3 comments about Akitas (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. The book provides quality information, just keep in mind it is pretty much a general overview of many topics. It does not go in depth on any one topic (i.e. training, nutrition, history). For someone who doesn't know anything about dogs, particularly Akitas, this would be good. I found a lot of the information general dog knowledge.



2. I have purchased this book after adopting an Akita.
   The book states not to adopt an older Akita like I did.
   I do not agree. I have a great 2yr old Akita that I adopted from my local animal shelter.
   This book does have some great information until it comes to training.I would suggest a different book if training is what your looking for.



3. I have bought several books about Akita's from Amazon.
   This book was filled with information and was written in a easy
   to read format. I own seven Akita's and have raised two litters.
   Anyone thinking of purchasing an Akita for the first time should
   read this book.

5 comments about No Dogs in Heaven? Scenes from the Life of a Country Veterinarian.

1. Once I started this book, I could not put it down! I am a pre-veterinary student, so my opinion is of course biased, but I think that most animal lovers will love this book. The doctor's stories ranged from funny to sad, but were all enjoyable. Like another reviewer mentioned, I am hoping for a sequel! Worth every penny.



2. Dr. Sharp's poignant and humorous stories of a vet's life in a rural area remind me of the great Dr. James Harriott books that I have enjoyed. I highly recommend No Dogs in Heaven.
   
   Don in Chilli



3. I happened to pick up this book on my way to the airport. The title caught my eye. I have a 16 year old son that shares my love for dogs and I thought
   maybe he would also read it and we would have something to talk about
   during our trip. We were on the way to Hawaii and I finished the book
   before we landed. I couldn't put it down. It was so much fun to read.
   The lady sitting next to me said "You are truly enjoying that book. I have
   seen you laugh, sigh, giggle and even cry while reading it. I am going to
   buy it as soon as I get home.".
   My son now wants to become a vet his grades are good, especially science and math, and we live near
   "The Ohio State University", so he may even attend the same Vet school as
   Dr. Sharp!I have sent a copy to my parents and two neighbors.



4. On the surface this book describes the days of a small-town vet. But it goes well beyond that to illustrate the ambiance of this country when people and times were more personal, more gracious, and much more in tune with those things that still really matter no matter how "global" we are claimed to have become by the talking heads of the media and government.
   It will convince the reader that those "better times and people" really haven't disappeared, and that is tremendously Good News.



5. I think this book is adorable and well-written. I'm enjoying it!

2 comments about Everything Dog Grooming Book: All you need to help your pet look and feel great! (Everything Series).

1. This book is not only informative but a great read. Sandy is witty and intelligent. I would highly recommend this book. It would make a great gift for any pet owner.



2. I have just finished this wonderful, helpful book...There was many useful hints about everyday items that are in every home that can be used to maintain your dog...It was an interesting read nothing boring here....Thank you Mrs. Blackburn for a wonderful helpful book.
   Mary Devine

4 comments about Horse Crazy: Women And the Horses They Love.

1. The stories by and about these women and their horse experiences are somewhat amateurish. While a few are warm and/or funny, most are poorly conveyed and written. Nothing truly profound which is quite disappointing when you consider the depth of the truly close and meaningful relationship one can have with their equine companions.



2. I love this book, the stories are very inspiring.



3. Horse Crazy is a marvelous collection of shorts that helps explain the special relationship women and horses enjoy. In the story Galloping Into Forty, author Kimberley Freeman describes riding on a beach at a full out, hell-bent-for-leather gallop. More than any other passage in the book, this one allowed me to understand the lure of horses--and want to go racing across the sand on a horse. Charlotte Mendel's Mucho Muchacho stands out as well, and if you want to understand why women are loco para caballos, I couldn't recommend this book more.
   
   Having little up close and personal experience with horses, I'd never really understood the power--or more accurately, sheer horsepower--they possess. But after reading this collection from dozens of authors and viewpoints, I've finally gotten a glimpse into the majesty and mystique of horses that attracts girls and women of all ages.



4. In the rush of Christmas shopping, I looked at a copy of "Horse Crazy". I was thinking of a last-minute gift for my school's generous and good-natured receptionist who adores her aging horse. Impulsively, I bought a second copy. Just in case someone showed up at my house with an unexpected gift, I could save face with this book. But instead I left it next to my sofa.
   
   Sometimes I am daunted by books. My intention of being absorbed by a 500 page book are often foiled by multiple preemptions. But this book allows me to disappear into well-written, funny and touching stories written by smart, simpatico women. I especially liked "It's Only a Paper Horse" by Stephanie Losee. My favorite image is when she describes her husband trying to please her horse-obsessed daughter's requests for drawings. She says, "Tom's sketching abilities were limited to the creation of a single cartoon fish, which he drew over and over in a vain attempt to be useful." That so resonated with me as a parent, and also made me chuckle.
   
   So I highly recommend this book as a fun, touching, well-written book of stories. Even if you don't adore horses.

1 comments about The Dog Who Came to Stay: A Memoir.

1. I didn't know what to expect when I ordered this book, but it had a title similar to another book I just read, so I was curious. When I read the introduction, I realized that this was a book written almost half a century ago and reissued recently. I learned that Hal Borland had died in the 1970s, but had been a prolific writer about many things and especially outdoor life. His story about the dog who chose to stay with him and his wife began on Christmas night and continues over the ensuing years. His descriptions of the dog, Pat, his rural life as a writer, sportsman, and gardener are completely absorbing. They draw you into the world of the upper Connecticut valley by the Housatonic River. I soon began to wonder about his wife, Barbara, and found that her obituary had just been published in the NY Times on the day I looked for reference to her in Google. I felt a real sense of loss at that. This is how Hal Borland's wonderful descriptive writing lead me to feel as though I was back in time and there with them over 50 years ago. Most of all, Pat, his dog, comes alive as a unique yet thoroughly doglike personality who charms and delights the reader. Pat is just one more example of why humans love dogs so much.

5 comments about The Boilerplate Rhino: Nature in the Eye of the Beholder.

1. Boilerplate Rhino is another collection of magazine columns, like "Natural Acts" (1985), "The Flight of the Iguana" (1988) and "Wild Thoughts from Wild Places (1998). Quammen is an excellent nature essayist, with just the right recipe of fact, whimsy, self-deprecation and seriousness. His ruminations will have you alternately howling with laughter, moaning in anguish, barking angrily and purring with satisfaction -- and along the way you'll add a snootful of useless facts to your cocktail chatter.

   His "Song of the Dodo" (1996) was a tough slog due to the weight and mass of four long books rolled in one, but the 20-minute essays here are just the right length.




2. Quammen has compiled a thoughtful and entertaining collection of his essays for THE BOILERPLATE RHINO. You don't need to be a nature buff or of a scientific mind to enjoy what he's written. This was a bit of an impulse buy due to a bargain price, but I was pleasantly surprised. I look forward to reading more of Quammen's work!



3. There's really little wonder why Quammen is one of the greatest writers of the natural world. He brings out his experiences, and the science of things so eloquently and entertainingly. You'll finish The Boilerplate Rhino - which is really a collection of 25 of his best column articles from Outside magazine - in a few sittings .
   Quammen's nose for news keeps him on his toes in discovering the reality of the natural world. He won't rest till he's seen or investigated or read up tremendously (Quammen is immensely well read) on a subject he gets a little keen on. THAT is what keeps the reader hooked onto his writings, experiencing an involvement, thereby taking yet another step into the beautiful world we still know so little about.
   You will enjoy The Boilerplate Rhino as Quammen takes you on his journeys into places as far out as the Sundas to as intimate as your very own backyard.



4. Reading the fascinating twenty-six essays that make-up this book is the closest I have come to riding a rhino. David Quammen's fantasies are exhilarating; and he knows how to pen them down.
   The lives of these essays revolved around those of octopus, beetles, and bats: before assuming a cosmic dimension.
   This book is a fine collection of fictions, which will please most fantasy lovers.
   However, some parts of it appeared more or less shallow. Still, it's worth the time that any willing reader would like to invest on it.



5. Reading Quammen is like meeting a fascinating fellow in a bar who is really smart, tells great stories and is fun to listen to. Quammen's area of storytelling is the world of nature, from ants to rhinos. Some nature books are heavy slogging (EOWilson's "Consilience" comes immediately to mind) but Quammen writes page-turners. The chapters in the book appeared earlier as columns in Outside magazine.

5 comments about Book of Coral Propagation, Volume 1: Reef Gardening for Aquarists.

1. This book has helped me tremendously from everything to tank set up to introducing ideas such as hanging a coral on a fishing line to taking advantage of space and flow. Even after years of experience I can still go to it and learn some more information. I believe Calfo is releasing an updated version of this soon so be on the look out for it.
   
   John M
   http://www.lareefs.com



2. very excellent book. for the pros. maybe too much for casual aquarists



3. Calfo goes into minute detail with humor. As expected he hit the nail on the head with this one, again.



4. Remember all of those mundane questions on the reef forums?
   
   431 Pages packed with the answers and advice that we all seek. From newby grommets to advanced marine aquarists, Anthony Calfo has suceeded in putting his knowledge into the words that are understandable to all of us. And, that's without glossy photographs!
   
   I couldn't put the book down and read it cover to cover.
   
   Get this book and read it ...



5. I know I am not the only person who sees a nice corals and wants it. Either the person selling it tried to assure me 'oh it'll do fine in your tank' OR they try and sell 100s in equiptment I don't need. Before making a coral purchase I consult this book, will it -really- do well in my tank? Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes yes, BUT since consulting this book I've never had a coral witheraway and die. From reading the articles on the various types of corals, I have better possitioned my tank, and ended up with happy corals growing and spreading in my tank. The money for this book has saved me time and and again from throwing away money on the wrong coral or the wrong equiptment It has also saved me time in doing things right the first time.
   
   This book is very readable and not dry at all. Its actually a good read which is rare in a truly useful book. The style and organization of this book make it a book that is never on my book shelf, it's most often on my nightstand becasue it always seems to have another gem of wisdom to impart.

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.

5 comments about The Bearded Dragon: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. I find it hard to believe that the Author has ever owned a Bearded Dragon. If he did or does he never spent any time observing them. This author gives contrary information to just about every other source out there. This book would be better titled "How to care for your short lived dragon"



2. Again as usual Amazon has come through for me ... the book a learning device for my son came in the knick of time ... his bearded dragon seems to like it too... not sure if thats a good thing but ty Amazon as always a wonderful delivery and very efficiently done ...



3. I found this review to be very helpful. It breaks down different areas, such as feeding, breeding, health, etc in a detailed manner. Very reassuring for a nervous, first-time owner who loves their bearded dragon!



4. I love bearded dragons and have been doing research on them for a long time. Many of my friends and family have beardies and i hope to get one soon.My friend has this book and it provides alot of useful informacion.



5. I hate to be the only one who has a problem with this book, but I can't keep my mouth shut. This book was poorly written at best, containing information that was erroneous and possibly detrimental to the health of pet beardies. The author relied on what I basically refer to as "guesswork" rather than actual documented bearded dragon information. Just enough information to be ignorant is a dangerous thing. If you value your pet beardie, don't invest in this book. If you are interested in a book with a lot of good (correct) information, I would recommend: "The Bearded Dragon Manual" by Phillippe De Vosjoli/Robert Mailloux/et al. It is by far the most comprehensive guide to the care of bearded dragons at all stages of growth and development.

3 comments about Brussels Griffon (Comprehensive Owners Guide) (Comprehensive Owners Guide).

1. The book gave us good info. We got it as part of a set. I would recommend it.



2. VERY HELPFUL BOOK. DISCUSSES PURCHASING AN OLDER GRIFF OR PUPPY. AS TITLE STATES IT IS COMPREHENSIVE. IF YOU ONLY OWN ONE BOOK IT SHOULD BE THIS.



3. As you may already know, finding information regarding Brussels Griffon's is slim to none. This book however, is excellent. It contains everything you need to know about the breed. From the history of the breed, training, habits, to common diseases, this book doesn't miss anything. I highly recommend it.