The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Bowen, James. The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Streetwise Cat. Thomas Dunne Books, 2013.

James Bowen's The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Streetwise Cat is a sequel to Bowen's original memoir, A Street Cat Named Bob. The text is organized into 18 chapters and an epilogue, follows a largely linear structure, and employs both the past and present tenses. The following summary relies upon the present tense.

Two years after Bowen finds Bob lying injured in an apartment stairwell, he reflects upon all his cat companion has given him. Bob has not only become Bowen's best friend, but has taught him about responsibility, friendship, hope, and love. Bowen is especially reminded of these truths one night when Bob wakes Bowen up on the bus before he misses their stop. Bob's intuition and instincts, energy and spirit, awaken Bowen to all of the good things his life contains. Although his and Bob's circumstances are not perfect, Bowen's life is remarkably better than it has been. Indeed, Bowen lived on the streets of London, suffering from a heroin addiction, for nearly a decade. Befriending and caring for Bob has given him a reason to recover and to pursue a better life.

In order to support himself, Bowen sells magazines for The Big Issue. The company's mission is to aid homeless citizens and recovering addicts on their journeys towards rehabilitation. Bowen appreciates the company, but is often disheartened by the work. He wishes there were an easier way to prove himself and to change his circumstances.

After yet another long, taxing day selling magazines in the cold, Bowen and Bob return home to find a man injecting himself with heroin on their stairwell. Discomfited by the sight, Bowen is eager to remove himself from the man's orbit. He dislikes the blatant reminder of his past life. When the man collapses, Bowen dials 999 and performs CPR while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. The man does not survive the overdose. In the wake of the incident, Bowen realizes how fragile his own life still is. If he does not remain focused on the present and future, he risks relapsing.

Some months after a trip to Australia to visit his mother, Bowen develops a deep vein thrombosis. The condition leaves him almost entirely immobilized. His acute physical discomfort augments Bowen's mental anxieties. He begins to worry that he cannot care for Bob and that Bob would be happier living with someone else. While in the hospital, he realizes that Bob has free will and will choose where and with whom he wants to live. Upon his release, Bob bounds back into Bowen's arms. Shortly thereafter, Bowen takes the last of his subutex medication, rendering him clean.

One day, a reporter from the Islington Tribune approaches Bowen and asks for an interview. Soon, the piece about Bowen and Bob's life piques the attention of several literary agents. The agents encourage Bowen to write a book about his life with Bob, ultimately assisting him with a contract.

After several more conflicts with The Big Issue management, Bowen decides to leave the magazine. He devotes his time to writing his memoir, caring for Bob, and busking for money. Two days before the book's publication, the publishers host a book signing at a local bookstore. Bowen is terrified that no one will show up. As soon as the event begins, however, hundreds of people fill the space. The book's popularity grows over the following months. Bowen sees the book as a major turning point in his life, a success he attributes to Bob.