"So this is Vegas," emails Joe McGinnis, Jr., "named for the locale in daddy's novel, The Delivery Man. The basket belongs to his sibling—our first son, Julien. Found Vegas in it—actually lying down at first, having squeezed in, curled up, visibly uncomfortable. He's on the verge of giving up here, surrendering this, and so much more, to his new little brother (or as Cesar Millan would have it, 'pack leader')."

"While he's as sharp as the next dog," McGinnis adds, "and can perform your basic 'roll-over', 'shake and even 'speak' commands—no matter how hard we try, he just can't get into Updike. Maybe it's the sex scenes."