Wisdom Of Donkeys [Hardcover]

"If you yawn at the idea of a 240-page meditation on donkeys, then steel yourself for an adventure of positively equine proportions...Peppered with references to famous donkeys in literature...[Wisdom of Donkeys] book will give you a whole new appreciation -- and respect -- for these gentle, wise, and misunderstood animals." (Shared Vision 20070518)

"Donkeys are misunderstood. At least, that's the impression left by Merrifield's gentle meditation on life, art, and the meaning of beauty, which crucially involves journeying through the hills of southern France and 'daydreaming in the open air' with floppy-eared Gribouille's faithful companionship...Can a donkey be a philosopher? Merrifield believes so and, with this modest, lovely little book, makes us believe so, too." (Booklist 20080115)

"It is too seldom that the Spiritual Living section of LJ has an opportunity to read and review a real love story, but this is such a book, the affecting and eloquent account of a man and a chocolate-colored donkey named Gribouille. Merrifield, author of important biocritical studies of Henri Lefebvre and Guy Debord, as well as Metromarxism: A Marxist Tale of the City, tells the tale of his wander through the Haute-Avergne in southern France, learning the ways of his patient, strong, and stubborn donkey companion, who gradually shows him that 'real happiness comes in unforeseen places, through surprising twists and turns, through honesty.' Highly recommended." (Library Journal 20080306)

"Professor Andy Merrifield was chasing a dream when he moved from England to teach at a university in New York City, but, as he admitted recently, 'things didn't work out so well, I felt very lost.' So he went to live 'somewhere totally antithetical to [New York],' moving into a farmhouse in France's Auvergne region, an area known for its sought-after green lentils from Le Puy. Intending to slow down the pace of his life, he borrowed a friend's donkey and set out on foot through the countryside of southern France." (Macleans 20080314)

"Slow is the new hot...As Merrifield learns, traveling with a donkey, famed for its stubbornness, means you must learn to practice patience...Merrifield and Gribouille amble through the French countryside, with the donkey attracting many interested observers and allowing Merrifield to connect with people he otherwise would never have met. And slowly, a love affair begins -- between a man and a donkey." (Montreal Gazette 20081226)

"Following his own path, Merrifield seeks out the companionship of Gribouille, the dark brown donkey who would accompany him on his walk through the French countryside. Together they set off on an exploration of slow travel, purposefully taking a route less traveled with the full intention of enjoying each moment and never rushing to the next one...This is not a fast read, but rather like journey, one to be savoured and meditated on." (North Shore News )

"[The book] kicked to life, and I began liking it and, ultimately, loving it for, among other things, its gravelly conversational prose, its longings and generosity, its intrinsic poetry and profound poignancy as a memoir."