Yogi's Story

When Carpinteria author Van Fleisher discovers an old notebook on his back porch, buried beneath his dog Yogi’s toys, he doesn't know what to think.  He looks at the paw prints in it -- a recognizable shade of mud brown -- in ordered sentence-like rows. Then he looks at Yogi, who is being very attentive to what might be perceived as an intrusion of his private property. But Yogi gives no clue ... his big brown eyes, the epitome of innocence; his wagging tail giving no indication of concern – actually, quite the opposite. He seems happy as ever.

So, Van decides to send the manuscript out to a new, high profile AI start-up to see what they make of it. What he gets back from them blows his mind.

The AI company was able to translate the paw prints into English, but it could have been Chinese or Swahili as far as Van was concerned. It was coherent, but the content – coming as it was, from Yogi’s pawprints – defied logic. It read:

“I procrastinated doing this once before and I ran out of time ... It struck me that as I approach the end of what might be my last life – you never know – I wanted to tell you ... my story.”

In Yogi's Story, Van Fleisher shares the whimsical, beguilingly open-hearted memoir of Yogi (his beloved Goldendoodle in real life) as this special dog recounts the past lives his paws have travelled -- in reincarnations both as a dog and a human. 

Through dangers, difficulties and pleasures, Yogi’s journey unveils the meaning of life as seen through the eyes of man’s best friend. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, all the while with a smile on your face.

Written in an easy, conversational style -- punctuated by humor and candor -- "Yogi's Story is a delightful celebration of the unbreakable bond between humans and their canine companions ... the invisible threads connecting every living soul."