“Starting With Max” by Ying Ying

“From the first moment I saw Four-Legs I was captivated by his big brown eyes, staring intently at us. They were full of obvious anxiety and seemed to make a silent plea for mercy.”

“The weight of your head on my lap, the smell of dog fur in your blanket, the moisture of your nose on my finger after I have held your face… they all have one meaning to me: being alive, being joyous. You are the constant, from the beginning until the end.”

“In my opinion, we shall never be able to look at things entirely from a dog’s perspective, simply because we are only human and animals can’t tell us how they think… As Wittgenstein once said, ‘if a lion could speak, we wouldn’t understand him.’ Indeed human knowledge stalls in the face of the inner life of animals.”

“Will I know from your big brown eyes when it is the time for you to go? You must let me know when you no longer have a desire to live… Or will you be given that fatal needle so you can have a painless and peaceful death? I check your face now and keep asking myself what I should do.”

 Max was adopted into our family on 9th of September, 1999 and became a life force for me. He passed away on 2nd May, 2013, four months short of sixteen years old. But his spirit lives on. He has become his story in my book.

Starting with Max is my first English book, published by Allen &Unwin in September, 2013 in Australia. The audio book, produced by Bolinda Publishing, is also available from April, 2014.

To find out more about Starting with Max:

Allen and Unwin: www.allenandunwin.com/minisites/inspired-living/…/9781743317945

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/18407036-Starting-with-Max

A selection of radio interviews and press

ABC Radio:  www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/…/ying-ying-and-max/4897186

The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend Magazine:   www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-max-factor-20130812

Southern FM:  www.southernfm.com.au/tag/starting-with-max

Deborah Kal Booksdeborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2015/01/q-with-yingying.html

Small Animal Talkwww.smallanimaltalk.com/…/how-one-dog-can-change-life-storyofmax.html

To purchase:

The book is available in several formats.

  • Paperback 

— sold in all major book stores in Australia, and online bookshops and sites such as:

  • eBook

— download in:

Kindle format and

iBook for iPad, iPod, iPhone etc.

  • Audio book

– sold in all major book stores in Australia and online from ABC audio books and Amazon

Max & I

“This is not just another book about life with a dog, but a quest for deeper understanding of humans and their dogs. In her contemplation of her four-legged friend and all that he is, Ying Ying reflects on matters of significance such as love, faith, beauty, ageing, mortality and creation.”