5 comments about Seven Cats and the Art of Living.

1. This was almost like stepping back into the pages of Winnie the Pooh and the pleasure I remember from being in the magical 100 Acre Wood. Jo Coudert's memoir of seven of her pets, how she acquired them, lived with them, lost them, is fascinating, and each cat teaches a lesson about how our behavior impacts the life we experience. I think what Coudert wants us to know is maybe the cat can't change the way it is -- how its life experiences shaped its personality -- but people can if they understand why they do what they do. Her pen and ink illustrations are charming.
   
   Now, where the controversy is: I don't know if a cat's early life experience shapes their behavior that much or if they just have personalities. I have a feral cat I caught when she was three months old and after six years, she's still shy and withdrawn, and I have a male cat we acquired at 3 weeks who is wild and unmanageable despite being raised by us since almost birth.
   
   But the bigger controversy: Coudert keeps her cats in when she would go back to her city apartment, but in the country she let them out and some of them come to very bad ends as a result. You will shed many tears reading this book. I think only one of her cats lives a long life. She also did indeed, as one reviewer was horrified to learn, ship a couple out to be barn cats elsewhere, and they disappeared. I felt bad about that. I have one who sprays, too, and he is ruining our life, but I can't see myself getting rid of him even so.
   
   Then again, the sainted Dr. Dodson in his behavioral book is on the side of a shorter cat life if it's a happier one - outside.
   
   This book stays in my amazon.com shopping cart to give as gifts whenever I need one and I'm interested to see her other books on other topics. I've also been inspired to write my own cat book.



2. Although I basically enjoyed this book, I have very differing views of how cats should be treated. I believe that cats should be kept indoors for their health and safety as well as for the protection of wildlife. Remember, the "housecat" is domesticated, and is NOT a natural predator in the wild. You don't see people letting their dogs out at night, expecting them to return in the morning. We don't let our parakeets take a spin around town or let our goldfish splash in puddles in the driveway. So why do we let our cats roam the streets? Our attitudes about cats must change, and when they do, millions of cats around the world can be spared euthanasia due to over population. The author does, however, offer interesting insight into the different human characters that we certainly can learn from.



3. This is a gentle book, an easy read. Cat lovers will recognize the endless antics, distinct personalities, and uncompromisingly self-seeking behavior of these always amusing companions. The author describes the often devious methods that her cats have used in insisting that they will live with her in spite of her protestations, and she focuses on the unique qualities of each animal.

   However, early in the reading, the real depth within the book becomes vividly apparent, and the telling goes beyond the surface stories. As the author explores the challenges and delights of living with cats, she discovers the life lesson each brought with her or him. The lessons learned are universal truths, ideas most of us are familiar with but too often forget in our hurried lives. The reminders of these truths are welcome, easy to accept, and appreciated as revealed through the various tales.

   This is a lovely little book to give as a gift to good friends - even if they are not confirmed cat people.




4. I truly enjoyed Jo's talents for writing and illustration and these talents shared with her readers on this wonderful book about her cats.

   One can quickly feel the passion she has for these mysterious, delightful creatures. Reminiscing about these seven cats in her life all but transports the reader to GoWell (her home in the country) and the life she enjoys there with her dogs and cats and friends.

   The heart she displays and articulates about her relationships with these seven are enjoyable to read, and the cat lover and/or owner can relate to the various emotions: the pain of losing, the thrill of discovery and growth.

   Howeve, I must admit that this book would have easily been a five if she left it as this" "Seven Cats." She chose to allow this to become a commentary on living. That's where I humbly beg to differ, due to our different orientations of worldview. What I believe in is that all wonderful creatures (cats included) come from The Magnificent Creator God. I love his creatures and our cat Molly is one of our favorites. However, much as we love Molly and our two Shelties, we love the One who made them and us, and regard our relationship with Him as more important. God truly wants us to be good stewards of His creation, including cats and dogs. (Sidenote: I also take exception with her preference for cats over dogs. Dogs want to please their ownders far more than cats, and one can do much more activities with the dogs.)

   Life brings with it many toils and troubles, as Jo relates. So where do we turn for help and relief and understanding and hope? I don't think we'll find the answer in our cats, as much as we cat lovers love them passionately. My suggestion is to turn to the One who gave us such remarkable gifts. Psychology and all the self-help advice in the world will not fill the void that only our Creator-Redeemer God can.

   Jesus warned us not to turn inward into self or to nature (Matthew 24:24-26) but to Him who loved us and gave Himself on the cross us.

   For those who share Coudert's search for truth, or see every path the same to truth, then this part of this well=written book will not bother. For those of the Christian-Judeo heritage who confess the First Commandment to be the highest, then this portion will not speak of the true art of living which we learn from in the Book of Life, the Holy Scriptures. However, the read is a good one, and I thank Jo for her passion for life, for cats and for seeking the truth to make sense of it all.




5. The author likes only the cats that behave according to her 'rules'. She blames the cats if they develop normal behaviors in reaction to the way they are treated. She expects them to be logical and to be able to 'reason'. When one cat hides much of the time as a result of being mistreated, the author says the cat should be more trusting and willing to take risks because the bad treatment is in the past. This is ridiculous. If you love cats, I don't think you'll like this book.

3 comments about Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Animals, Family and Life from the Philadelphis Inquirer.

1. If you read the title, you'll know what to expect. It is a compilation of short stories about animals, family and life (mostly stories and lessons about life). Yes, I expected more animal stories, but I enjoyed the book none the less.



2. I feel robbed. I should have done more research, I suppose, but I mistakenly assumed that this was some sort of sequel to "Marley & Me", a book I truly loved. Had I known before purchasing this CD set that John Grogan was NOT involved creating it, I would never have bought it.
   
   The cover, both front and back, leads you to believe that this is a compilation of dog stories, which couldn't be further from the truth. Of six CD's included in this set, just one (CD #3) has any dog stories on it! The others are merely ramblings and musings from Grogan's old "Philadelphia Inquirer" column . . . probably alright, if that's what you wanted to listen to, but if you're looking for dog stories, this is NOT the CD set to buy. This set is far from entertaining and is mostly boring and depressing.
   
   I wish Amazon would let us assign ratings in the negative numbers as I would give this garbage a rating of -5 stars. Simply giving it a one star rating isn't sufficient. I feel ripped off, hugely disappointed and wish I had my money back.



3. Do not buy. This was done without the consent, involvement or approval of the author of the NY Times best selling book "Marley and Me," John Grogan.
   
   Stick with ONLY his versions of "Marley & Me." There are editions for all ages: Adult, teens and children.
   
   This is not one of them.

5 comments about The Last Chance Dog: and Other True Stories of Holistic Animal Healing.

1. I am the holistic skeptic in the title of this review. I picked up this book and figured it would be full of touchy-feely nonsense, but instead, I was enthralled. The case studies were entirely believable and the treatments were explained so well that the basic aspects of alternative veterinary medicine began to make sense. When I finished the book, I immediately began to explore educational opportunities so I could learn more than just the western medicine I'm familiar with (I'm a vet tech student). I even gave the book as a gift to a couple of friends because the stories were so wonderful and full of hope.
   
   The only section of this book that I think should have been edited out was an odd description of the author sort of sashaying through her garden and listening to the plants talk to her or something peculiar along those lines. All the holistic medicine was professionally described and explained, and then the educational tone was tainted, in my opinion, by the peculiar fantasy passage. I think the book would be better off with those few pages removed, because it turned the author from "genius" to "crackpot" in my mind. I guess I'm still a bit of a skeptic about some stuff, but most of the book was excellent!



2. If you are an animal lover, and are interested in miraculous stories of animal healing with alternative medicine -- YOU MUST OWN THIS BOOK! This is the best book on alternative healing I have seen. It is written in story form, very enjoyable to read and will have you crying with joy through the entire book at all of the animals' lives who were saved because this vet thought outside the box, and never gave up on an animal. I have taken this book to my holistic vet and we are helping a very sick cat of ours with the information we gleaned from it. He is getting better and would probably have had to be put to sleep if not for my having read this book. Thank you, Dr. Kelleher for your wisdom and compassion!



3. Written and compiled by holistic veterinarian Donna Kelleher, The Last Chance Dog And Other True Stories Of Holistic Animal Healing is a heartwarming anthology of stories about treating animals ranging from dogs and cats, to horses, turtles, birds, and more, through the application of alternative medicine. Engagingly narrated in a down-to-earth fashion, The Last Chance Dog is an engaging, entertaining, informative, and very highly recommended read for animal lovers everywhere.



4. I read a LOT of animal-related books, and this is one of the very best. It is so well-written and engaging, that you can hardly put it down (although I had to often, just to process all the new information that Dr. Kelleher gave in each and every chapter). I have learned so much about holistic vet care from this book and really appreciate her knowledge and the way she shares it with us. Each chapter gives a beautiful, moving story about a particular animal and the health problems he or she has been going through, as well as the fears and frustrations that the animals' humans are experiencing. Probably most of us who have ever lived with animals have gone through those most difficult times, and I especially appreciated the love expressed by both Dr. Kelleher and the animals' caretakers in each instance.

   I am now determined to find a holistic vet for my cats and am excited about starting them on the homemade cat diet that Dr. Kelleher gives us in the book (and, yes, there's a dog one too!). This is a must-have book for everyone who lives with an animal, and the stories are wonderful to read for all animal lovers.




5. Okay, once I got past the 50's-textbook-cover design (which does an inadequate job of expressing the vitality of the book and its author), I discovered a dynamic, articulate animal advocate; a very knowledgeable veterinarian (both conventional and holistic, explaining acupuncture and the Chinese medicinal theory behind it, chiropractic, herbal & homeopathic solutions, and other alternative approaches); and a delightful storyteller. Her enthusiasm and personality fairly jump off the pages; her stories are well written and heartwarming/heartbreaking (18 chapters, 18 bouts of tears), and her advice is absolutely essential. The only challenge is keeping track of it all - I have tattered sticky-note bookmarks spewing from the book edges. She uses an interesting and effective structural rhythm: case stories followed by explorations of the medical issues and alternative medicine solutions each story brings up.

   Dr. Kelleher is impassioned and opinionated (without ever judging or making me feel inadequate because, for example, I can't get my cats to eat home-cooked food), compassionate (her love of animals is glaringly apparent), brutally honest (revealing her heartbreaking frustration and despair at some cases), thoughtful and interesting (her embrace of holistic medicine is both well-reasoned while also quite intuitive as she tells the tale of her medical-intellectual-emotional-spiritual journey), and, at times, funny, like when she crawls around in a dirty crawlspace looking for her escaped tortoise muttering, "I am the worst tortoise mom in the whole world." By this point in the book, you can see her doing this and chuckling while a tear escapes the corner of your eye.

   A great read: entertaining, heartwarming, informative, and ultimately hopeful. Any person owned by a pet will love (and benefit from) this book, even more so if your animal companion has medical challenges.

5 comments about My Fine Feathered Friend.

1. My Fine Feathered Friend
   By William Grimes
   North Point Press 2002
   $15 USA, $24.95 Canada
   85 pages, illustrations
   ISBN: 0-86547-632-2
   
   Reviewed by Karen Davis, PhD, President of United Poultry Concerns
   
   "I looked at the Chicken endlessly, and I wondered. What lay behind the veil of animal secrecy?"
   
   My Fine Feathered Friend is a bittersweet tale that leaves you aching after you put the book away. In part this is because the main character, a large handsome black hen who appears mysteriously one winter day in the writer's yard in Queens, disappears as mysteriously as she arrived. This is a true story. The author, William Grimes, a restaurant critic for The New York Times, is intrigued, fascinated, and finally haunted, by this hen. He perceives her as a kind of Earth Goddess, as solid as a tree trunk, rugged, compact, able and enduring, yet elusive, vulnerable, and, ultimately, as ephemeral as a fairy princess. She vanishes when he comes to love her. He calls the hen, simply and archetypally, the Chicken.
   
   When I first started reading My Feathered Friend, I was put off by the tone. Grimes refers to the hen for a number of pages as "it," while referring to his and his wife's cats as "hes" and "shes." His style is pat with similes and cultivated assurance. I thought, okay, Grimes wants to make sure that no one, including himself, gets emotionally involved with this chicken. He's keeping the lines drawn. But I was wrong. The story reflects his growing tenderness for the Chicken, moving through levity and wonderment to love, sorrow and loss.
   
   The Chicken has an aura of the "familiar" in folklore, an enigmatic being regarded as both a homely acquaintance and a supernatural spirit embodied in an animal that links that animal to a particular person while retaining an inviolable otherness. Grimes's Chicken is like a visitor from another planet (exotic and ineffable) who probably escaped from the local poultry market in Queens (squalid and local). She is a hero and a survivor -- "a brave little refugee"-- who flouts false stereotypes about chickens. "I'd look out back and see a cat chasing the Chicken across the yard," Grimes writes. "Ten minutes later I'd see the Chicken chasing a cat." She is at once endearingly personal and profoundly impersonal. She has her own projects. She is self-possessed. She projects an arch authority, like the author himself. She dominates Grimes's yard, his cats, and his consciousness. She is, he confesses protectively, "a hard read."
   
   The Chicken tracks through the universe by way of a residential patch of earth -- a "pocket paradise" reclaimed from a "wasteland of weeds" in New York City. She captures the eye of a beholder who becomes a Witness driven to Inscribe Her Being. Grimes attempts to fit what he "knows" about chickens (he eats them and makes his living writing about them as food; otherwise he says "the humble chicken was foreign to me") with his deepening perception of, identification with, and ultimate yearning and mourning over this particular hen. She moves him. He is affected by her "air of mystery," her "appetite for play," her "brilliant evasive maneuvers," her "genuine courage," her "character," her "willful high-spirit," her evocation of what the poet William Wordsworth inestimably versed as "something ever more about to be."
   
   Grimes reads up on chickens, passing on to us pieces of information (some accurate, some not) about Gallus domesticus in folklore, history, and poultry manuals, as a backdrop to, an explanation of, the Chicken, a creature so definite, and infinite, so solid and numinous, she eludes classification. He muses:
   
   "Was it pure coincidence that she liked to sneak up on Yowzer, the cat most likely to develop a nervous twitch when caught unawares? Time after time I saw the Chicken trot up delicately when Yowzer had his back turned, squawk a couple of times, and then watch as the cat leaped a couple of vertical feet. The Chicken, after a successful ambush, would run off jauntily, with a cackle that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle."
   
   At other times, "I'd see Bruiser and Crusher snoozing in the basket, Yowzer draped along a nearby wooden bench, and the dark, shapeless form of Midnight filling out the sagging seat of an old sea grass chair we had bought for a couple of dollars at a yard sale. And in the midst of the group, perfectly content, sat the Chicken. It was a heartwarming sight."
   
   One night a police helicopter hovers over the yard, causing the pine tree in which the Chicken is roosting to sway violently under a wind of hurricane force. "Somewhere, deep in the branches," Grimes writes, "the Chicken was holding on for dear life. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going through her tiny mind. By now, I figured, she had either suffered a fatal heart attack or had been dashed to the ground. But no. The next morning, amid wreckage out of Apocalypse Now, the Chicken reappeared, brimful of vim and vigor."
   
   But one spring day, the Chicken is gone. She does not return. Grimes and his wife Nancy look everywhere. They wrack their brains trying to remember if there were any behavioral signs they failed to notice. "The previous afternoon I had watched her resting comfortably in her nest beneath the pine tree," Grimes writes. "I searched for signs of violence but did not find any. The only trace of the Chicken was a single black feather near the back door. The Chicken was definitely, profoundly missing."
   
   It is hard reading the final pages of this book. The depression Grimes describes is not roguish but real, though he tries to make light. "We had grown to love the Chicken," he says. We believe him: so had we. "She really was a big presence in the backyard," Nancy sighs. You go back to the book cover and study the jet black sweet bird face with its rosy comb and pert expression, framed in an oval mirror. If you know chickens, you know the look of that bright round eye, so attentive yet pensive.
   
   My Feathered Friend is like an exquisite blade sliced across your bowels in the midst of a light-hearted romp that won't heal. The book ends with unappeased longing and unsettled questions (unhappy questions on many levels), not "closure," nor should it. Though Grimes says the story is "at an end, at least for us," still, he wonders and hopes, maybe the Chicken will come back. Maybe she's on a journey. He bought things for her. He and Nancy wait for her. They keep a light in the window. Maybe he'll wake up one morning, look out the window, and see "a large feathered form bustling around the patio, scattering cat food and clucking."
   
   But for now, as Alice Walker said about a horse named Blue, in her excruciating essay, "Am I Blue,"* let us not let the animals whom we piercingly perceive become for us merely "images" of what they once so beautifully expressed and are. The Chicken is every chicken. One like no other. Take the next step.
   
   
   *In Living By the Word: Selected Writings 1973-1987. This book of Walker's essays also includes "Why Did the Balinese Chicken Cross the Road?" ("[T]o try to get both of us to the other side.")
   _________________________________________________________________
   Karen Davis, PhD, is the founder and President of United Poultry Concerns, a nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl (www.upc-online.org). She is the author of Prisoned Chickens, Poisoned Eggs: An Inside Look at the Modern Poultry Industry; A Home for Henny; Instead of Chicken, Instead of Turkey: A Poultryless "Poultry" Potpourri"; More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual, and Reality (Lantern Books, 2001); and The Holocaust and the Henmaid's Tale: A Case for Comparing Atrocities (Lantern Books, 2005).
   
   
   



2. A poignantly told memoir of a season spent in the company of a somewhat bohemian chicken. I gave a copy of this book to my vet after we tried for several months to save the life of one of my pet chickens. She hadn't much experience with chickens, more so with the fanicier hookbills often found in one's the parlor, so I wanted her to know what it was like to know a chicken on a more personal level. The author accomplishes this very well, sharing valuable chicken lore with his affectionate and often respectful look at the life of a chicken and life from The Chicken's point of view.



3. I ran across this book at the library looking for substantive books on chickens--the cute cover caught my eye. This is a very entertaining and enjoyable read!

   I'd recommend this book as one you'll finish quickly, share with a friend or two, and want to read again yourself one day.




4. This extremely short book really qualifies as more essay than "book," and as much as I enjoyed it, I wondered who would shell out hard-earned cash for its slim contents.

   Then I found myself handing it around to people as I would share a cartoon or funny email. "Zip through it over lunch," I said, "Take it instead of a magazine while you're waiting for your oil change or dentist appointment."

   And so I learned what this book is best for: for a few bucks, you can pass a smile around to your friends. The eye-catching cover is hard for anyone to resist, and the illustrations are great. If you know someone who's been adopted by a stray animal, this is perfect for them. But if not, pass it on anyway. It's a light, funny read that will make anyone smile.

   In Grime's hands this unusual bird manages a truly universal appeal. I loved the pleasure it seemed to take in sneaking up behind a skittish cat and sending the cat vertically airborne with a sudden cackle. Then there's the pet store employee who tries to explain that they don't carry chicken feed, because a chicken is not a "particular animal." Grimes has an eye and ear for gem moments like these.




5. This is an absolutely adorable story about a man who comes to know and love a chicken who suddenly appeared in his backyard. I first read the authors article about the enigmatic and willful chicken in the New York Times and I actually saved that article because I enjoyed it so thoroughly. My Fine Feathered Friend is just as charming as that article was and better since the author is able to elaborate more on the chicken's fantastic personality and the personalities of the numerous cats that interact with the tenacious bird. The author really knows how to describe animals and the cats encounters with the chicken are truly vivid and terribly amusing. You will not forget this chicken. Its personality lingers long after the final page. The book is a joy and I highly recommend it. Thank you, Mr. Grimes, for sharing such a delightful story!

3 comments about Horse Miracles: Inspirational True Tales of Remarkable Horses.

1. This is the perfect collection for teenage, horse-crazy girls, and reminds me of the Horse Stories I gobbled up as a kid.
   
   It's a collection of true stories, apparently from people all over the country, each told to a writer and then edited together into this collection. Some are better than others, but they all remind us of how noble, perceptive and kind horses can be when they become partners with their owners instead of beasts of burden.



2. This book is plagued with plagerism of already published stories. Most of the details regarding the stories about Ruffian and Secretariat are inaccurate, and they called Riva Ridge, "River Ridge". Very, very, very poorly researched and written. I do not advise anyone to buy this book. I was very disgusted with it. Also, they mention several times that horses are often sold for dog food, and apparently they did NO research on this little fact, HORSES HAVEN"T been used in dog food for nearly 30 years!!!! Perhaps they were trying to cover up for the slaughter industry which buys and slaughters horses for human consumption overseas. I couldn't even finish the book, I didn't trust any of the content as truthful.



3. As a rider and having owned a horse I was so pleased to discover "HORSE MIRACLES". Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger's newest delightful collection of true horse tales is an absolute lovely tribute to a long overlooked subject. It easily demonstrates the most noble and important role that horses can miraculously play in the lives of humans. I'm sure that every horse owner can identify with the Steiger's newest book. And if you have never owned a horse it gives a wonderful insight into the oft times ignored talents and sensitivity of these noble creatures. I've enjoyed all of the Steiger storys about other animal miracles but "HORSE MIRACLES" is just especially outstanding! I just could not put it down. And, as usual it is told through the Steigers own special and creative way of writing that lets you, as the reader 'see' and 'feel' the action in each story as it happens.
   Does it get any better than Brad Steiger and Sherry Hanson Steiger's "Horse Miracles"? ...'neigh'...Charming and wonderful
   is the only way I know to describe their newest book!!!...I will read it over and over as it is highly inspirational! I plan to be sure to use "HORSE MIRACLES" as a top gift consideration to friends and absolutely recommend it as an outstanding book for any member of the family individually or to read aloud from on family night.

No comments about Treasury of Great Cat Stories: A Collection of Tales That Celebrates the Mystique and Charm of Cats.

1 comments about Animal Lovers.

1. I actually have not read this book as yet but it promises to be a good one about helping animals that are lost or abandoned and finding them good homes.

2 comments about James Herriot's Animal Stories.

1. Easy reading for a light min



2. James Herriot writes of his various experiences as a country vet. Laugh with his humorous mishaps, and share the joy and fulfillment of his career.

2 comments about Herd on the Street: Animal Stories from The Wall Street Journal (Wall Street Journal Book).

1. My dad is in the story on page 43. I get to go to work to help him catch the animals out of peoples houses. It is alot of work and sometimes dangerous but I get to learn alot about animals.



2. No matter the state of the economy, the weakness of the markets, or the dudgeon of the editorial page, there's always one part of The Wall Street Journal that brings a smile -- the center column on the front page known in our household as the "nut box." "Herd on the Street" collects the best of a special genre of nut box stories, the ones about animals.

   From dogs and cats to roaches, sturgeons, and Punxsutawney Phil, most every corner of the animal kingdom is represented here. The essays are almost uniformly well written, entertaining, and sometimes even educational. More than a few are laugh-out-loud funny, some are quite memorable, and one at least is unexpectedly poignant -- a contribution by slain WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl.

   Animal lovers might well find themselves sitting down and reading this title from end to end. And certainly, people who otherwise have no sympathy with or interest in the Journal will find this worth the read. It would make a fine book to keep by your bed, or in a guest bedroom, for an end-of-the-evening treat before resting up in readiness for what The Street may throw at you in the morning.

1 comments about The Lightkeepers' Menagerie: Stories of Animals at Lighthouses.

1. I thought this was an extremely interesting, informative, historically well-researched, and entertaining account of one group of people whose lives are enriched by their bond with animals, and who value the animals with whom we share this planet enough to help them when they can.