5 comments about Charlie's World: The Improbable Adventures of a Hong Kong Cockatoo and his American Family.

1. What can I say? Just when the world seemed too complicated, too unfair, and too harsh to bear... along came Charlie. I have been infected with the spirit and perseverence of this wise and glorious Hong Kong Cockatoo.
   
   Readers will find themselves seeing Charlie everywhere they look. I often find myself in new situations where there doesn't seem to be a reasonable way out. Often, when faced with these dilemmas, I ask myself, "What would Charlie do?" Sacriledge say you? I think not. If the lord's glorious message cannot be found in our multicolored and multicultured fine feathered friend, then where can it be found? Amen.
   
   Again, without the inspiration of Charlie and all he has taught me about friendship and seeing the world for what it truly is: a world of beauty, adventure, and peace; I don't know where I'd be today.
   
   Thank you Charlie. I shall always think first before eating another deep-fried breaded chicken sandwich. I will even pause and remember the sacrifice of the muppet before putting on my warm fleece. I will not cast away these materialistic things however. I know that you will want the world to continue as it is. For in trying to change the world to fit your own view, there is only disappointment.
   
   Thank you Charlie, for helping me see the world for what it is, so that I may walk upon this earth without unrealistic expectations or harsh judgements.
   
   You go bird. Do that thing you do.



2. I fell in love with the beautiful bird, and I admire the way story is presented. It is funny, it is personable and written with a great talent. Audrey Topping helps one to appreciate the wonderful world of birds and animals.



3. If you love companion parrots, especially cockatoos, you will probably appreciate this book. I found the book was more about the life of the Topping family, though, which I also happened to find fun and interesting to read about. The book is fast-paced and upbeat as it delivers funny snippets from the author's life with her "baby boy" - any cockatoo owner can easy relate. However, I would have enjoyed more real stories about Charlie rather than the focus on sensationalistic "one-liners" from Charlie. The last chapter takes a dramatic turn and left me sobbing - I don't think the tone or abruptness of the ending added anything to the book and is definitely not for the faint of heart. Overall, though, the book is well worth the read. It left me wishing I had known Charlie, as well as his family.



4. "Charlie's World" is very well written book. I was reminded of the time when Audrey was ten years old, and came to the house with two crows on her shoulders. Both crows were talkers. Audrey is an exceptionally good writer, and the book is a MUST for all. I had to read it in One sitting.



5. I love this enchanting memoir of a brilliant and irreverent cockatoo who adopts a family of 7 humans and then guides, instructs, and scolds them, while roving the world with them. It is hilarous, tender, wise, and all true. This isn't just a pet book. This book is rich with cultural history, psychological nuance, and drama. It's a book that readers in virtually every culture can relate to. I couldn't put it down.

4 comments about Cage and Aviary Bird Survival Manual: A Comprehensive Family-By-Family Guide to Keeping Cage and Aviary Birds.

1. This book is really only a small bird species guide. It really doesn't tell how to care for birds much at all. If you want a small reference manual for caged bird species then this book is for you. If you want a bird care guide, look elsewhere.



2. Informative and a nice quick referance book to have, good value and well presented.



3. This book has easy to understand literature and has plenty of pictures.



4. As a Veterinary Technician, bird breeder and bird enthusiast,I highly reccomend this book to anyone interested in bird keeping. It is not limited to the normal birds as you might find in aviculture, as it has sections on wild birds, and birds of prey. It has 8 sections high-lighting the different families of birds, then breaks that down species by specie. It has a nice intro to bird keeping, housing, basic care and diet. I would have liked to see more info on manufactured parrot diets, but the author does have illistrations showing different seed diets available. In the birds section, this manual REALLY shines! it gives easy to understand symbols for at-a-glance comparisons to other birds. Some of these are: ease of care, size, noise level,aviary type, temperment, and basic breeding info. The photos of the birds are breath taking, and the book boasts over 200 of them!The last section deals with disease and first aid, a topic which would be a manual on its own, and the book gives good information in an easy to understand way. It's also a nice high quality soft cover book, that you can return to over and over. A must while at the bird show!

4 comments about Pheasants of the World: Their Breeding and Management.

1. The best ornamental pheasant book on the market,I am a pheasant breeder and this book tells you all you need to know about keeping,breeding and keeping your birds in a healthy,happy inviroment.



2. This is a comprehensive guide to the pheasants of the world. Filled with numerous, highly detailed, full color photographs of every species, this is a must have for the pheasant enthusiast or for artist reference.
   
   It's a shame this book is out of print, as used copies can be quite pricey. I paid $135 for mine, however, and found it to be well worth the price.
   
   There are other fine books on pheasants currently available, such as Stephen Armitage's "Extraordinary Pheasants," but nothing comes close to this book in terms of sheer volume and comprehensiveness.



3. AS BREEDERS OF PHEASANTS WE FOUND THIS BOOK MOST USEFUL IN THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THEM. ALSO DIFFERENT BREEDS HAVE DIFFERENT HABITAT NEEDS. HE EXPLAINED THINGS CLEARLY AND CONCISELY IN A WAY WE COULD UNDERSTAND. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE. BUT IT WAS VERY PRICEY.



4. AS BREEDERS OF PHEASANTS WE FOUND THIS BOOK MOST USEFUL IN THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THEM. HE EXPLAINED THINGS CLEARLY AND CONCISELY IN A WAY WE COULD UNDERSTAND. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE. BUT IT WAS VERY PRICEY.

1 comments about The World of Lovebirds.

1. This book is worth the search! This book covers everything from cages, to feeding, to breeding to genetics. Although some of the newest mutations aren't listed, it's a great book to pick up if you are a beginning breeder interested in color mutation genetics. Wonderful book!

1 comments about The Handbook of Amazon Parrots.

1. For solid scientifically backed information, I found this book lacking. Not suprising, as it was first published more than twenty years ago. Having said that, the information that is contained is interesting, and will take a lot of Amazon owners back to pioneering days of birdkeeping, before Surgical sexing, disease control, quarantining and nutritional studies. Complete details of all commonly kept species as well as a few rarities is included, with the author relaying a lot of personal excperiences with this unique family of parrots

No comments about Pigeons, Doves and Dovecotes (Gold Cockerel).

No comments about Todo sobre canarios / All about your Canary (Todo Sobre.../ All About...) (Todo Sobre.../ All About...).

1 comments about African Grey Parrots...Getting Started (Save-Our-Planet Book).

1. This book is very hard to navigate due to its layout. The pictures get in the way of the natural flow of words. It is rather difficult to discern paragraph distinctions and there are a few typos. Some of the information in this book is suspect, and the author contradicts himself several times. I feel vastly disappointed with this book however, there are some fantastic photographs of the African Grey parrots.

   Regards,
   William R. Culver Jr.

3 comments about 101 Questions Your Cat Would Ask Its Vet (If Your Cat Could Talk).

1. This is the only cat book I have seen that combines simplicity, entertainment and common sense. It should be required reading for every cat owner; you can dip into it anywhere and draw up useful information. I have been giving copies of this book to the new cat owners among my relatives and friends for years.
   
   Beware! There is another, larger, very glossy imitation of this book, published in 1999, that also has "101 Questions" in the title. The people who created it, whom I suspect of trying to capitalize on the success of Fogle's simple, modest, and beautiful book, should be left in a cage without food, water, or a clean catbox for an extended period of time.



2. Great book, mainly for those who didn't have ever had a cat. Serious but simple with lots of good advices and things everyone having a cat should know! I have loved it! Maria Manuel (Portugal)



3. This is a great book for cat lovers. Brought many smiles..

1 comments about Exhibiting Birds.

1. EXHIBITING BIRDS by Dr. A.E. Decoteau
   
   As a forum for aviculturists who enjoy meeting with their fellow birdlovers and exchanging information, cagebird shows are becoming increasingly popular. This book presents an authoritative introduction to exhibiting and competition. Providing a highly informative guide which covers all aspects of bird exhibiting, the text tells how to prepare for a show, explains the method of organization and details the classification for showing; it also provides standards for some of the most popular cagebirds. Dr. Decoteau, a well known judge of parrots and exotics, outlines a model Schedule of Classes and proposes guidelines for judging those birds, notably parrots which are more and more frequently entered in shows. Many fullcolor illustrations provide a "you are there" glimpse into this exciting aspect of bird hobby.
   
   
   
   CONTENTS:
   
   A SHORT HISTORY OF EXHIBITING SHOWS AND THEIR ORGANIZATION; CLASSIFICATION FOR SHOWING; EXHIBITING; JUDGING IN THEORY AND PRACTICE; SOME BIRD STANDARDS.
   
   T.F.H. PUBLICATIONS, INC