No comments about Cooking for Dogs: Tempting Recipes for Your Best Friend to Enjoy.

No comments about Dogology: What Your Relationship with Your Dog Reveals about You.

5 comments about Dog Works: The Meaning and Magic of Canine Constructions.

1. A review by the author of Born Without a Tail:
   
   The dogs in this book and the installations they build are far more captivating and interesting than the lame explanations and half-baked theories given by the two "experts" consulted in the text.
   
   Vicki Mathison gives a simple background of each dog, and a description of his/her artistic installations. Photographers Tim Dodgshun and Trudy Nicholson beautifully capture the mystery of each canine construction.
   
   The theories of origin and meaning provided by psychic Penelope Winter and Canine Cultural Heritage Researcher Dr. Raymond Blake left me cold. I'd much rather marvel at the mysteries than give much credence to their explanations. Still, a fascinating book.



2. This was a great parody book. I'm embarrassed for all the people who reviewed it here as a legitimate dog behavior book. I thought it was clearly obvious.



3. This is the most amazing book regarding dog behaviour that I've ever read. It gives you a sense that our dogs have so much potential if we allow them to follow their nature.



4. If you have ever seen the works of Scottish "nature artist" Andy Goldsworthy, or if you have seen the recent documentary about his work, "Rivers and Tides," you should have this book. I recently was given "Dog Works" for my birthday, from someone who'd seen that film and knew that I'd seen it. As soon as I saw the cover, I knew the book was a parody, so I was surprised when I read the reviews here, since so many people apparently took this book seriously or, worse yet, thought it was a hoax. But the parody is subtly done, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. I suggest those people do a search online for Goldsworthy's works, or check out the book "Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration With Nature" (1990), available on amazon.com. Or go to see the documentary film "Rivers and Tides," showing Scottish artist Goldsworthy at work, using materials found in natural settings to create works of art in those same settings. The title of the film refers to the settings for many of the artist's works - so similar to the settings of the canine constructions in "Dog Works."



5. So many disbelievers out there! I feel so sorry for you: no magic left in your dull and predictable worlds? Of course this book is on the level. While my dog Ernestine does not build art pieces as such, she's a pretty good cook and a crack shot. So why not dog artists? The review of dog art is a little species-centric, however. Most of the dog artists I know use faecies or urine to construct art, or engage in performance pieces: "Rooting The Leg"; and "Licking The Balls" spring to mind. Dog culture can be appreciated by humans but is not the SAME as human cuture. So a little less chauvanism please Ms Mathison!

5 comments about Breed Rescue: How to Start and Run a Successful Program.

1. This clear, concise, well-written book covers everything you need to know about running a rescue program, from initial organization to volunteer training and management to networking to finding financial support to legal issues to the intake, fostering, and adoption processes. Boneham provides advice on presenting your group to the public and on generating press releases as well. Included are several sample forms and formats. While the book focuses on breed rescue, the information is equally useful for all-breed rescues. Strongly recommended not just for those starting a rescue group, but for those working with already established groups.



2. I hope to start a rescue of my own one day and this book has it all. Fun to read, easy to follow, its a must for anyone thinking about starting a rescue!



3. A sincere desire to do the right thing, combined with knowledge and skill in dog care, are not enough to enable people to successfully run the nonprofit business of a dog rescue organization. In this book, Boneham leads people through the necessary decisions and policies. Her advice will help rescuers avoid myriad pitfalls that stop so many from continuing in rescue.

   Boneham sets high standards for rescue, and explains the reasons for each criteria. Volunteers working within these rules will have a greatly increased chance of remaining in the work long-term, and people adopting dogs from rescues run by these principles will have good experiences. Most of all, the lives of dogs will be saved, and that's what makes it all worthwhile.




4. Sheila Boneham's Breed Rescue: How To Start And Run A Successful Program is a complete and thoroughly "user friendly" guide to launching and operating a dog breed rescue. Boneham covers every aspect including getting organized; finding, training and managing volunteers; acquiring financial and community support; networking with other animal shelters and rescue groups; finding the dogs; screening dogs for medical problems; determining a dog's temperament and behavior; placing rescued dogs; and promoting/publicizing the dog rescue program. Breed Rescue also provides lists of contact names and addresses, as well as extensive collection of pertinent sample documents. If you see a need for rescuing dogs in your community but no current resources for addressing the problem, then begin with a careful reading of Sheila Boneham's Breed Rescue!



5. After being involved with Breed Rescue for close to a year, I then found this book on breed rescue. It is well organized, succinct and, in my opinion, complete. There is so much to consider with rescue that it is easy to get lost in the activities. I am now recommending the book to others who want to become involved. To be well informed and have each person in rescue with a sense of the same goal and way of doing things helps enormously. Many thanks to the author who took the time to put together such a wonderful reference. I still refer to it from time to time.

5 comments about Keeping Moray Eels In Aquariums.

1. This book is truly amazing,... I had 2 moray eels in my tank,..for about a year and half,...so,..after reading the book ,.. i could see all the experiences i had with mine ,..penned perfectly,... i mean it actually needs a lot of experience to write a books like this,..also the pictures in this book are amazing,...
   overall,..IT IS A MUST BUY,...



2. I once knew a guy in college who kept all sorts of things in tanks in his apartment. That was my first brush with this type of thing. Phillip Purser's book really brings all of this home in this book. It taught me everything I needed to know. And since I love to tell it like it is...I say, Buy this book!



3. I've been waiting for a book like this to make it to the shelves for as long as I can remember. Moray eels have always been described in bits ahd pieces here and there in all the other books, but they've never, as far as I know, had a book all their own. I'm still reading the book and finding it to be a whole-product; that is to say, it touches on so many parts of moray keeping that it answers just about all the questions you'd ever have. As any marine fish hobbyist will tell you, referencing and cross-referencing can be a big pain in the butt when looking to solve a problem; its so refreshing to find a one-stop resource.
   
   The writing is good too, it's not boring or thick, like a lot of experts tend to be. I found myself laughing out loud at several points. You can tell the author is so comfortable in his knowledge of the material, that he can relay it to his readers in a light, cool way that is totally readable.
   
   The book is put out by TFH publications, renowned for their great pet books, so it's quality all the way around. It's not as long as it could be; I think there are some more moray species that could have been covered, but the coverage of what species are included is excellent. Species are described in terms of: Minimum Tank Size, Natural Range, Size, Natural Habitat, Diet & Feeding, Description, Aquarium Suitability (the author ranks each species on a 1 to 5 scale, 1's are very hard to keep, 5's are best for beginners; a great idea if you don't exactly know which species is best for you), and any 'Special Conditions' that are associated with each species, like more swimming space versus more hiding area.
   
   Morays have been on the pet market for years, now, and I think its only right that a quality book on them exist; its only fair to the animals and its only fair to the keepers. Its well worth owning.



4. I've kept eels for years without a true-blue book on them. This book does a good job of telling what you need to know to keep 'em alive and happy. Wish I had it years ago.



5. I bought this book because I've long been interested in moray eels, and after having read it, I DEFINITELY recommend it to anyone who is at all interested in keeping these amazing animals. Every aspect of moray keeping is here, and it's easy to understand. The appendices ROCK! They give info on so many eel species not covered in the main body of the work. The only criticism I can give is that this book is only 140 pages; I'd have liked it if the book had been twice as long.
   
   All in all, I definitely think it's worth anybody's time to read it, even if you're only remotely interested in the eels. And if you're a hard core hobbyist, this book is a MUST!
   
   ~Sam

1 comments about Searle's Cats.

1. I loved this book! It is whimsical, nonsensical, funny and beautifully drawn. You will find yourself identifying with these cats.

2 comments about Building an Ark: 101 Solutions to Animal Suffering (The Solutions Series).

1. Building an Ark: 101 Solutions to Animal Suffering (The Solutions Series)
   
   Building an Ark; 101 Solutions to Animal Suffering, is a one-of-a-kind tool to help stop animal suffering around the world, by offering practical, easy to follow solutions that everyone can apply in their every day lives.
   
   Our planet IS in peril, and animals play a key role in our ecology, evolution and the very fabric of our society. It is our fundamental responsibility to protect them and treat them as sentient beings, capable of emotions and feelings of pain. It is our fundamental responsibility as parents, teachers, business owners, and community leaders to inform ourselves and instill in our children, employees, colleagues and communities the very prime, most precious and vital understanding that ALL life is precious and must be treated as such.
   
   It would be so simple to contemplate a chapter of Building an Ark at a time in a classroom, or to read it in the quietude of your own home and to commit, a step at a time, to changing our world to be a better place for all its inhabitants. This is one book no caring home or educational facility should be without.



2. This is an excellent book! It is the most comprehensive guide I have ever read on animal suffering, and serves as a great book for those who are new and interested to the topic, as well as seasoned animal rights activists and vegans.
   
   The best part about this book is that after covering all the ways in which animals suffer everyday, it offers helpful solutions in the second half of the book to these problems that all of us can help participate in.
   
   
   Truly a great book and a must-read!!! I highly reccommend this book to everyone.

5 comments about The Coral Reef Aquarium: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Fish (Happy Healthy Pet).

1. I first bought this book because of the author. When I recived it and thumbed through the pages I concluded that it was a book for beginners. In any case, since I had already spent 11 bucks I thought what the heck, if I could get at least one good idea out of it it will be worth the time and money.
   
   I was delighted to find the clearest explanations I've ever read on aquariun systems. I have a much better understanding now. I also picked up some very useful tips.
   
   Fantastic book. Very clear, easy to understand but detailed explantions of complex systems.



2. This is a great book to ease your way into learning about the reef. It uses simple and scientific verbage to teach the basics about the coral reef. I love it, read it twice, and will read it again. :)



3. I was disappointed by this book.

   For one thing, this is a very small book. It has only about 100 pages on a 4 X 8 size paper. And most of it is occupied by photos. But I also have to accept the fact that this book is much cheaper pricewise than the other comprehensive books out there such as the one by John Tullock.

   So in view of its shortness, the subject of coral reef keeping is not covered comprehensively. There is very little in depth explanation of the equipment and the biology of the hobby. As a rough comparison, most of the other coral keeping guides are more than 400 pages long.

   Coral reef keeping is an advanced subject (as opposed to marine fish keeping), and the equipment are varied, from lights, filtration, skimmers, chemical additives, chillers, etc. Each of these subjects is covered in a couple of paragraphs, as opposed to pages.

   A beginner will not have enough advice to start a new tank error-free, while a more advanced hobbiest will not be satisfied with its simple explanations.

   There are much better books out there.




4. This was the first book I've purchased as I was recommended by various hobbyist whom I have lots of respect for. When I started reading this book, first thing I told myself "Wow, how little I knew". I would highly recommend anybody who is getting started with Reef Hobby. Dr Ron is not only an experienced (PhD) Marine Biologist, but an active participant/contributor in various related Forum, Magazine and so on.

   On a different note, I would like to respond to the reader from Kingston, MA. Bristle Worms are your friend :p . They are mostly scavengers and will be a great member of your cleanup crew. There are some cases where aquarist found bristle worm gorging on their favorite fish, but the truth behind that almost always is, your fish died of other reason and Bristle Worm really doing its job, cleaning it up for you. If you have a super huge Bristle Worm, you may or may not choose to relocate it. Happy Reefing.




5. I fell into reef aquarium ownership almost overnight. I didn't know what I was getting into and bought an established 140 gallon tank with rocks and fish. The second hand tank had been neglected and there were only 3 surviving fish and the rock didn't look too healthy. I had no idea what I was headed into and I bought and killed a number of beautiful, expensive fish out of total ignorance.

   This book would have not only saved me a lot of money, but a lot of headache, heartache and trips to the local fish store.

   Dr. Shimek includes tips on inexpensive ways to equip the hardware and contents w/o spending an arm and a leg on overpriced items at the store. He tells you what animals to avoid (especially for beginners) and which ones are must-haves.

   For a beginning book, it is packed w/ info in just over 125 pages and in a very affordable package. Most aquarium books are VERY expensive and you'll never read the whole thing.

   I read this book in about 2 weeks (I work full time and I'm a slow reader) by taking it with me during my lunch hour and it has already saved me hundreds of dollars in items/livestock I was considering on purchasing.

   My only criticism is the lack of photos of critical things the author was citing. There are tons of high quality photos in this book, but some creatures were mentioned that I would have like to have seen represented in a photo and still have no idea what the author was talking about.

   The author does assume some knowledge in some areas where it seems he may have forgotten his audience. Had I not already dealt w/ some issues during my "baptism by fire" experience of learning the hard way for months before buying this book, I wouldn't have understood some of the concepts he brought up.

   This book was one of the best purchases I've made in regards to aiding my hobby. Thank you, Dr. Ron!

No comments about Chinese Elemental Astrology (Signet).

5 comments about Dogs.

1. I'm an animation artist whose medium is pen and pencil, and for me, Rien Poortvliet is hands down the greatest artist of his kind of the last 50 years, easily. Famous(almost too much so-eclipsing these other, superior and more personal books)for the "Gnomes" series of books of the 1970s, he was a man of amazing talent, terrific humor and also great humanity and sensitivity. Any of his books are worth having; this title, "Dogs" was the first I discovered, and it's also one of the very few easily available at this writing(9/05). Here are studies of many, many breeds of canines rendered in luscious oils, stunningly--but even better is the rest of the book: Poortvliet's own, intimate life experiences with dogs, a kind of illustrated diary done in pen, pencil and watercolor washes--absolutely brilliant. You'll meet and love Rien's dogs as he did, and if you've any interest or care for dogs at all this will likely become your favorite. I'd recommend this over any other coffee table or "art" book for dog lovers(I can't conceive of anyone not savoring this)...and for artists--! Wow. An absolute treasure trove of quick gesture drawings, studies and attitudes of both dogs AND people--as well as any other animal Rien feels like writing about and sketching--and there are plenty of them. This will teach the interested artist more than dozens of "how to" books of painting and drawing techniques could hope to do. Don't hesitiate--order it now.



2. The art is astohishing (as always with Poortvliet) but the book itself is a warm and sincere approach to the meaning of dogs in our lives. It is not technical or scientific but is a powerful read to dog lovers around the world.



3. I am a crazy dog lady. I admit it. I can't pass a dachshound without stooping to say hi. My husband and I have even been known to park our car down the block so that we can casually stroll down the street and "accidentally" make the acquaintance of a sprightly-looking corgi or retreiver. Pathetic, we are, completely pathetic, but we absolutely don't care.
   
   Anyway-- this is The Pathetic Portland Pooch Lady's favorite dog book ever. You won't believe the illustrations until you see them. It's done like a sketchbook-- dozens of different images all crowding together with occasional splash pages or portraits. On a single page, you might see: a dachshund skeleton next to a wolf skeleton; a dachshund in a snowy landscape bravely facing down a boar; the same dachshund being carried off by the boar; and a light pencil sketch of the dachshund staring at a hedgehog-- "the only game I ever saw him corner," according to Poortvliet.
   
   The book's other great strength is its honesty. It's screamingly funny at times, and of course, some of the pictures are real heart-melters, but there's nothing posed or plastic about it. Poortvliet gets all his laughs, and all his tears, from dedicated and truthful observation, and from mastery the arts of storytelling and illustration.
   
   In other words, buy this book. It's a treasure.



4. This is a wonderful, heart warming story for all dog and animal lovers. The art work is beautiful, worthy of framing. The authors connection with dogs comes through loud and clear as you read the story of losing a fur covered child to finding another companion, not to replace but to continue lifes journey with. Great book for all the right reasons.



5. The drawings tells you that the author has many wonderful feelings for his models persons, animals and simple living in the countryside. Just great, it even sometimes makes you feel like crying.