- The Wisdom of Donkeys, by Andy Merrifield, Greystone Books, 247 pages, $22.95.

There are few other domesticated animals that we ever interact with who move as slowly as a donkey. They stubbornly stride through the world at their own pace and as author Andy Merrifield discovers this is one of their strengths not weaknesses.

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.

As he begins to relax and gain an appreciation for the wisdom of slowing down, Merrifield finds the time for more philosophical thinking. He uses his walking inspiration to expound upon a variety of topics all loosely connected to our personal choices and the impact of our lifestyles on our well-being.

And then of course there is the donkey, and Merrifield cannot resist pulling in a wide range of literary examples of donkeys both in their historical treatments and their influences on different writers. It is the similar journey that Robert Louis Stevenson took across the same countryside in 1878, which he recounted in Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes that inspired Merrifield.

This is not a fast read but rather like the journey, one to be savoured and meditated on.

© North Shore News 2008