Not the book I expected and I am glad of that. This book is not about Oscar but about dementia,dying, and how we deal with it. One interesting point is that you must think of the patients being in the process of "un-learning"-the exact opposite of a child's focus on learning. It's a very poignant story of the nursing home where the doctor works. A nursing home that truly is a home. Were everyone so fortunate to live out their last days in a facility like this one. You'll find yourself tearing up reading some of these stories. Oscar is truly a remarkable animal but maybe his real gift is not to the dying and their families but to the doctor who wrote this book. Dr Dosa has crafted a beautiful account of living, loving, and dying. It took Oscar to motivate an already caring and competent doctor to an ephipany like moment about life.