement, and made fashionable. She also convincingly shows that pit bulls have been disproportionately blamed for attacks on people and other dogs, and suggests pit bull ownership has been used by police departments as a means of racial profiling. She argues, with the sociologist Arnold Arluke, that the dogs offer a convenient cover behind which people can voice nasty opinions without being overtly racist. As Dickey exhaustively demonstrates, there is no "aggression gene" and no such thing as a dangerous breed, only dangerous dogs, dangerous people and dangerous situations. LAUREL BRAITMAN is the author of "Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves."

Dickey, a contributing editor at the Oxford American, didn't know much about pit bulls, other than the fact that some consider them dangerous, until she and her husband adopted one. She became more interested as she looked into the curious history of this unfairly maligned animal. Dickey digs deep, investigating dog fighting and breeding, and interviewing more than 350 people, including dog trainers, animal control officers, and animal behaviorists. Her research illuminates many of the facts and exposes many of the myths surrounding pit bulls and dogs in general. As she quickly learns, a pit bull is more of a body type than a breed; many species fall under the general classification. Further, many of these same animals were considered to be terrific, loving, loyal pets until the early 1970s, when dog fighting burst into the collective consciousness along with high urban crime rates . That resulted in an entirely different perspective on bigger breeds such as rottweilers, German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, and especially pit bulls. Though media-fed panics regarding certain breeds are nothing new, the bad PR surrounding pit bulls has stuck, due to unrealistic expectations of dogs, often unreliable stats, and an always-on media in search of salacious stories. Dickey's immersive and illuminating work deserves a wide audience. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

For almost 200 years pit bulls were considered America's dog, with nicknames such as "nanny dog" and "Yankee Terriers." In the 1970s something went wrong. Journalist Dickey examines the shift from Our Gang's films featuring "Pete the Pup" to monsters "biologically hardwired to kill." The culmination of seven years of research, the title crosses all disciplines from history to genetics; the result is a thoughtful examination of pit bulls and an intense look at ourselves and society. Dickey adeptly scrutinizes the science used to condemn pit bulls to separate fact from fiction and thus weaves a narrative that artfully relays both the hard science and the emotion of the pit bull issue. She also shows how the media and social media kept the "pit bull panic" on a 24-hour loop, preventing the issue from ebbing like previous "breed" panics. The author also articulates how people's expectations of dogs are so high that they are unachievable and the one thing that prevents the most dog bites is education. VERDICT This exceptional, thoroughly researched, and expertly written work is a must for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, 11/23/15.]-Lisa Ennis, Alabama Coll. of Osteopathic Medicine, Dothan © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.