5 comments about Tails of the City: Confessions of a Manhattan Pet Vet.

1. These stories are touching and show a deep love for dogs and cats.
   I was a bit disappointed in the writing style, the review I read compared this author to James Herriott who had such a gift for rich description and brilliant character depiction. There was none of that in the Tails book.
   The illustrations were most enjoyable.



2. From the title I would have thought this book was only about Dr. Devincentis patients but he also talks about his own animals. I loved the array of stories and his compassion.
   
   The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because the arrangement of the last story was sort of out of place. For instance, he talks about his new dog Billie after his previous dog Cotton dies. You are treated to life with Billie through the previous chapters and then in the last chapter he brings you back to how he acquired Billie.
   
   Other than this, the book is an enjoyable and heartwarming read.



3. I almost stopped reading this at Chapter Two which was about the travesty and horror endured by racing horses. It was a difficult read, but as I continued on, I found this crisp little book filled with poignant vignettes of our dear little creature friends, to be actually all about the bigger picture of living in general. It depicted the joys of companionship both animal and human, as well as the anguish and pain of loss. This work speaks to the statement of bittersweetness life brings. It says that because of all the love, the pain will be great but that's in a good way. The author is clear and descriptive, but not fluffy. This is my new mother's day gift to all my friends!



4. The sweetest book I've ever read, plan to purchase several copies as gifts for fellow dog-people! Funny, poignant, lyrical and beautifully written, it's embellished by the splendid graphic work of Bill Charmatz.
   It's fortunate for me that one deceased Abyssinian and one lop-sided Lab (Bell's Palsy, tumor,not to mention, kidney issues)have been part of Dr. Tom's patient load for many years.



5. Dr Tom has been our family vet for as long as I've lived in New York ~ 25 years ~ for beloved, deceased cats Badger, Bobrinne, Kim, Homer, Hobbit and for current loved cats Max and Handsome). Shy, somber, proper and serious, kind yet compassionate ~ Dr Tom SEEMED to focus his complete attention on the pet patients, not the human clients. I was fascinated by the idea that he wrote a book about his experiences as a Pet Vet in New York! Who knew Dr Tom paid very detailed attention to his human clients too!? But he's been watching! And now he shares what he's seen.
   
   His book made me laugh and cry. It is full of wonderful stories with a few sad tails ~ a mix as varied as New York is vibrant. He points our attention to the cycle of life that our pets, with their shorter lives, seem to highlight and illuminate for us.
   
   Buy this book for the animal lovers in your life.

1 comments about Dogs We Love: With Jane Smiley, Armistead Maupin, Ann Beattie, Edward Albee, and 14 Other Dog People.

1. This is a chunky, endearing, handsome book that's just confirms everything we most love about dogs. But these are MASTERS of prose here, as well as being "masters" of their family dogs. So just imagine the novelists and short story writers you love sharing stories of their own canine companions. Jane Smiley on her golden's insatiable fetching, Armistead Maupin on his dog's uncanny ability to interfere with anything romantic, Merrill Markoe on her small dog's undeniable love affair with her slipper. There's Danny Shanahan writing and illustrating a short guide on how to read your dog's behaviors. There's--well, there are sheep dogs, mixed bred wonders, Labs, bull dogs, unruly dogs, cockers, spaniels...and a pack of other dogs photographed in black and white by Robin Schwartz that make this book the perfect gift to give or keep. Plus the book's profits are part of Rosen's ongoing efforts to support animal welfare agencies.

5 comments about Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers: Stories that celebrate our feline friends (Cup of Comfort).

1. This is an excellent book for cat lovers, filled with short stories both happy and sad.



2. This book is simply wonderful for any animal lover, but purr-fect for cat lovers. Each story, there are 50, is enjoyable and there is not one among them that won't touch you in some way. Each tale is unique but carries a common heart-warming thread. You could reasonably read a complete story in small snatches of stolen time, or you may find you must keep reading. :-)
   
   You will laugh and cry and you will FEEL. The stories in this book are short in duration but long on feeling. The reader comes away with a better understanding of just how much they will never wholly understand the depth of soul held by our feline friends. I have 2 kitties myself and have always had cats in my life. I have long held the belief that cats have personalities and spirits and a greater intelligence and sense of empathy they are usually given credit for. This book proves the point many times over.
   
   I loved reading this medley from the first story to the last. What a fantastic collection.



3. I bought this book from the recommendation of my mother who is also the mommy to two Tonkinese cats. My kids adore her cats, and although we have a dog in our household, after reading this book, I can see why so many are touched by cats, and how individual they really are. This book definitely had a warm and wonderful touch that brought smiles and tears to my eyes!



4. The best book I have ever read about our feline friends.Each author shows its love of cats.I highly recommen this book to anybody who has or does not have a cat."The Power of the Purr"was one of the best of the short stories.The compasson showen by both the author and our animal friends makes you feel good inside. Thanks Gail.



5. You can't meet the mysterious eyes of a cat and not think about what she's been up to. Now we know.
   
   Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers is a delightful anthology that includes 50 kitty-inspired tales guaranteed to charm any feline fan. Whether you're in the mood for a laugh or a tug of the heartstrings, this satisfying volume delivers.

5 comments about Mostly Bob.

1. I was in a bookstore. I picked it up and turned to a random page thinking it was a thing of quotes. It turns out it was merely a letter spread out across the pages, but as soon as I started reading it, I couldn't stop.
   
   We didn't have a lot of time before the parking meter would run out, so I had to choose between putting it down and leaving it. Despite the fact that it was probably only a couple pages of text, I couldn't part with it.
   
   It was a really beautiful story. It was worth picking up to finish it. It's worth keeping around.
   
   Normally, I consider the length of a book when I compare it to the price, but in this case it was worth it. I would recommend you find it in a local bookstore and read it. I say it's 50/50 whether you take it with you or leave it behind when you're done, but I'm sure you'll love it.



2. A cute, heart-warming book about "Bob", formerly known as "Red." Not much content, word-wise, but a good message about spreading unconditional love around the world. I read it under a palm tree with a little snoozing off and on, listening to the surf, just completely relaxed. I liked the book, the presentation and the thoughts. The empty pages left me lots of space to write down my own feelings and notes. I might issue it as Bob II - he was a good friend for sure...



3. This is a really short story - I read it while in an airport book store on a layover and cried in the middle of the store. Serves me right huh! Highly recommended read but you should purchase it (and then pass it on!).



4. Spare and touching, Mostly Bob is a eulogy to a beloved dog, whose own insistent sense of self-preservation brought him to the author's home. The simple graphic presentation is just right. For anyone who has had a much-loved animal, worth reading.



5. I'm not only a dog lover, I'm one of those people who've written about their dog. I've read other people's stories about their dogs and cried. (Have you read Arthur Phillips's "My Dog Days" in the New York Times? It wipes me out every time I do.) At this moment, my dog Harry is under my desk, curled up on a cushion next to my feet.
   
   And...I don't know what to think about Mostly Bob.
   
   When I read another reviewer say something like, "Anybody who couldn't stand the blank spaces on the pages probably can't stand children's books, either," I assumed that meant there were different illustrations or something on each page, and probably just a paragraph or so of type, like kids' books.
   
   Wrong. Each time you turn to a new two-page spread, you get one sentence on the right-hand side. Turn the page again. Another sentence. Turn again. Another sentence. Gee, I thought, this guy's really making me work for it! If you're the kind of person who takes in prose in a constant stream, this is like having your thoughts continually interrupted. Turn the page, a sentence, turn the page... this one's entirely blank. Guess we're between paragraphs.
   
   The book is, basically, an essay. And it has moments when it seemed moving to me; a dog that takes control of his own destiny! Lovely. (Though why it took the author a year and half to respond is a mystery; most dog lovers I know would have responded within three weeks. But it is not for me to plumb the heart of another human.)
   
   It's just... okay, I'll say it. I feel a little taken. I found myself wondering whether the author was sincere, which, I swear to you, is not the kind of cynical thought I want to be thinking when I'm reading a story about dog and person. But when an essay gets bloated into a book that has $12.95 stamped on it... and it's so non-specific. Bob "got over" his tendency to growl and see the world as his enemy. Well, there are a lot of people out there working hard every day with dogs who growl and see the world as their enemy, and it's not that easy. The love of one person doesn't make strangers less scary; it takes training and commitment every day, and even then, you can't be sure. If this book had had some of that part of the story in it, I would have loved to read it -- what went right, what went wrong, the small victories, the joys.
   
   But it was very short and very vague -- so vague, as I said, it made me wonder. The tidal wave of praise the book has garnered just doesn't make sense to me, unless it stems from readers who are accessing their love for their own dogs.
   
   I'm sorry to say it, because I don't want to harsh anyone's buzz. Clearly a lot of people love the thing. But for any readers like me, I thought I should give warning.

5 comments about Horse Tradin'.

1. Bought this for a friend and they were very pleased.
   Wonderful to be able to find books that are not in most stores.



2. I nearly always give my books away---which was what I did with Horse Tradin' over 40 years ago. Now I wanted to give a copy to a grand niece and was not surprised that hard copies were nearly unavailable. I was pleased to see that someone had the good horse sense to publish this Green classic in paperback for contemporary readers. Even so I paid up for a used hardback and just finished rereading the book. It would have been worth twice the price.
   Probably only people that now live in rural areas can appreciate the freedom and casualness of life before World War ll. You would never know from reading these stories that Ben Green was an educated professional man. He was a self effacing gentleman that may no longer exist. Other reviewers have covered the content of the book and there is no need for my repeating. Do yourself a favor and get and read this book.
   I only wish that someone would make a movie of 3 or 4 of these wonderful stories. When you read the book you will know what I mean.



3. Ben Green's book "Horse Tradin'" will be enjoyed by about anyone from Texas or with an interest in cowboys and horses. Green was born in 1912 and this book tells stories of his horse tradin' experiences as a boy and young man in the late 1920s and 1930s before the automobile made the profession of horse trader obsolete. Green was a bit more than the simple cowboy he portrays in this book. Research into his life tells us that he was educated in Veterinary medicine at Cornell and in England, so he didn't spend all his time trying to make a buck by sharp trades.
   
   One suspects that Green, like all good traders, stretches the truth a bit in some of these 20 stories, but there is an air of authenticity and affection for horses and cowboying that is hard to resist. "I rode into Mineral Wells one day on a new dun horse with black mane and tail that weighed about eleven hundred pounds and had a nice way of carrying himself -- a six-year old, stylish enough..." Now that's a description of a man who knows his horses. Green tells of his shenaningans as a trader, and also of the times that he was taken himself -- by a southern gentleman who sells him a blind horse and by an Indian in New Mexico who sold him wild horses tranquilized by "sleepy" grass to make them appear tame.
   
   Green makes you long for a time gone by, capturing the feel of a cold Texas morning, the taste of "bachelor's grub" like beans, beef, and potatoes, and the virtues of "hard-twisted, ill-tempered, unbroke Mexican mules." Texans bought this book in vast numbers when it was first published and it deserves to be recalled as an outstanding bit of Western Americana.
   
   Smallchief



4. I read this book many years ago and am glad to see it reissued. Even my non horsey kids enjoyed the stories. It's even worth rereading.



5. Whoever said that Green's stories were hokey must be young, and not appreciative of bootstrap operations. Ben Green was a self-made man, sizing up opportunities as an enterprising youngster. He shows determination, he demonstrates decision-making skills, and he always plays within the framework, ever flavored with a fine-tuned sense of humor. In short, he's the sort who made this country great, and what we are woefully short of in today's crop of youngsters. I know; I'm a retired middle school teacher. I'd recommend this book to any of my former students, except most of them don't like to read.

5 comments about My Life with George: What I Learned About Joy From One Neurotic (and Very Expensive) Dog.

1. As a trainer, rescuer, fosterer, owner of four dogs and avid reader, I read just about anything on dogs. I'd recommend not to bother with this book which mainly dwells on the author's son and her escapades with lovers after losing her husband in her 40's. I finished the book but was very disappointed as George was not written about for long periods of time. When he was he either ignored, punished, not trained, and wound up with the author's last partner who doesn't like dogs. In defense of the author, she did care for George and take him to the vet. But pleeeeeze, spare me-I don't want to read about a 50 year old woman being obsequious to a man--and barring the dog from the bedroom at his behest and wanting "that animal to find his way home". Thought I'd scream if I read "it's only a dog" one more time. Hate to write a bad review on a dog book but just had to on this one.



2. I'd say this book is more about learning about love than anything else. Summers stumbled into pet ownership while floundering as a single mother after both her husband and her father died a mere two weeks apart. George is not the typical dog, and life with him is far from easy. But struggling through grief, housebreaking and the arrival of adolescence of both boy and dog is both a heartbreaking and uplifting experience that Summers shares with utter candor. This is a very charming book that I wouldn't hesitiate to recommend, especially to folks who liked Marley and Me.



3. Anyone who is going through the process of deciding whether or not to add a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or any other type of dog to their family should read this book! It will help them understand, through the author's experiences, ALL of the requirements and responsibilities plus joys and sorrows that sharing your home with an animal can actually entail. It is proof that the challenges and costs are all worth it in the end.
   
   If one is a type of person who can learn from other people's mistakes, there are some great lessons for potential dog "parents" in this book. Experienced dog people could find themselves relating to but frustrated with the author over her way of handling George's "issues". Fortunately, they will find themselves laughing and crying with her too.
   
   The title of this book is very accurate; it is about her life WITH George, not just about the beautiful little dog on the cover. Reading this would also be helpful to anyone who has lost a spouse to illness. My heart just ached for the author and her son.



4. This story, for the likes of myself, a truly passionate Cavvie owner, is so 'familiar' and yet continually enlightening and heartwarming. This little guy is not an easy subject as he gets himself into so many scrapes over the years, and I found myself regretting reaching the end of the story, wondering what else happened to him afterwards. There is something so special about this breed (not half biased!) that I feel just about any Cavvie lover and owner could write a beatiful story about their own little 'friend' and we would all love reading every page. George's mum has endeared him to so many even that I know of myself who have been so keen to get hold of this book. He's a real winner! Love you George!



5. This book is a must-read for any and all dog lovers.Some of the other reviewers thought that George,the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel,was not in enough.It is true that there are some chapters that he is not in.Many people compared this book with Marley & Me:Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog,and they said that it is better than My Life with George because Marley was in more than George,but Marley was not in some chapters,too.They are both great books.Please come to the Discussions to talk about dogs.Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

5 comments about Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster.

1. I loved the book until I read the part about Scott shields/bear search and rescue. It's obvious that the authors didn't do any investigation of their own. They couldn't have as all they reported regarding Scott shields the NOW INDICTED FEDERAL FELON is completely fabricated from the mouth of a known liar. If they had asked for proof they would have seen he spent only 3-4 days on scene and also would have learned that the letter head from the governor's office is NOT their letter head as the governor's office denied requesting his aid. Also shields spent very little time on the water but much more time selling his book and meeting news crews. Think about it.... what can a SAR dog do there? Find someone floating? I did SAR there and there was very little use for a k9 much less an untrained k9.
   Thomas Fletcher



2. This is my second read of this beautiful yet gritty portrayal of how natural disasters (with major reference to Katrina) impact the lives of human-animal families. Heart-wrenching stories of pets left behind by rescued owners who were not allowed to bring them on boats, helicopters, etc. Heart-opening animal rescues, reunions and in many cases adoptions by new families.
   
   "Rescued" is no sugar pill - it exposes the reality of the harsh fate of many animals during and after Katrina and offers real suggestions, recommendations, and insights into how to handle disasters like this in future.
   
   Above all, this is a book about the love between animals and humans and the extraordinary lengths this love will go to in extreme and sometimes life-threatening situations . It is a must-read for any pet-owner or animal-lover.



3. I was one of the many people the Anderson's interviewed for this book and was eager to read it when it came out. When there was not one mention of the toll of the animals and the groups who tried to save them in MS I was severely disappointed. It wasn't as important to mention WHO was there but that Mississippi's animals, their shelters and rescue groups were destroyed in the hurricane...and no one even knows that by reading this book. Overall this book was NOT a clear or true depiction of what happened in New Orleans and MS. This book was a sugar coated pandering attempt to increase sales and appease the ever almighty HSUS, who by the way left New Orleans and the Gulf Coast at the end of Sept. of 2005. The end of Sept. 2005. There are STILL many groups saving the animals of the Gulf Coast today (and as a lingering result of the devastation wrought by the hurricane)...that's right Sept. 2007.



4. This book deals with tragedy and hope. It concerns itself with professionals in the animal control business and others who volunteered to help and who found a new calling. It concerns itself with the mundane and heroism. As well, it provides recommendations for the average pet owner in case disaster strikes.



5. As somone who was detailed to New Orleans in the hurricane aftermath and being a huge animal lover, I found this book very valuable. After seeing so many markings on the houses for animals that didn't make it, it gave me a sense of closure knowing that there were many who were saved and people there who made the animals a priority.
   
   The book also paints a realistic picture of the steps you need to start NOW in order to be qualified to help after the next diaster and also how to prepare your own household for disasters that find their way on YOUR doorstep.

5 comments about My Rescued Golden: True Stories of Rescued Golden Retrievers and the People Who Love Them.

1. I loved this little book so much. Of course having a golden retriever is what made me purchase the book and it shows what a great love and bond that can form between a Golden Retriever and it's human family. My retriever "Einstein" is a blessing in a beautiful gold fur coat that I just love with all my heart. His precious nose is always at my finger tips when I'm walking around at home and his big beautiful brown eyes are filled with so much love it makes my heart swell. A golden gives so much unconditional love and all they want in return is as much love as the give. This books tells that story over and over again. I never get tired of hearing it.



2. I felt so honored when asked to provide my Golden story for this book, and when it arrived I let it sit for a few days. I was worried that some of the stories would be sad and open old wounds for me. One day I sat down and read it cover to cover and am a better person for doing so. Author Margo gently nudged each and every one of her authors to speak from their hearts in their own voices and each tale is utterly unique and beautiful. This book pays a fitting homage to the most loving and companionable breed of all time, the Golden Retriever. It is a wonderful testimony to what adopting a rescued Golden can do to enrich the lives of the adopter and adoptee.



3. Kudos to Margo McHann for putting together such a wonderful book, that will tug at the hearts of all Golden Retriever lovers everywhere! This is a must for anyone who loves or has been loved by one of these wonderful dogs. My own little girl is featured in this book and it will forever be a very special book to me! Thanks Margo, for opening the eyes of the world to "Rescue" and what it is all about!



4. My Golden Frosty's story in in Margo's book. I read it first when I bought it, I was so proud. Then I started reading each of the other wonderful stories and was feeling every emotion, from tears to happiness and whatever lies in between. Each and every story brought such emotion to me. There are so many out there who love Goldens so much they devote their lives to them. I am very proud to be included in this wonderful book and to have been owned by such a wonderful dog.



5. In her book, Margo McHann proves that whatever you put into a dog, you get back with interest! The forward to this book couldn't encapsulate it any better: rescued dogs are not second-hand throw aways! Hopefully this book will convince many people why they should adopt from breed rescue groups.

5 comments about Cat Women: Female Writers on Their Feline Friends.

1. If you love cats then this is the book for you! Very enjoyable and light. A series of delighful short essays by women writers about their cats. Many parts will have you laughing out loud. I loved it.



2. There's a reason this book was on the mark-down section. It is horrible. It is trying too hard to be edgy when its target audience wanted pro-cat stories. From the owner who let her cat get frostbit then brags about it, to the other stories of neglect and hatred of all things feline, this bunch of essays deserves to quietly get tossed in the recyle bin. It's actually not even worth the cost of printing nor the paper it was printed on.
   I happen to love cats, and fully expected to enjoy this book. I suppose I'm out of the demographic for this book anyway. It's aimed at 30-somethings who got a cat because they were lonely then were afraid to admit it.
   Yada yada yada.....bunch of hot hair by people who don't really understand cats.



3. I picked up this book for a very specific reason: to help me decide if I wanted to become a cat woman again. It had been a few years since my two feline loves had moved on to that bottomless bowl of cat treats in the sky, and it seemed time to welcome a new meow into my life. To be sure, I wanted to revisit that special, mysterious, hard-to-articulate-without-sounding trite relationship that develops between felines and females without the risk of falling in love again. And for this purpose, the book deserves five stars. More than the evocative prose, the funny stories, the intimate details, hearing the range of feelings -- physical and emotional -- that cats have evoked in other women, helped me realize I wasn't yet willing to dive into a new relationship with even the prettiest kitty. Special thanks to Megan McMorris for her right-on introduciton and Sophia Dembling for an unforgettable opening essay.
   Jean Fain



4. I can not say enough about this book without almost gushing. I found this book "staring" at me one day only days after my Mistie had passed away. Reading other people's stories about their cats unique habits and unique personalities and the bond that was there for him made me feel comforted somehow during this grief period that I am experiencing.
   
   I loved all the essays to one degree or another but two top favorites were about a little man named Murphy aka Murph dawg and how he wedged himself a place in the heart of his owner's significant other and then the editor's. Megan McMorris, own essay on trying to get her Lucy and her boyfriend to find some common ground.
   
   If you want to read how cats can affect your life...this book is the perfect place to start.



5. To me, cats have always been as mysterious as women--they're elusive one moment, playful the next, and you never know what's going on behind those eyes--so I read this book in the hope that the pairing of the two species together would offer some insight, that like with mathematical signs, the shroud of mystery would be cancelled out when multiplied. I wasn't disappointed.
   
   There's a lot of variety in the essays, some humorous, some sad, but all very genuine. My favorites are "Strutting the Catwalk: Seven Habits of One Sexy Beast" by Jennifer Jalalat, which compares the innate sexiness in cats with female sexuality, and "Saved by the Cat" by Melinda J. Combs, which tells a tale of how saving a cat saved a friendship.
   
   I haven't read all the essays yet, but the ones I have are great, and while they haven't taken the mystery out of women or cats--nothing ever will (and I think I like it that way anyway)--there are a lot of insightful and touching moments.

5 comments about Every Living Thing.

1. I have just finished this book after having read the other books in the series many years ago. The magic is still there. I would not ordinarily be attracted to a book of animal stories but the animals in Dr. Herriot's practice are a stage for something more. The author gives the reader a slice of life from a different time and a different place (Yorkshire). I was quickly enamored with the characters and the telling. This book is really about gentle spirits, kind humor, unpretentious people, dedicated lives. Reading it makes the heart glad.



2. This is my fifth review of a James Herriot title, and if you've missed my first four reviews because you live in a cave, I presume you've heard of the TV series called All Creatures Great And Small. That was based on the first collection of wonderful tales from a Yorkshire veterinarian, or possibly the first few. More than a decade passed between this book and the one before it, and I believe this was his last original book. At first there is a dip in the quality we've come to expect, but once he gets back into his groove, it's every bit as entertaining as its predecessors, and I hated that it ended. It's well worth reading and I enjoyed it immensely.



3. I read his books as a teen and loved them. Bought the whole set for my grandsons, [teens]. They laughed until they cried. [so did I].



4. I read this book many years ago, I enjoy animal stories, I loved books by James Herriot, I read all of his books, the one perchased recently was a gift for my grandaughter who likes animal stories.



5. As usual, I enjoyed the stories written by James Herriot; maybe not quite as much as previous books but it still made very enjoyable reading!