4 comments about Designer Dogs: Portraits and Profiles of Popular New Crossbreeds.

1. We thoroughly enjoy this book. It does help that our little pup is one of the featured dogs, but I encourage everyone with a love of dogs to give this a try. The pictures are creative, colorful and taken with an expert eye. Anna Kuperberg does a great job with each uniqure personality on display. This book has an extensive description of all these wonderful mixed breeds.



2. Not everyone wants a pure breed, and for those of us in the market for a pound puppy- this is the best book. It give such a great account of each dogs potential personality and the pictures are beautiful.



3. As the president of the Australian Labradoodle Association of America, International Labradoodle Association (International Australian Labradoodle Association), I am please that this book is the first to correctly educate families to our breeds. For years we have tried to educate families and the press as to the difference between the Australian Labradoodle and Labradoodle, even to the fact that there is a difference, resulting in little progress. It is this misinformation that leads families to purchase puppies that shed, when they believing the dog will not, are higher energy or higher drive when they perceived the dog would be low in energy or laid back. This miss-information even leads wantabee breeders to breed a lab to a poodle thinking they will produce a Labradoodle more true to the breed standard (those more true to the standard are second generation, first generation Labradoodle bred to a poodle also known as a F1B) when in fact these wantabee breeders are producing a first generation Labradoodle, F1, which is typically a shedding, higher energy and higher drive dog. Although these first generation dogs make many families happy they are also the dogs that end up in shelters as they are sold to families as allergy friendly or low shedding, when neither is accurate.
   
   Furthermore, this book explains in very easy to understand terms the idea of hybrid vigor and that hybrid vigor is just not applicable to Multigenerational dogs and those health issues present in both parent breeds (which is almost all major health issues, for example hip dysplasia). All parent breeds should be screened for these health issues, designer dogs and purebred dogs.
   
   The book has beautiful pictures of many real dogs, explanations of each dog type, the basics of the breed results. I am impressed, more than a coffee table book, but just as beautiful.



4. Anna Kuperberg is one of the best dog photographers I have ever seen!! Her photos are unposed and unscripted, and she finds each dog's personality in every single shot. A must have for dog lovers!! A++++

3 comments about HORSES: FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE.

1. I could not put this book down. This is not just a book about horses. In the end, it is a book about gentleness, kindness and compassion. It is about love in action. It is a book as much about humanity as it is about horses. Every word evokes an image, every line provokes thought, every page leaves you with a profound insight and a changed heart.
   
   Ms. Lagno devotes all of her attention to the horses. Even so, she still brings the reader to self-examination and a new understanding. In a simple, straight-forward non-technical style, Sandy Lagno dives into the depths of what it means to be alive, and what it means to be dying. Horses: From Our Side Of the Fence is a practical approach to understanding the concepts of such great teachers as Thich Nhat Hanh and the Daili Lama.
   
   Sandy Lagno humbly accepts and puts her gifts into action, claiming no special privilege for herself. She is all at once a humble student, and a profound teacher in her own right.
   
   If you are responsible for any animal in any capacity, this book is instructive and will help you relate to your furry friends. More than that, you will have a new understanding of your own life, as well.



2. I found this book to be a fascinating read! It will really make you re-evaluate how you work with and relate to your horses. Thought provoking and humble, I was engaged from the start. It has changed how I think and act around animals. Have had Sandy work with a number of horses and she convinced me--I was a solid sceptic previously. Everyone who works with horses should read this book.



3. I have had the pleasure of actually working with Ms. Lagno in person and I'm thrilled with this book! What a blessing to finally have a book that is all about the horses!. I highly recommend Sandy's work and her book. There are many books about animal communication out there but none that come 'straight from the horses mouth'. If your a horse-lover you're in for a treat...and so is your horse!

3 comments about Breaking a Horse to Harness: A Step-by-Step Guide.

1. I read the reviews for this book, which were not particularly glowing, before I bought it and I bought it anyway to decide for myself. I found the book to be exactly what I wanted; a step by step guide to harness breaking. It is precise, almost to a fault, and informative. Anyone with horse knowlege can make sense of it. IT IS NOT FOR A NOVICE HORSE OWNER/RIDER. But if you are confident and comfortable riding and working around a variety of horses at varying levels of training, skill and experience, this is a good book for you. It IS written in "British" so be prepared to do some minor "translating." And there is not a glossary of terms (that I could find) relating to harness or cart parts, so some research on the readers part may be necessary. But informationally, I found the book to be sound and useful.



2. This is a great book for a new person teaching a horse to drive. I have a lot of horse experience, but not in driving. I found the steps very clear, very sensible, and in small enough increments so that both the horse and I felt like we had accomplished something each lesson towards our goal. Highly recommend.



3. "Breaking a Horse to Harness" is an informative book and is quite good for a basic overview of what you are getting yourself into. However, the book is a bit too "British". At times, I found the lingo a bit confusing. It would have been nice to see a "troubleshooting" section for problems you may incur while training; the author didn't seem to anticipate many problems while training. The book is not really detailed enough to use as your only tool for training; a book that is more "well endowed" in the areas this book lacks is recommended as an accompaniment. Overall, the book does a good job of reviewing the steps involved in breaking your horse for harness but should definately not be the primary training tool for first-time trainers.

3 comments about Blind Dog Stories: Tales of Triumph, Humor and Heroism.

1. This book is a quick read. The stories touch your heart, especially if your
   dog happens to be blind or going blind.



2. This is a good, quick, read. We're going to adopt a blind dog from a shelter, so it was helpful to read about the amazing abilities the blind dogs have. It was also a good book for our kids, age 9 and 13.



3. Excellent choice of stories; would love to know there are more planned (perhaps a series of such books, like "Chicken Soup..." series). My own wonder dog, Wiggles Blue Heeler, and I have our own story to tell that we are living!

5 comments about Cat Miracles: Inspiring True Tales of Remarkable Felines.

1. A great book for all those feline lovers! The stories made me think of cats in a whole new positive way.



2. If you have ever been a guardian to a cat, or a cat has been a guardian to you, read this book! If you've never had a cat companion, you will probably want to run out and adopt one after reading this book. Cats are marvelous creatures and this book is full of interesting stories about them.
   
   There's a wonderful story about a talking cat. There are stories about how cats have rescued people from almost certain death. These are not far fetched stories, but are amazing and true accounts of some wonderful felines. I highly recommend this book.



3. What a great book. Similar in style to the "chicken soup" type of books, containing a number of true short stories of cats and their owners. You might even shed a tear or two, such as I did in the story of Kitty, who survived a trip under the hood of a car! Recommended!



4. This book is perfect for any cat lover. Someone who loves their feline companion like a child. It has such great true accounts of miracles thats have happened to cats. Cats are very loving intelligent creatures and this book really proves it an dshows how love and heal and save aniamls as well as people an dhow animals can be angels to their people and save their lives as well. This book will really make oyu know that animals have souls



5. In a world where all around is apparent madness, this is a perfect book to read from just before going to sleep. It is
   well written, with a quick easy style that is typical of Hanson and Steiger. The stories are both interesting and
   uplifting, with nothing that will bring about any uneasy dreams. Only buy this book if you enjoy reading in bed, the
   company of cats or getting a great nights sleep.

1 comments about Loaches: Natural History and Aquarium Care.

1. Very informative book on loaches. Everything you need to know and many different loaches in this book!

4 comments about Dogspeak: How to Understand Your Dog and Help Him Understand You (Dog Care Companions).

1. This book will really open your eyes to how our best friend thinks and try to live in mans world. If you own a dog or are thinking of getting one buy this book it is well worth the money just for the insites.



2. Dogspeak is one of many dog behavior books I have purchased in the hope of solving a few behavior problems. This book was not the solution to my dog's problem, but it did provide good information for interpreting a dog's body language. I found the photos of different ear and tail positions particularly useful.



3. I have to tell you all that this book is so incredible and helpful in raising my lab. I purchased it and read this within a matter of two nights. It helped me understand so much more about my puppy, Bailey. You will not be sorry... :) GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN READING THIS! A+++++ ALL THE WAY!



4. I always knew she had lots to say but I had no idea how much. Now I can begin to try and understand her and have her understand me. I found the information fascinating and informative and have developed a whole new appreciation of the emotional complexity of our canine family members and how easily we can misunderstand them.

5 comments about Horse People: Scenes from the Riding Life.

1. Here is the best book I've read on what it means to own or ride a horse. The author, Michael Korda has tried not to anthropomorphize horses, and as a result he sounds a bit detached from these noble creatures (I do attribute human characteristics to horses, but then I'm not a journalist). I'm left with the opinion that he could live without horses, but there are some people who couldn't, including his second wife, Margaret. "Horse People" is almost her biography.
   
   It is also an equestrian autobiography of Korda, himself. Here are the sometimes raffish, always respectful portraits of his mounts, including a "a dapper and rather flashy little Arab-Welsh pony cross that was just a little too small for me...and had, in fact, as it turned out, rather more character than was desirable." Mephisto was the pony's name and one of my favorite stories involves Mephisto's decision to back into the Serpentine, an artificial lake in London's Hyde Park. Korda has to be rescued by the regimental sergeant major of the Life Guards, aboard the regimental drum horse, Clarence "with hooves the size of dinner plates and thick, feathered fetlocks, a towering eighteen hands or more high and probably weighing over a ton..."
   
   Even though many of this book's stories are funny, and most are touching, this is not a collection for horse-loving children. It's a true-life amalgam of "American Beauty" and "National Velvet," with some of the sadness of Steinbeck's "The Red Pony" added to the mix. Horses go lame, suffer from narcolepsy, and have to be euthanized.
   
   Many of the chapters contain deft portraits of (mostly) East Coast equestrians--from Olympic medal winners to those folks, who are happiest at a slow ramble along Central Park's horse trails. President Reagan is featured (Korda wrote his biography in a separate book), as is Bill Steinkraus, who rode in five Olympic Games for the USA, and won the Individual Gold Medal aboard Snowbound at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games--he was the first American ever to win an individual equestrian gold medal. My favorite stories involve the not-so-famous eccentrics who dwell in the equestrian realm: the riding instructors, stable hands, and of course, the regimental sergeant major in "a khaki uniform with razor-sharp creases, and buttons, badges, leather, and cap peak so shiny that it hurt my eyes to look in his direction."
   
   If you are thinking of buying an old farm and keeping horses, then at the very least you should read the chapter, "The Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side of the Fence." Korda takes a look at some of the myriad problems that beset horse owners, accompanied by "the steady, dismal noise of money going out" to farriers, vets, and electricians. Then there are the boarders "tramping through the living room of [the] great ramshackle house in muddy riding boots and spurs looking for a drink or a convenient sofa on which to nap." Included in the usual run of leaky roofs and sagging fences are automatic waterers that shock the horses every time they try to take a drink. This chapter would be extremely funny if it weren't true.
   
   Korda is a splendid raconteur, whether writing about horses, failed marriages, or equestrian presidents. "Horse People," a 'New York Times Notable Book' is perfect for those of us who grew up reading Walter Farley and Marguerite Henry.



2. I have always loved horses, but had only passing touches with them "in the flesh". But my cousin shows a lovely Arabian, and this book gave me a glimpse into her world. Even though I'm not in the horse show circuit, I could relate to Michael and his wife's love of their horses, and the tales of the good, bad, ugly and just plain odd points of each horse as they got to know it. I think the book would also help people who've lost a well-loved pet or companion animal, as throughout the author's lifetime, he had to say goodbye to several wonderful horses, and he shares his emotions in a way that allows you to remember and grieve well your own losses. It's also a step into another world to think of the big city and finding ways to ride within its confines, and I especially loved the pictures from this time period of glamour. I highly recommend it for other "horse people".



3. I found some of the hyper-critical reviews surprising, almost as if the reviewers weren't reading the same book. As someone who has renewed her riding after a 20-year hiatus (having been, in large part, turned off by Claremont and the rutted bridle paths of Central Park), I found this book absolutely charming. The tales of Korda's various horses were heart-warming - I loved the tale of Missouri who still finds purpose in his life at 29, I cried for Hustle, and found the final chapter extremely moving. Korda has great affection and admiration for his wife after over 20 years of marriage, and who can/should argue with that? He also has great affection for his horses, with all their quirks, which is as it should be. Much of what some of the reviewers interpreted as superiority is actually self-deprecating humor of the English variety but which I thoroughly enjoyed.



4. I had high hopes for this book, but was sadly disapointed in the quality of the story and writing. While the equine anecdotes were often interesting or "struck a chord" (the only reason I give this book 2 stars), the writing of the book was about at the level of a talented fifth grader. The stories are presented out of chronological order, which is irritating and confusing; you
   will find yourself reading episodes involving horses of whose death's Korda has gone into great detail about only a chapter or two before, which is a serious detriment to the flow of the story and has you contantly flipping back and forth. Not to mention that it's hard to believe Korda was ever employed as an editor, considering his flimsy grasp on the rules of punctuation and lack of common sense about the flow of a scentence. An entire paragraph may be one legnthy scentence, laden with commas (commas, along with the occasional period, seeming to be the only punctuation Korda is familiar with-- either that or the only two punctuation keys working on his computer). He also interjects "aside" comments into scentences with no regard for how confusing the jumbled information appears to the reader. Many (if not most) of his scentences are severly overburdened and would benefit from putting some information in parenthesis, using a hyphen or semi-colon, or simply making the scentence into two or three seperate scentences.
   
   I did not, however, notice him over-exaulting his wife, a common complaint in the reviews. Nonetheless, I did become irritated with his belief that his horses were all so much more special than and superior to everyone elses' horses-- even horses who (to the author's own admission) enjoy throwing their rider are exaulted and touted as better than all other horses, so long as they belonged to either Korda or his wife. Every one of the horses Korda has ever owned, he seems to believe, is the "best horse in the world". One eventually begins to wonder why Korda wote the book, as he continually critisizes fervent horse people and repeatedly admits that horses are but a hobby for him, not a true passion.
   Ultimately, I'd say read the book if you're very into horses and can get it free or cheap. Someone familiar with the horse world (especially Hunting or 3 Day Eventing) will certainly get a chuckle at some of the characters in the book, and as mentioned certain aspects of the anecdotes certainly strike a chord. However, be prepared for a frustrating, poorly written read as well as some general confusion due to the grammar and chronology of the book.



5. I found Horse People to be highly amusing, if a little too centered on the riding career of the author's wife and the world of eventing.
   
   I grew up in Southern California in the world of horses and I disagree with the author's analogy of "food stamps and old paint" in his description of Western horse owners. While I did know many people of modest means who owned high-dollar horses, I did not know any on the dole. Most of them were working class, as was my father. We had good horses of good breeding and we managed to take pretty good care of them--which was also true of most of the people we knew.
   
   I also knew real movers and shakers when I was coming up and, although some might criticize Korda's excessive attention to their world, he has them pretty well pegged, in my opinion. They're important, in my view--since it is they that help our cherished traditions continue--since only they can really afford to indulge themselves fully in this expensive endeavor. Also, it is they who provide employment for the countless trainers and other handlers, who are truly the unsung heroes of the equine industry.
   
   I do feel that he could have gone a little more into the details of horse rescue and retirement, which is carried on by people of relatively modest means all over the country. I also feel that he could have discussed the horse meat industry in a little more detail. For example, he might have mentioned the growing equine theft problem that it has given rise to, now that it is profitable for any petty criminal to steal a horse that might be convenient and sell him by the pound to the killers--something that happens frequently and almost happened to one of my horses about a year ago.
   
   Still, I highly recommend this to horse people and non-horse people. Above all, it is a fun read and maybe it will inspire more horse people, from other walks (or rides) of the "riding life" to tell their stories.

1 comments about The Duck Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. Good information for a new owner. Our duck, "Q", gives the book 5 feathers.

No comments about Dressage in the Fourth Dimension.