5 comments about Tears and Tales: Stories of Human and Animal Rescue.

1. Once again, Russell Vassallo has written a book that will bring pain to your heart but laughter to your soul. The depth and honesty of the emotions that he shares with us are at once breathtaking and admirable. Few men have the kind of courage Vassallo has when it comes to revealing the singularly human feelings that are shared by all of us, men and women alike. Whether it be loneliness, frustration, fear or depression, Vassallo has tasted them all. But, more importantly, he can also share those feelings with us, and in so doing, directs the light of understanding into our own lives, and our own experiences.
   
   There is a lot of sadness in these stories, as there is a lot of sadness in the world at large. But there is also a lot of joy in these stories. It is the joy of loving, of being loved, and of sharing that love with others, whether those others be people or animals.
   
   Mr. Vassallo obviously has a special connection with animals, an affinity that is returned to him in full measure by nearly every animal he meets and takes into his heart. The animals feel that love as much as he does. And the lives of both are enriched by that love.
   
   The stories in this collection include a duck that gets uproariously drunk--falling-down drunk--on rye whiskey; a mysterious, almost mystical cardinal who brings hope to the hopeless; a horse and a dog whose bond was stronger than death itself; and a mare who re-lights the flame of marital love.
   
   This is a book for anyone who loves and tries to understand animals, any kind of animals. But it is also a book for those who wish to understand themselves.
   
   This is a book that clearly deserves MORE than five stars. I recommend it highly.
   
   Russ Heitz
   www.russheitz.com



2. I bought Tears and Tales because it was recommended to me by a friend. I love the stories and I can't make up my mind which story is the best. They are all great. I really feel like I know the characters and didn't want the book to end



3. Feeling down? Going through a rough period of life? Russell Vassallo, author of Tears and Tales has had more of those times than most people, but has been helped through all of them by loving and being loved by the many animals that have been a part of his life.
   
   We share his journey of healing from a painful childhood through the dissolution of his first marriage, retirement, depression, and then the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Beginning with Crazy Duck, the whiskey drinking duckling, Russell shows us the way in which animals help him connect to his feelings.
   
   Russell shares many stories of how animals guided him through an inner journey of self-reflection. He is fearless in allowing us to see parts of himself that many would be afraid to share. We learn of his doubts about his worthiness as a partner and parent; we see him become self-absorbed and misinterpret his wife's caring gestures. Throughout it all, we are privy to his willingness to learn about love and life from his dogs, horses, and even a cardinal that speaks to him of the possibility of a joyful life.
   
   Reading this book will give you hope that you can cope with whatever challenges life gives you. And it will inspire you to share that life with an animal that needs you as much as you need it.



4. As the tears came to my eyes as I read the stories of each special animal, I realized that our vulnerable friends make our lives rich. Having rescued and loved many animals, memories came to mind of the sad times and happy times throughout the years. This book will warm the hearts of so many people. Take the time to enjoy it!



5. Mr. Vassallo beautifully expresses how animal "relationships" offer life lessons we can apply to our encounters with each other, as well as discover things we didn't recognize in ourselves. We may not always like what we see, but we are forever changed by the experiences and lessons these beloved creatures impart to our daily lives and those around us.
   
   You will close this book with a sense of understanding your own "Tears and Tales" after reading and re-reading this honest recollection of love, loss, laughter and a sprinkling of magic even if you don't believe a Cardinal can save a man's life...in this case, Mr. Vassallo's!
   
   I look forward to the next time Mr. Vassallo will entertain and enlighten us with his gift of telling it like it is when you have animals in your life....worth every joy and every tear, and what you lose if you don't.
   
   This unique personal perspective of the human/animal bond will speak to anyone with a heart. The author's very candid and revealing insight into his personal space, and the the animals who entered is most reassuring to anyone who has ever felt like giving up or looking for strength to go on.
   
   Thank you Russell,for sharing.

4 comments about Second Thoughts On: How to Be as Terrific as Your Dog Thinks You Are!.

1. This book is as terrific as the title. When I first picked up a copy, I thought, "Okay, clever title but is there any substance?" There was. This is a touching but profound look at life with many personal anecdotes. And it's not just a book for pet lovers. It's for anyone interested in a richer, deeper more rewarding existence. I heartily recommend it for anyone, young or old, with or without a love of dogs. Oh, by the way, cat lovers will also find a chapter just for them.



2. This did not qualify as a book but rather is a form of dribble that we often hear from Mort.

   Save your money and donate it to a dog shelter.




3. Storytellers have long known that the best way to spin a good yarn is to have a hook. In the middle ages, troubadours used songs to entice illiterate peasants around a campfire to teach them life's lessons.

   In today's competitive popular culture, Mort Crim has found a novel way to teach us some of the most important lessons about life. He uses man's best friend, the family dog, as his literary foil.

   Mort Crim follows in the tradition of satirists like George Orwell and Jonathan Swift,

   _Animal Farm_ taught lessons about totalitarianism using barnyard animals. _Gulliver's Travels_ projected human frailities on a race of giants and on the tiny Lilliputians.

   Crim portrays his two pet dogs as four-legged furry humanoids without the baggage of human egos. Because dogs can't talk, they can't do such nasty things as lie, brag or complain --- the perfect life mate for man.

   The author points out that dogs display some of man's best traits like loyalty, playfulness, forgiveness, without our dark side. But who really holds the leash in the human-canine partnership?

   As one wit once remarked: "If aliens watched us from above and saw humans feeding, bathing and walking their dogs with pooper-scoopers in hand, the aliens could easily be forgiven for thinking that dogs ruled the planet and humans were their pets."

   It's said that man is made in the image and likeness of God. But Mort Crim's use of dogs as human substitutes works so well because, in reality, dogs are made in the image and likeness of man.

   That is, we humans project onto dogs the positive traits that we value in people. The truth is that their human masters are the equivalent of deities to dogs.

   Mort Crim cleverly uses the basic goodness that we choose to see in our pet dogs to illustrate lessons about racism, forgiveness, and adaptability in life.

   For example, Crim points out that dogs do not judge other dogs by their color or size. He notes that would be about as useful as librarians classifying books by their color. Dogs, unlike humans, don't worry whether their dog-dishes are half-empty or half-full. They just chow down. Nor do dogs often bite the hand that feeds them.

   This book is chock full of highly entertaining anecdotes and touching stories. Some are tales of dogs and humans. Others are biographical sketches plucked from the lives of famous people that illustrate inventive lessons about love and life.

   If you read Mort Crim's earlier book, _Second Thoughts_, you know it's packed with bite-sized literary appetizers. But this new book can be digested as a full-course meal with all the side dishes, plus dessert. It's his best effort yet.




4. I purchased the book as a gift for my daughter who has 2 dogs. When I received the book I thought I'd look it over to see what it was about. Once I started reading, I stopped doing all the things I thought I'd do over the weekend.I found myself laughing, and sharing many of the thoughts written by Mort Crim with my husband who isn't a big lover of dogs. He lived on a farm most of his life and thinks dogs are to be outside, not in the house. But after I read him parts of the book, he was even agreeing that it is so well written and thought provoking. I found myself remembering the dog, "Suzie" I had growing up and how she loved sleeping under the blankets by my feet every night! When I started dating my future husband, she would growl everytime he hugged or kissed me. I think she knew that was the person who was going to take me away from her. After we were married, she stayed with my parents as we couldn't have any pets in the apartment we moved to. Soon after that she was poisoned by a man who put out meat he'd put poison in. Several dogs in our neighborhood died. I always felt sad I never took her with me so she wouldn't have gotten that poison. As I read Mort's book I could relate to so many things he was writing about that we face in our everyday lives. If only everyone were as loyal and trusting as dogs are, we'd all be so much happier and better friends. I'm going through changes at my company and I found so much help as I read how we need to have faith in ourselves and not worry about tommorrow or have regrets about yesterday. Mort really has such a gift in comparing our human problems and challenges to how dogs face things everyday and accept and love everyone. When my 5 children were young, we didn't have a dog as I felt I was too busy to handle one. Suddenly one of our sons died at age 9 and we were devastated. One of our friends had some puppies to give away and I thought maybe that would help all of us focus on something positive. It was amazing how much "Buffy" helped us accept what we had to and learn to love and trust again. I would find our oldest son laying with the puppy and telling her all about his brother, Danny, and things that they had done together. I would listen and hear the things that he said and realize how sad he was, but also happy to tell the puppy about him and see Buffy wag her tale like she understood. I never thought the book would affect me so much, it really makes you relate to your past and remember many wonderful memories. What a special talent Mort has to be able to put his thoughts into words that everyone will relate to whether you have a pet or not. It is the Golden Rule book of how we should all face everyday and live it to the fullest.

5 comments about The Complete English Shepherd Guide: Raising Your Puppy and Caring for Shep--American's Generic Dog.

1. The comprehensiveness of Mr. Hammond's book makes it a great resource for all new dog owners not just those looking to learn about the english shepherd. The book touches on all areas of caring for your dog, from training your puppy to breeding your dog. I found Mr. Hammond's chapter on nutrition extremely informative. In addition to being an excellent resource for general dog care topics Mr. Hammond's book includes numerous entries addressing the uniqueness of the english shepherd breed. This book is an easy read that is not only informative but is also very entertaining.



2. James T. Hammond's book is very informative and narrative, and definitely a must-read for any English Shepherd owner and/or potential owner. His devoted and knowledge for the breed shines thru with his personal experiences of raising English Shepherds all his life. Easy to read, heartfelt and comical at times, yet complete with very resourceful and practical insight and information for acquiring, caring, training, breeding and marketing English Shepherd puppies. Definitely a book I will refer back to many times as I embark on my own adventures with my new English Shepherd puppy. The ultimate owner's manual for everything you need to know about raising and caring for your own English Shepherd! Thanks!



3. Jim Hammond is a fraud and a liar. His kennel conditions are terrible. He is NOT a licensed NY State breeder as he claims. He is nothing more than an English Shepherd Puppy Mill Breeder. BEWARE!!!



4. Hammond's book on this breed shows his intense devotion to it and his in depth knowledge as well. In his easy, laid back style, he tells you what you need to know about the whole process of acquiring the dog, breeding it, raising and marketing puppies. This would be a great book for anyone who has decided to go into the dog breeding business regardless of the breed. I really enjoyed this book.



5. I spent a lot of time on the internet researching working farm dogs and then specifically English Shepherds before I found this terrific book, but nothing on line gave me the kind of firsthand sense of what these very special dogs are all about, or what living with them would really be like. I expected a typical breed book and was delighted by the author's charming, somewhat irrascible tone, and I cried at least twice while reading the book. His insight into the dog food industry and its brilliant marketing of canine junk food was eye-opening as well. Mostly what i appreciated was a real sense of the breed and, for the novice dog owner who is lucky enough to start out with an ES, this book provides an excellent guide to all the basics. Bottom line: within hours of reading the book, my own ES puppy was on his way to me. Now I've shared the book with a friend who decided she didn't want a Border Collie after all, and we're looking forward to raising our puppies together. Buy this book, you won't be sorry.

2 comments about Our Puppy's Baby Book.

1. I bought this book to celebrate and track the arrival of our chihuahua puppy. It is a cute little book with spaces for photos and sentimental things. The fill-in-the-blank format makes it a joy to fill out. I am giving 4 stars because I think that the book should be a little bigger for the price. All in all, a nice keepsake!



2. this was a great purchase to capture all of our puppy's experiences. just wish it had a pocket to store some keepsakes.

1 comments about Archer's Digest.

1. To be honest, it is not the author's fault. The book is just so badly designed.
   
   First glary problem is the index of the book... there isn't any. 200+ pages of technical stuffs, and there is no index. Then there are the tables and pictures. To be specific, there is NO table and RANDOM pictures.
   Let me explain. When the book reads "...see table in following page for an example of an arrow size selection chart..." you would expect to see a table somewhere. Right? Well, I scanned the next couple of pages (as well as a few preceding pages, just in case) but could not find any tables. Then I scanned the ENTIRE book and could not find the table at all. And this has happened to me on several occasions.
   Then there are the pictures. First off, no figure/picture numbers (none for the tables either). And the figures lack coherence with the text. Of course when you are reading a chapter about arrow rests, you would expect to see the proper examples next to the text. But in this book, it is as if they RANDOMLY put pictures of arrow rests across the chapter. You would read about drop-away rests, but would see a shoot-though rest picture next to it. And this is consistent through out the book. You read about a riser of a certain brand, but would see the riser of another brand.
   
   To be fare, the text itself covers most of the material of an archer's gear. Compound, recurve and longbows are covered, with an exclusive chapter on crossbows. Arrows are well covered, as well as arrow rests, sights, release aids, quivers, stabilizers, and so on...
   
   It is a shame that a good text is marred by a poor document design. In fact, the book would have been much less confusing if the pictures and figures were simply removed altogether.

1 comments about Hamsters For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

1. This is a really great hamster book, one of the best I've ever read. I've been keeping pet hamsters for over a decade, and I found that all of the information presented in this book was both fascinating and accurate. The author did an excellent job in making this book accessible for all ages. While the target audience of this book is adults, children who are ten and up should have no trouble reading it. The book is uses fun, lighthearted language to communicate the information. It is a very enjoyable read, no matter if you're a beginning hamster owner, or one who has been keeping hamsters for years. No matter what, you'll find lots of facts about the little furry rodents that you didn't know before. I highly recommend this book.

4 comments about Choosing the Right Bit for Your Horse (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-273).

1. Great book. Was not exactly what I was looking for but, that was not an error on the sellers part.



2. This is a very basic introduction to bits and their function. The book never adequately addresses the subject and comes far short of the title. I believe that all except the most novice of horse enthusiasts will already be familiar with the vast majority of the material presented.
   
   If you have absolutely no knowledge of the subject and you're looking for a very brief overview, this is the book for you.
   
   "The Complete Book of Bits and Bitting" provides a much more thorough coverage of the subject although it is perhaps a bit too thorough for the novice rider.



3. general info. is good, but being ignorant about bits i was hoping for more in depth information.



4. A good bit fits your horse's mouth and facilitates a productive "riding dialogue" between you and your horse. But there are so many types and styles of bits available that making a selection can be a daunting task, particularly if you don't know what to look for. This book will help ease the task.

4 comments about A New Owner's Guide to the Miniature Pinscher (New Owners Guide).

1. When I first got this book, I was extremely excited to learn about the "king of toys", but once I started reading it, I began to quickly lose interest in it. Why?
   
   Well, for starters, this book contained very little about the breed itself, save the standard. Most of the information was for people who had never before owned a dog in their life. Since I own four dogs already and I am a dog groomer, I was expecting more from this book.
   
   Frankly, I would only recommend this book to absolute novices who know nothing about feeding, exercise, or basic grooming. For anyone who has been in contact with a dog for 24 consecutive hours, I'd say skip this book and try one of the books in the Kennel Club or Terra Nova series.



2. I was very happy with the how quickly I was sent the book. I was needing the information asap and the seller really impressed me. I have ordered other books from other sellers and have waited 4 weeks only to be told that they no longer have that book. I was impressed with the information and details in the book. It is very user friendly and one can quickly find the specific section needed with the great table of contents. I ordered the book for the training information and was happy with that as well. I would definitely recommend this book to other Min Pin owners.



3. It's a pretty good breed specific book. The book does include a valuable amount of information and most of the pictures are pretty attractive. I found the health section to be of particular use. Still, the presentation could have been a little better.



4. Being a first time owner of a Min Pin I wanted to learn more about the breed. I bought several books about Min Pins and found "Miniature Pinschers" by Jacqueline O'Neil to contain all of the information I wanted at a very good price. The book contains information on the history of Min Pins, characteristics and standards, selecting a puppy, housebreaking and other training, feeding, Health and dental care, behavior, and caring for a Min Pin. It is more concise than another book that I bought but it contained the same information. It is full of beautiful colorful pictures. I highly recommend this book.

No comments about Gordon Setter (Comprehensive Owner's Guide) (Comprehensive Owner's Guide).

5 comments about My Horses, My Teachers.

1. Excellent. Having come from the 'nat.' horsemanship clinicianss, I found I was ready to know even more. Through the help of a new instructor who is 4th generation N. Calif. ranch (used to the vaquero ways) and who became appreciative of the Masters, I am starting a whole new exposure. It is wonderful! She rec'd this book and will add more as I go along. I am halfway into this book and already am realizing how much we can learn from our horses if we just slow down and pay attention to them and each one of their particular personalities and behaviours. It is teaching me even more respect. This instructor appreciates Ray Hunt but also the Masters and I'm not sure but I think she considers Ray Hunt up there in that category as well as Tom Dorrance (who was a neighbor when she was younger and a person whom she learned from as well.). I reccommend this book to every horse lover and rider. It to me is right up there in the classics for an adult just like the Black Stallion, Walter Farley books were right up there when I was a child. It is not as exciting as the Walter Farley books because it is not fiction, but it is a very worthy read. ~ Copperhorse 4 Fun



2. This is Colonel Podhajsky's story of his life, told in context of his relationships with his horses. Sometimes people tend to think that some of the currently popular "natural horsemandship" principles are either new, or apply only to western riding. However, Colonel Podhajsky talks in terms of true partnership and understanding with your horse from the perspective of classical European Dressage, and of course pre-dates the current popular "methods." Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of Pat and Linda Parelli, and feel that they, and others who are popular today, have done a lot to improve the lot of horses. They have also found a way to help the rest of us learn how to achieve the sort of relationships with our horses that Colonel Podhajsky describes in this book. This book is the story of a true master in every sense of the word. Don't miss it!!



3. This inspirational book is truly a classic, as are all of Podhajsky's writings. A timeless, enlightening book which should be read not only by dressage enthusiasts, but by all who are interested in the partnership between horse and rider.



4. Confused by all the hoopla around the "Natural Horsemanship" gurus these days? Find out what is the real thing by reading Alois Podhajsky's "My Horses, My Teachers." In fact, this book could be a sourcebook in Human Relationship, or Self-Help categories as well as any equine category. AP writes passionately about his relationships with his own gurus, the many horses who were lucky enough to cross paths with this kind, gentle, patient master of horsemanship. Reading this book one feels as if these stories are being told face to face with this beacon of horsemasters, sitting in his living room on comfortable couches. This is a must read for ANY horse enthusiast!



5. This is a intriguing book. An insight into to the man who managed to keep the Spanish Riding School going during World War II and convinve Patton to save the breeder stock at the end of the war. He speaks of the horses that he has riden and trained and what they have taught him! I have enjoyed the book, but some may find it a bit too intellectual. Those who ride, love horses or are interested in the behavior of horses will find this an most intersting and entertaining read!