PositiveHarvard ReviewThe book is, in a way, a palimpsest (one of Messud’s favorite images, which occurs six times in this collection) whose sections explore how life experiences, relationships, and art and literature inform our efforts to connect—to understand and be understood ... One unexpected and joyful essay is \'On Dogs,\' in which Messud details what she has learned from her dogs ... The lessons Messud draws from her canine companions—and the lessons imparted in all of these essays—inspire and entertain. Perhaps the most consequential essay, and the source of the book’s title, is \'Kant’s Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write\' ... Messud unpacks important lessons about the role of utility and the liberal arts in contemporary society ... The...final section is far shorter than the others, which may leave readers wanting a wider range of art criticism. Although Messud may not have all the answers to our many challenges, she has eloquently and movingly laid bare the ways the arts can remind us of the beauty—and the utter importance—of being human.
