2 comments about Dogs Who Grew Me: A Tribute to the Six Dogs Who Taught Me What Really Matters in Life (Capital Ideas).

1. I enjoyed this book and the stories of her 6 dogs. I am passing this book on to my doggie friends. Worthwhile, enjoyable read. My dogs have also taught me what matters.



2. What can I say about this great book? It made me laugh and cry. I read it during my lunch break at work and tears would be streaming down my face from laughter and sadness!

   Ann Pregosin discusses her life with dogs. She got her dogs through breeders, which isn't so popular in today's world where rescuing pets from animal shelters is considered more acceptable. But Ms. Pregosin is so knowledgable about dogs that when she explains why she chose the dogs she did and how she found them, it really doesn't matter where she got her beloved dogs from.

   The book is full of great stories, as well as tons of information about training, breeds, and dogs in general. You don't have to be a dog lover to like this book. Anyone who loves animals should pick up this book right away!

No comments about On Horseback: Selected Journalism.

4 comments about No Fleas on Us: Animal Shelter Tales.

1. The true stories were captivating. The dedication of the author and other shelter volunteers is brought to life in the book.
   You cant put it down. It is truly a great work. A must read!!!



2. The adjective to describe "No Fleas On Us" Animal Shelter Tales is that it is compelling reading. You put it down and pick it back up. You want to discover more and learn more. The wonderful stories will captivate you. Enjoy because you are in for a wonderful ride.



3. No Fleas on Us: Animal Shelter Tales
   Just like the famous Chicken Soup series, No Fleas on Us will entertain, encourage and uplift. The book dives right in with a heartbreaking story about a neighbor who drowns kittens entrusted to her for adoption and never let's go of the reader's heart. No Fleas is packed with moving stories of these cast-off animals, each as individual as the animals themselves, and the dedicated volunteers of the self-funded No Kill shelter and the unexpected crises they overcome. A natural storyteller, the author infuses the book with the same passion and drive she has for abandoned animals. This book won't disappoint!!!



4. An honest and moving portrayal of what really happens in a no kill animal shelter. One moment your laughing and the next your crying. I truly enjoyed the many heart warming stories from beginning to the end. It was an easy read and I couldn't put it down.

1 comments about Five Thousand One and Two-Liners for Any and Every Occasion.

1. These jokes are really bad. And I don't mean that in a good way, like bad pizza. These stink. Certainly there are a few chuckles hidden in the pages, but you could do much better than this.

No comments about Marley y yo: La vida y el amor con el peor perro del mundo.

5 comments about Curious Creatures - Wondrous Waifs.

1. This is a must read for all animal lover's who will find it difficult to put this book down once they start reading it. It has humor and pathos and it will bring you into the mindset of this nature and animal lover who spins one tale after another that will keep you turning each page until you reach the finish. A delightful book that I would highly recommend for all ages to read and be inspired by.
   Hollywood producers would be missing a good bet if they did not find material for a wonderful family movie based on this marvelous book.



2. Readers of all ages are going to adore Kostro's animal memories. His tales are often humorous, but also heart breaking. I was very entertained with his childhood fascination of picking on his older sister, since this is a theme that showed up in another of his books. I suspect the author is a bit mischievous? Ed Kostro's apparent harmony with nature and creatures will charm any animal lover! Especially meaningful is chapter 40, titled 'I Cry'. You really spoke to my heart on this one, Ed. Thank you.
   Chrissy K. McVay - Author



3. `Curious creatures, wondrous waifs - my life with animals' by Ed Kostro is a wonderful book that takes the reader along the highway of Ed's life. Beginning with Ed's earliest memory at the age of three, Ed recalls each animal that made an impact on his life and made him into the caring, animal advocate that he is today.
   
   Shaped by the careful nurturing of his grandmother's interests of all living things, Ed grew up in a household filled with grandmothers, their dogs, and a secret snake in the basement kept as a pet.
   
   This book will charm the reader and encourage a deep love and respect for all God's creatures. St. Francis of Assisi's Prayer for Animals (taken from Ed's book) sums it up:
   
   `God, Our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity's needs, and to lead us to You. By our own fault, we have lost the beautiful relationship we once had with all Your creatures. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You, we will restore it with all animals. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You, and to treat these animals with respect.'
   
   I felt truly blessed to have read Ed's book.
   
   Pauline Dewberry (UK)



4. What a wonderful, delightful book this is. Author Ed Kostro shares his life and his passion for our fellow earth dwellers in his writing and does a very fine job of it.
   In this book we journey with the author from the days of his youth to the present. He shares with us touching stories of family life that always include the antics of wonderful pets and other animal encounters. He learns at an early age that he has a special relationship with nature's creatures.
   We share in the faithfulness of several beloved dogs, giggle at the humor of some and dab a tear at the loss of others. One of my favorite stories was"Guard Dog or Dinner For Two."
   In this story Mr. Kostro is living in Southern Italy with his wife and dog Sport. Unfortunately, it seems the local people did not look at dogs as companions, but dinner. Although I am sure I would have been just as upset about this as our author was; I could not help but stifle a giggle as he told the challenges he encountered in this new land with it's strange customs, keeping his beloved dog out of the cooking pot.
   All in all this was a very pleasant read and a great reminder that all life on this planet deserves our respect. Great book for animal lovers and for those who wonder why we love them so much.



5. Rebeccasreads recommends CURIOUS CREATURES WONDROUS WAIFS as an unabashadly sentimental collection of memories & writings from the author's life, so there are often repeated segments, written at a meandering pace. Still, there is a boyish, gladsome, if unedited charm to the whole.
   
   For all animal-lovers to keep beside your bed for a restful & entertaining read before you turn the light out, it will stir memories of the animals you too have known & loved.

1 comments about Skunk Medicine: There's a Skunk in the House! and Other Tail-Raising Stories.

1. Pretty hilarious. The unexpected combination of pet skunk tales and Native American folklore. All captured in light of the author's spiritual journey.

No comments about The Friend of Man And His Friends the Poets.

1 comments about The New Roger Caras Treasury of Great Horse Stories.

1. I recently purchased a copy of "The New Roger Caras Treasury of Great Horse Stories." The book is a good collection of horse fiction, but I was dismayed to find that the book did not include several of the stories that were described in the listing on Amazon.
   
   The description reads as follows:
   
   This new collection contains pieces by John Steinbeck, D. H. Lawrence, Anna Sewell, C. S. Lewis, and many others. Thorne Smith's "A Horse in Bed" tells the hilarious adventures of a man who is granted his wish to become a horse for a day. Dick Francis's "Spring Fever" illuminates the foibles of the English horseracing circuit.
   
   Unfortunately, several stories mentioned in the description, including those by Dick Francis and Thorne Smith, do not appear in the book.

5 comments about A Dog Called Perth: The True Story or a Beagle.

1. to make it to 21, despite it's owners stupidity. Also the poor neighbors that had to put up with Perth's comings and goings on their property, and the howling that they must of endured ---- unbelievable!!!!!



2. Peter and Cindy Martin bought Perth, a beautiful beagle at a well-known breeder in upstate New York. When they lived in Cazenovia, New York, Perth was allowed to run free and always would be regardless of the venue. When Peter got a job offer in Ohio, he took it, but Perth became a rotten devil. She was denied freedom in this boring atmosphere and soon got restless and snappy. This was why Peter and Cindy moved to Florida, where they were, "eager to embrace the more vivid subtropical climate and the majesty of the ocean, even if Florida had no hills." (p. 45) Florida proved to be just as bad, because while they were happier, Florida had a terrible climate and a very boring culture full of elderly people.
   
   As a trip to England neared for Peter and Cindy, there was no place to take Perth because they refused to put her up in a kennel. They found an all girls camp in Vermont that would take her as their mascot for the summer, but as soon as Peter and Cindy left, Perth became irritable and again snappy. The camp let a nearby boy take care of her, but he chained her to a chair in the barn and this made Perth vicious. She escaped and found her way to a camp just south of the Canadian border where a family took care of her. When Cindy and Peter received news that Perth had gone missing, they came back to the States early, to begin their search for her.
   
   With the help from a local SPCA, signs were put up at grocery stores in many states that contained information about Perth and that she had a tattoo on the inside of her ear. The family that had taken Perth in had heard about this missing dog, and soon returned her to Cindy and Peter. They were overjoyed! "Perth had made her break for freedom in Vermont and survived." (p. 109) Peter soon after got a job offer to teach at a university in England. He took the job, but Perth had to be put into a six month quarantine before being able to set foot on English soil. Before long Perth was free to roam about the English countryside and was absolutely enjoying life.
   
   Peter needed to do some research in the States for nine months and Perth was in need of a place to stay. They found that their friend Barbara could take Perth in, and that she understood her greatly. When the family returned, Perth was in great shape, but not too long after, Perth began showing signs of her increasing age of 16. It turned out that Peter needed to make a return visit to the States and again had to leave Perth in her now dying state. They were to leave her with Barbara and she was going to have Perth put down after they left. When the Martins got back though, Perth was not dead, but in great condition. Barbara did not have the heart to put her down when Perth was showing signs of improvement. "Two or more years she lived, reaching the human equivalent of 147 years of age." (p. 205)
   
   A Dog Called Perth was a heart-filled story about one dog's love of life and of those who loved her. Since this book was a true story, it really helped bring to life the character of this one dog and the accounts she faced. I truly enjoyed the imagery in this book, especially when the author was describing a new place that they had moved to or a specific time that called for crisp details. "She would have before her the pastoral green fields, meadows, hills and gardens of bucolic Sussex instead of the sterile and constricted mansions along the Florida beach." I was able to relate many feelings in this book back to my own life because of my experiences with my own dogs and the love I have received from them. Another thing I liked about reading non-fiction is that it is written in first person and as is the case with this book, the author was writing about his own life, which made it incredibly personal.



3. (NOTE: I initially wrote this review for the paperback edition, but I felt it appropriate to post it here as well.)
   
   Depending on your perspective, "A Dog Called Perth" is either heartwarming or heartbreaking. It's definitely a mixture of the two, but to some one may outweigh the other.
   
   Unfortunately for my reading experience, the heartbreaking aspect overwhelmed the story.
   
   Author Peter Martin and his wife, Cindy, obviously loved their beagle, Perth, to bits. They couldn't get enough of her, she was perfect in every way, shape and form. If Perth got into any trouble it was because someone provoked her in some way, or she was defending herself, or she was just being the way dogs are intended to be: free-spirited. Their love for this dog was clearly limitless, and the pedestal Perth was placed upon simply got taller and taller throughout her long, 21-year life.
   
   But that was the problem. Peter and Cindy were so wrapped up in Perth that they seemed to lose sight of the fact that she was a DOG. Now, I'm as much a dog-lover as the next guy, but these people's approach to raising and caring for their dog was not exactly what I'd call responsible.
   
   For instance, Perth had a history of biting people. And not just biting them -- but biting their NOSES. Scary, if you asked me, especially if you are unfortunate enough to be one of the recipients. But yet it was never Perth's fault -- Peter had warned people not to bend down next to Perth's head, and if they did and she bit them, then, oh well, too bad -- you were warned!
   
   Worst of all, when they had to go to England for a few months, they left Perth with complete strangers at a girls' summer camp. They only thought of Perth's needs and desires: to run free in the wilds of Vermont, to have access to every nook and cranny the wilderness had to offer, to chase rabbits and squirrels endlessly, and all the while have her food and water made ready for her by people who had only known the dog for all of one day. Not once did Peter and Cindy consider the danger of leaving a dog known to bite people and having no experience with children at a girls' summer camp. All that mattered was Perth's well-being, no one else's.
   
   Not once did Peter and Cindy put Perth on a leash. That is no exaggeration. They didn't "believe" in leashes -- even after Perth escaped from the girls' camp and went missing for six months. (Peter and Cindy, naturally, blamed the camp director for not controlling Perth better.) They eventually found her, but only because they were incredibly lucky and had enough money to offer up a decent reward. After getting her back, Perth was still allowed to roam free. The fact that she might have caused who-knows-how-many traffic accidents and random dog bites and dug-up gardens was unimportant to these owners.
   
   And yet, throughout the book you get the sense that their love and devotion to Perth is extremely genuine. Too bad it didn't demonstrate itself in ways that I could relate to.
   
   When I read the back of the book, I thought I would've been able to relate a lot to it. Like Perth, my dog Andie went missing, too. She was only gone for 11 days, but it was the worst 11 days of my life. But Andie went missing because one day our gate didn't latch properly and she got out, not because I left her behind with a bunch of strangers and allowed her to roam off-leash her entire life. My love for Andie rivals that of Peter and Cindy's love for Perth, but I believe it wins out because, honestly, I protect Andie and they did not.
   
   So, I'm sorry to say I came away disappointed with this book. Upon reading Amazon reviews for this book's hardback edition, I found I was not alone. Not by a long shot. Although beautifully written -- the main reason I'm giving it three stars -- I can't bring myself to recommend this book to anyone, dog lover or otherwise. I'd feel like I was adding to the irresponsibility with which Perth was raised, and she deserves better than th



4. I was so enraged by the complete ignorance of the dog owners in this book that I am writing my very first book review! Perth was obviously a very special dog and I enjoyed reading about her intelligence and spirit very much. However, the way she was so carelessly treated by those who claimed to love her, simply makes my blood boil! As someone else has already written, I, too, hesitated to read the ending of the book fearing exactly what happened at the end of her life. I finally did finish the book and do urge other dog lovers to read it, knowing in advance that they will probably simply love Perth and want to shake some common sense into her owners!



5. I thought I was the only one outraged by this book until I decided to look it up here and read the other reviews..I am more than half way through but simply cannot finish the book..it makes me too sad and too mad! And since another reviewer gave us the ending I REALLY cant finish it-I guess I am glad that I know what happened...so I dont have to read it myself.
   Have these supposedly intelligent people ever heard about the responsibility one takes on when bringing a puppy into the family..it is at least at 10-12 year committment and sometimes even longer. It is NOT kind to just let a dog roam free and it is NOT cruel to put them in a kennel when you must go away. That is merely taking care of them...and I truly believe that was also the case in 1965 which was not exactly the dark ages!! If you can't take a dog on the ferry...and you have the dog with you (oh what a burden) then you dont take the ferry trip! Don't lock her in the car and then go on the ferry and worry (?) about it! Other reviewers were right-Perth deserved better owners..I could go on and on but I just become more angry. I am so sorry I picked up this "heartwarming" tale ..it may be the only book on a dog that I simply could not complete..due to outrage and sorrow.