2 comments about Everything Cats Expect You to Know.

1. I cannot rate the content of this book as I will not torture my eyes trying to read 250 pages of 9 pt font. I cannot believe that anyone would publish a book of this content that is more likely to be of interest to the more mature reader and use such a tiny font. Order at your own risk!



2. Contains more than your cat, or any cat, would expect you to know...contains everything ever written and/or thought about regarding cats.
   
   Some may read it all, word for word, but most will probably scan it, pick and choose what to read seriously and studiously. Lots and lots of facts, figures, interesting insights and cat trivia.
   
   The casual cat lover and the cat lover will enjoy this book, but cat enthusiasts will devour it.
   
   One's rating on this book will depend more the individual reader's, shall we say, "curiosity" about cats than the content of the book. Not much writing here, just a full and complete collection of cat facts and cat tails.
   
   A word of warning...have a magnifying glass handy if you plan on reading this book. The type is entirely too small. Reading it is a strain on the eyes...
   
   A better editor and a more creative designer would have made the book imminently more readable and enjoyable.

No comments about Complete Dog Care Manual (Aspca).

5 comments about The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book.

1. I was thrilled to find this book. Whether or not the recipes are found elsewhere, they were laid out here in a clear, easy to understand style. I could almost taste the stuffed avocados, and the ceviche is tempting me to a long drive for very fresh fish. Since our Salukis share pretty much everything, it's great to find some safe for the hounds recipes and I might even cast off my chocolate addiction. Maybe.
   Best of all was the feeling of being invited to a healthy dinner at a friend's home. I'll be using some of the recipes for holiday meals!
   Thanks, Kymythy, for another great book.



2. This book is very informative and well written.
   The recipes are inviting and well accepted by my family.
   Glad I found this.



3. The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book is an impressive compendium of delicious and "kitchen cook friendly" recipes for people and their animal companions. After the opening chapter "In the Kitchen and at the Market", Kymythy Schultze organizes and lays out her recipes into chapters devoted to Beverages; Dressings, Dips, Sauces, and Salsas; Fruit; Meat and Fish; Nuts and Seeds; Soups; and Vegetables. Beautifully illustrated with color photography throughout, the recipes range from the simple "Melon Mania" to the more complex "Great Pumpkin Soup". Of special note are the two appendices: "Shopping List" and "Resources". The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book is especially and enthusiastically recommended to those who like to prepare delicious meals for themselves, their friends and their families, that their animal companions would also find of interest and nutritional value.



4. I have never written a review, but this time I feel compelled. I purchased this book because I have an interest in nutrition and raw foods for myself and my companion animals. I eagerly awaited this book after having read "Natural Nutrition for dogs and cats" the authors more successful writing. This one I was ready to ship back, except with postage I would have lost most of what I paid. Save your money and put it towards a good raw foods book for humans. If you remember to hold the chocolate, onions, raisins and grapes, you can give your pets what you eat providing your diet is a good one. The recipes aren't anything new. There are some nice photos of people and thier pets though. SAVE YOUR MONEY or check the site, I'll be selling mine.



5. Good recipes. I think it is a good idea to incorporate these into your lifestyle

5 comments about My Parrot, My Friend: An Owner's Guide to Parrot Behavior (Behavior Modification Techniques and Their Role in Contemporary Aviculture).

1. Parrots - from budgies to Hyacinth Macaws - are nothing like dogs and cats. For one thing, most of them outlive us. When you get a parrot, you get an individual with the smarts of a 5 year old kid who's emotionally stuck at 2. My Parrot, My Friend gives you all the insight you'll need to get started in and maintain a healthy relationship with your fid (feathered kid). In my 40 years as a parrot companion, this is the first book that I found having everything necessary to ensure you have the proper understanding of the committment needed - time, money, patience, more time, humor - to have a healthy, happy parrot.



2. This book is a good read in bringing one's common sense understanding of parrots in general. I was able to formulate a more educated sense when working with my parrots... basically it gives scientific, common sense information.
   
   A must for the home library.



3. This book was recommended by another bird site as the only book you will ever need to understand your bird. I think I was expecting too much. It reads a little like a clinical tome; too many words, too little said. Yet, the monochromatic photos and diagrams, editing errors, and misspelled words cause you to question the credibility.



4. This book is very thourough.
   I recently got it "out of the closet" and it helped my boyfriend understand my two goffins cockatoos much better.
   It's easy to read, entertaining, and full of useful information.
   Well worth the money.



5. Thinking about buying a pet bird? MY PARROT, MY FRIEND by B.M. Doane will not answer all your questions, but it will give you a broad overview of what to expect from various types of parrots. As the owner of ten parrots, I found little of specific interest about my own birds, I must rely on specialty books for that. However, if you know nothing, you will not know which specialty book to buy. For example, are you thinking about a small bird or a large bird? The author discusses generalized personality traits forgenuses of Psittadaceae( parrot family). Did you know that "budgies" (a.k.a. parakeets) and love birds were types of parrots?

   Coloration, characteristics such as an affectionate nature, and length of life differ across parrot genuses. According to Doane, while most Cockatoos like to be handled, most Cockatiels are not interested in human affection. The specially bred colors such as Lutino Cockatiels may not live as long as birds with the natural coloration. Budgies are most susceptible to cancer (all of them are predisposed to it apparently) and thus most budgies have relatively short life spans. The author provides very general information about how birds grow and develop and how you can work with your bird and encourage him to talk. Plenty of black and white photos.

5 comments about That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon.

1. This was a very informative book about the history and caring for a Maine Coom cat. This is one of three books that I ordered on the subject. I now feel that I am ready to obtain one of these beautiful animals.



2. A lot of ueful and interesting information in a compact book. A pity that more of the photographs were not in colour rather than B & W.



3. We recently purchased a Maine Coon kitten and found this book to be very informative. It has given us not only information for the care of our kitten, but gave us background info and info on what to expect as our kitten grows. I highly recommend this book to anyone who owns or is considering getting a Maine Coon.



4. This book was very informative for Maine Coon owners and lovers. The history and background of this breed was informative and impressive in detail. Maine Coon owners will learn a lot and give them more to admire in their very special cats. A winner of a book.



5. I bought this book due to the great reviews given by readers, but I cannot see what they are so excited about (Maybe they were the author's friends). The photographs are really poor (blurred, poorly lit) and only a few are in colour. I would have expected at least a clear description (with images) of the different colours Maine Coons available, but again here were only written descriptions. The text runs on an on with no apparent point to make. This was clearly written for purple haired ladies who attend cat shows and go on and on about standards, not a cat enthusiast who would like to learn and appreciate a specific breed.

5 comments about Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had.

1. Although I know nothing about hunting birds or hunting dogs I really enjoyed this book-I read it in just a few hours because It was so captivating...I first read about colter in the book DOG IS MY COPILOT and ordered this book after reading an excerpt in that book and I LOVED IT....Of course I cried but I will read anything about dogs and I highly recommend this book....



2. For any dog lover this is a great read. Bass is a very sensitive and descriptive writer. You will laugh and cry as you relate to this personal story.



3. For Rick Bass, the qualities of innocence, wonder, and vibrancy of life come together in the form of a brown pointer who runs with a smile and an inquisitiveness about the natural world that forms a wonderful, compelling narrative. This book is not really about hunting. Nor is it about dog training; it is much more.
   Bass tells the reader about his idyllic life in an extremely remote section of Montana where September ushers in a pre-winter appearance of grouse and pheasants signaling the advent of a new hunting season. Other activities throughout the year seem merely a prelude to this time of year.
   And into his life leaps Coulter, an energetic addition to his canine household of Homer and Ann, brought into a seemingly foreign land. Coulter is described as the "runt of the litter", the last one to be selected, and the most unlikely to ever achieve any mastery of seeking out pheasants.
   What emerges is a dog that transcends bird hunting and lands smack dab into the heart and soul of his owner.
   For anyone who has ever treasured the companionship of a dog-loved and lost them-- this book is a tribute. It is also a reminder of the pure things in life that school a person in the important elements of being alive.



4. I originally picked up this book because of the cover. The darling GSP pup is hard to resist. However, the beautiful imagery within is what stays with me.

   I am a confessed dog-lover and outdoor enthusiast. I responded to Bass's descriptions of Colter's hunting skills and of the natural world. I enjoyed Bass's humility and sense of humor. Mostly, I could just relate to how much he loves his dog. I feel the same. I could not put the book down and have reread certain passages upon finishing Colter.

   A great choice for people who appreciate the magic of working dogs-dogs that live to hunt or herd or help. Also, anyone who loves the Montana wilderness would like Colter, as well.




5. First off, I'm a big fan of Rick Bass' writing. Clear, compelling, and crisp. "Colter" is definitely a story about a dog and his owner. But it transcends the heart-string pulls that might imply and manages to paint a picture of place, character, and neighborly interaction in the American West as well.

   If you enjoyed Rick Bass' "Winter" or his later story collections, "Colter" might be a welcome read.

2 comments about Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds.

1. This is a beautiful book with very adorable photos of many different dog breeds. I found myself falling in love with dozens of the cute and cuddly breeds and even some of the types of dogs I'd never have thought I would be drawn to. Rachel Hale is a fabulous photographer who really captures the essence of the pups. What a great book!



2. Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds is a photographic showcase for dog breed lovers. Each two-page spread features a striking, professional-quality photograph of a breed of dog on one page, and a brief amount of text concerning the breed's history, disposition, and appearance. Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds is not a comprehensive guide to caring for one's pet, but rather a brilliantly assembled tribute to man's best friend in all his beautiful glory. A wonderful coffee-table giftbook highly recommended for dog lovers everywhere.

1 comments about The Whole Hog: Exploring the Extraordinary Potential of Pigs.

1. These days the majority of us are city-bred and virtually clueless when it comes to farm animals. Rarely do we get much closer to these domestic denizens than the kindergarten song about Old MacDonald's boisterous barnyard. Except, of course, when we lift our forks, at which point such creatures hardly resemble their living selves. Perhaps this mollifies our consciences, i.e. that pork and beef, lamb and fowl seem nearer those edibles springing from the earth (corn and cabbage) and less like our not-so-distant, four-legged cousins.
   
   With his 24th and latest book, Lyall Watson may inadvertently launch a new wave of vegetarianism, so charming is the porcine portrait he paints. (To counterbalance any economic shock to the meat industry, it should be mentioned that earlier in his three-decade writing career, Watson also penned a couple of essays on the topic of whether or not plants feel pain.) At any rate, once you have delved into "Whole Hog", you cannot help but come away with an altered perspective and just a bit of guilt about this `star' of so many meals.
   
   Watson describes not only the hog versions with which we are familiar, but contrasts them with their wild varieties, as well as, their close relatives, the peccaries. He intersperses scientific fact with fanciful information such as the origin of piggy banks and the distance covered by a single year's worldwide sausage production.
   
   This ode to pigs will likely bring criticism for something that has long been the bane of naturalists: anthropomorphism. Anything smacking of benevolence towards, or support of, animal consciousness elicits supercilious smirks from humans. (Are we inherently so unsure of our place in nature and our tenure as its `rulers'?) Loren Eiseley, who during his years as Benjamin Franklin Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, won more awards and accolades than any predecessor except Franklin, addressed this. "There is a sense in which when we cease to anthropomorphize, we cease to be men, for when we cease to have human contact with animals and deny them all relation to ourselves, we tend . . . to deny our own humanity."
   
   Watson, too, weighs in on the issue with, "It is indeed difficult to demonstrate true awareness or consciousness in other species, but it is becoming more difficult to deny the possibility of animals having minds and using mental experience in the practice of their behavior."
   
   This book is filled with sober and comical photos, statue renderings, and drawings of pigs in various situations. Several are downright endearing, reminding me of someone I knew who, in raising an occasional hog to feed his large family, maintained detachment from the animals by giving them names such as `Food' and `Dinner'. If you have read any of Lyall Watson's books, you already know the smooth, effortless quality of his writing. If you haven't, let "The Whole Hog" be your introduction to it. You may well want to go back and read others ("Dark Nature," "Supernature," "Gifts of Unknown Things") representing this author's broad range of interests.

2 comments about Bach Flower Remedies for Animals: The Definitive Guide to Treating Animals with the Bach Remedies.

1. The book is an excellent source of information if you have pets or are in the pet industry.



2. As a caretaker of six cats and a dog, I have used Bach Remedies for years with my animals but I've always had to refer to books focusing on the use of the remedies with humans. This book has come to my rescue and I especially like that there are separate chapters on cats and dogs. There is also a separate chapter on use of the remedies wih horses.

   The best feature of the book is the second chapter "Using the remedies" where the authors spell out the animal behaviors that can indicate a need for each of the 38 remedies. For example, Crab Apple is the remedy for cleansing and is indicated for a animal who does excessive grooming or chews on its fur or feathers.

   The only negative aspect for me, as an American, is the very British slant in the resources lists and in the case studies. However, that is a small complaint in the overall usefulness of this title.

No comments about ChiWOWhua! Undersized, Underfoot & Over the Top.