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

1. 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!



2. 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



3. I enjoyed this book. The best part of this book is with George (dog) and Monster Mog (cat). I really only connected with Judith in this book but I really enjoyed her a lot. It was a quick, fun read.
   
   --Gerard Zemek, husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



4. I thought this book was written about my Cavalier who is named "Georgiegurl". I could not put the book down after reading the first few pages and then never wanted it to end. I laughed, cried and most of all, loved every real description of the Cavaliers quirky and captivating ways. It would make a great movie. I have purchased it for my dog friends and they experienced the same. Great read.
   M.L.



5. 
   The book makes for not just a good laugh, but cleverly interwoven into the story are little nuggets of useful information for any cavalier owner. For the non cavalier owner, an open and no holds barred look at life and what shades it can assume after the passing of a loved one. Wittily written and thoughtfully provocative in terms of how life goes on.

2 comments about Understanding Showmanship: Everything You Need to Know to Win in Showmanship Classes.

1. A very comprehensive approach to showmanship. I have asked that the youth in my 4-H group purchase this book. I am using it to help in teaching showmanship.



2. Showmanship was something I never understood when I was growing up. It seemed like it was unspoken gospel. People told me that this was the way to do things and that was forbidden in showmanship classes, but still I never really understood why. Finally now I have a concise guide to every question my students can ask me about this mysterious and until now dreaded class!!

1 comments about The Boxer (Terra Nova Series).

1. This book is excellent as it is not the typical generic product that you sometimes see. This book is filled with useful information, positive reinforcement training and wonderful tips.
   As a part of the American Boxer Rescue Association as well as the IAABC and APDT, I will gladly be recommending this book to clients who own boxers.

No comments about Doggin' Jersey: The 100 Best Places to Hike with Your Dog in the Garden State.

5 comments about Aquariums for Dummies.

1. Excellent resource on aquariums and how to get started. I stiff refer back to this book when any issue comes up.



2. Great at telling you what to what to watch out for--look out for temperature. PH is important, etc. But your next question is of course, what is the right temperature? What PH should it be? It's not in this book. If you're a new person to this you need a more informative resource. This is only good at telling you what to look for, but not good at telling you what it should be, and certainly not how to fix things that go wrong.



3. I picked up this book at a local bookstore and paid full price. This was a mistake. I would have felt ripped off even if it was in the bargain bin for a buck. About the only thing I would use this book for is a firestarter.
   
   I as of yet own no aquarium, and even I could see that this book was sorely lacking in useful information. As others have pointed out, the most important topic of all, aquarium maintenance, receives scant coverage. Their coverage of fish species overall is spotty, and there is little to no information on acceptable Ph values, temperature, compatibility with other species, diets, common diseases, or suitability for beginners. IMHO, a book for beginners should contain pretty much everything a beginner needs to know to get started. This book is woefully lacking. I have no ability to know how accurate the information in this book is, but I can say that I would not rely on it for a second.
   
   The copy I have was the 12th printing of the book, yet the quality of the text is something I would expect from a rough draft. Most glaring are the same sentences or facts repeated in two separate close-together sections. In one case, I saw the same thing phrased two different ways in successive paragraphs. Even the most blind and incompetent editor would have spotted this in a casual reading.
   
   Given the major style issues, I have absolutely no confidence in the accuracy of the information presented in this book. If this book never went through a copy-editor, I doubt it was reviewed properly for factual content either. If you have the misfortune of owning this book, try and get your money back.



4. I felt like a dummy after I read this book ( ripped off $$ ! ). Its like they had a one day deadline to write and published this book.



5. I have a B.S. in marine science, and I decided I wanted to bring my work home with me. Someone bought me this book and I read through most of the sections. I was very disappointed. The author doesn't discuss cleaning of the tank in any detail, such as how often you need to clean the gravel, plants and other decorations; they also missed out on describing common problems such as bacterial or algal blooms and what to do. I found some of the information very helpful, but overall, this is far from a complete reference book for the beginner aquarist.

2 comments about The Wild Woods Guide: From Minnesota to Maine, the Nature and Lore of the Great North Woods.

1. no matter how much you think you know about the natural northern world, specifically flora and fauna, this book knows more. sure, we all know that a spider's webbing can be twice as strong as steel for its size but did you know that spiders can custom blend their webbing for different tasks? stretchy, sticky, tough..umm...buoyant..er ,well, other qualities relevant to spiders. its like a more basic, easier to understand kinda string theory.. sorry, slipping off topic here. this book is great, breezily written, funny even. get it, put it in the bathroom and in just 30 mins a day.. no,wait, that's the learning company..you will be able to amaze and confound all your friends from wood chucks to marine biologists with your arcane knowledge of the great outdoors. well, hey, its working that way for me.



2. Having just lived through another l-o-n-g winter for the privilege of living in the northwoods, this book was like a breath of fresh air. From mosses to white pines, water striders to black bears, this very readable book covers most everything you're likely to find in the northern woods -- and there are even segments on clouds and constellations. One-stop shopping for all your info needs if you love the woods and are curious about its other inhabitants. Lots of little-known facts written in an intelligent and engaging fashion. An easy-to-use reference that even children could enjoy, with entries that make you want to check out "just one more thing." After buying it yesterday we had a long road trip ahead of us -- that sort of flew by as I read entries aloud to my husband. It would be a great addition to our cabin "library" on a pine shelf behind the woodstove, but I kind of think I'll keep it here at home, close at hand.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yorkshire Terriers (The Complete Idiot's Guide).

1. I purchased this book hoping to get some insight as to how to train a small dog. This book is definately not worth the money! In one section, it claims you should use a choker like collar on the Yorkie for traning purposes. That is the WORST thing you should use on a toy dog. Chest harnesses should always be used. This book is too general and not worth the paper it's printed on in regards to training a Yorkie.



2. I bought this book hoping to get insight on raising and training my new yorkie, but all it gave was information on dog shows. I did not buy my dog for dog competitions, so all the information in the book was irrelevant. I did not need to know dog show terms and requirements for entering a dog into a competition. Use your money for Your Yorkshire Terrier's Life by Elaine Waldorf Gewirtz. Very helpful book. Gave good tips on house training.



3. I READ THE WHOLE BOOK. IT WAS EASY TO READ,INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE. IT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE OTHER BOOK ON YORKIES I BOUGHT ONLINE, ESPECIALLY THE SECTION ON TRAINING. I VERY MUCH LIKE HER INSTRUCTIONS ON TRAINING.



4. I am in the process of bringing a Yorkie into my home. The book starts with clear facts and realistic information about the pros and cons of the breed BEFORE the puppy enters your house. It leads you through the various stages of raising a Yorkie to be a happy, healthy adult. I highly recommend this book for potential owners who are debating buying this breed.



5. I enjoyed the book tremendously. I have read many of her books and Liz has always written very truthful. I use her books to understand breeds for my training. I also recommend her books to friends, clients, and family if anyone is looking for a new dog. I believe she explains very well the breeds personality. She is an excellent writer. I can't wait for her next book. Believe me, I read them cover to cover.

4 comments about Dogs (The Little Guides).

1. This book has a guide to dog breeds, how to care for your dog, and other helpful things. It has full color photos that are helpful to identify certain breeds. Although I don't own a dog this book comes in handy a lot. There are other books in this series if you are interested, but if you don't own one in this series I recommend you get one.



2. Part One gives you infromation on how dogs evolved, understanding canine behaviour, healthcare, feeding, grooming and exercising your dog.

   Part Two gives you information about 90+ different breeds. The breed guide give you a size comparison (comparing the dog's height with that of and "average adult and child"). My question to the author is what is "average". The breed guide also gives you the breed's temperament, excerise required, watchdog capability, grooming/trimming, preferred enviroments for the breed, and the size and weight of the breed. It also gies you a good representative of the breed, and the breed's (AKC) name.

   Some breed descriptors are erroneous such as the Jack Russell Terrier would be "ideal for apartment living", and the Pug "doesn't shed much". I advise anyone to go to a JRT rescue group and ask why this breed is not suitable for apartment living if they don't understand why. The JRT is simply has too much energy, and needs to romp in a big fenced backyard. Also, go into a pug owner's house and you will probably see little fawn and/or black hairs all over thier house. Pugs, like Dalmatians, are notorius shedders.

   Overall, I would have to give this book three stars. It is a good and colourful introduction to different breeds, but has some simple errors about breeds in it. To supplement this book I would purchase the "Encyclopedia of the Dog" by Bruce Fogle and "Your Purebred Puppy : A Buyer's Guide" by Michele Welton.




3. I bought this book (...) and it's been such a help! It tells you about the breeds history, their temperament, the exercise needed, grooming requirements, and much more. Color photos for each breed as well.

   I definatly recommend this book. I can't even count the number of times it's come in handy.




4. We use this book at home to "look up" dogs we do not recognize, and to look up dogs that people talk about that we may be unfamiliar with. There are lots of pictures so even the kids use it. It has a lot of pertinent information about each breed, including origin, size, weight, and recommendations for pet owners. I will probably order another....just in case the first one walks off.

4 comments about Aquarium Fish Handbook: The Complete Reference from Anemonefish to Zamora Woodcats.

1. I concur with the other reviewers on bad proofreading. The icons cannot be relied on, even if you manage to figure out the mysterious equivalence between liters and cubic meters. Here's a couple other problems found in a quick read of a couple species I'm familiar with: Beta Fighting Fish (This book's symbols: Single Specimen and good community fish, minimum tank size 24 which is the same as most other beginner fish, but from reading another book they are happiest in 1 liter stagnant ponds with no other fish around to harrass them. I tried my beta in a 28 gallon tank and when three mollies were added, it showed signs of stress, so it is back in it's tiny tank and doing fine again.); Lyretail Black Molly is the only Molly listed while my pet store has a half dozen varieties.. Silver, Dalmation, standard tail, etc. (This book lists it as Single Specimen, not a community fish while another book that focuses on Mollies says these are happiest when scooling with others of the same kind.)
   
   The organization and indexing is not suitable for a beginner. Suppose you wanted to find the Molly, like I did. You would have to know it is categorized as a Freshwater Livebearer AND called Poecilia Sphenops, or look it up under the common name index Lyretail Black Molly (sorted with the L's). Or, do like I did and flip through the pictures until you find it.
   
   I'm returning this book and eagerly waiting for the 2nd or 3rd edition. Even though I really like the pictures, I need something more than a picture book.



2. We recently had the MISfortune of checking out the book: "THE AQUARIUM FISH HANDBOOK" from the library as we are beginning to get into tropical fish. While the reviews and cover-page blurbs sound glowing - within a few hours we found that the book was confusing (to say the least) on many points!
   The first point is the "Minimum Volume" symbol; 24, 36, 48, 60, or 72 WHATS? The "Key" page says it could be "...gallons/liters or ... cubic feet/meters." There's a BIT of difference between a liter and a cubic meter, isn't there? If these are 'relative numbers' then 'relative to WHAT? Tank size, fish population, square inches, ???
   Then there are the illustrations on page 12! On the bar graph "Tropical freshwater" is blue and is supposed to represent 1 inch of fish per 12 sq. in. of tank, "Tropical marine" is pink and represents 1 inch per 48 sq. in. but in the charts at the bottom of the page - the "tropical" box shows 9 pink fish while the "marine" box shows 36 BLUE fish! All in all, those calculations are correct but reversed! Then, to add insult to injury, the calculation for "Coldwater": four hundred and forty two divided by ONE HUNDRED and thirty? The proofreader was napping on this one!
   The other "Oopsie" we have spotted in our cursory scan through the book was on page 103, re Altum Angelfish. The little Hand Symbol of dificulty rates this fish as number ONE or "Easiest to care for" while the "Special care" paragraph of this section states "This fish ... is an extremely dificult and delicate fish to keep"???? Which is it?
   And this is just from a brief scan through the book from a simple, logical viewpoint. Paraphrasing the TV show "CSI": "little mistake - BIG mistake"! With these errors that should be easy to spot in the book - can we REALLY rely on the OTHER data presented therein? It is not too great a stretch of imagination that just these errors and confusions I have named could cost someone a good deal of effort, time AND money if someone relied 100% on this book! Clearly, we are glad that we checked the book out of our local library - for FREE - and didn't waste our money on it!



3. I've got to disagree with the previous reviewer, Gen, on this one! I would NOT recommend this book. It is very attractive with lovely pictures, but I found it full of errors and contradictions. Here are a few I found in about 20 minutes of browsing:
   
   page 12: the graphics of tropical and marine fish are reversed, making it look like it's okay to keep 36 inches of marine fish when it's really 9 (the text is correct)
   
   page 103: the Altum Angelfish is desribed as "an extremely difficult and delicate fish to keep," but the it gets a 1 (easiest) on the "ease of keeping" scale. Huh?
   
   Numerous examples of fish being given a "safe with small fish" symbol, but being described in the text as eating small fish, See porkfish (page 239), flame hawkfish (238) and long-nosed hawkfish (239), for example.
   
   I bought this book to help me select peaceful marine fish that would be reef-safe, but because of these issues it's useless to me and I'm returning it. It's a shame, because it is a great-looking, well-organzied book.



4. I've been keeping fish for 17 years and this is the best book I have found that describes all the fish I've owned! Great descriptions on cichlids and includes scientific names and common names. Very easy to read (not tiny print and not boring). I love this book - the photos are clear and not all blurry or cheap quality. DK books photograph quality! The fact that it's spiral bound means I can lie down in bed and browse all the different fish without having to push the cover back. I can do my daily stretching while reading about fish! How relaxing and convenient! GREAT BOOK.

No comments about From Hoofbeats to Dogsteps: A Life of Listening to and Learning from Animals.