No comments about Building the Successful Veterinary Practice, Volume 1: Leadership Tools.

2 comments about Community Fish (Aquamaster Series).

1. This book is a basic over view of the community tank and is good for beginners.



2. This guide is dedicated to freshwater aquarium fish compatibility. It presents different fish profiles such as starter fish, peaceful small, medium size, large specimen, substrate and surface dwellers, popular, active, algae eaters!, malawi and tanganyikan cichlids. At the end of the guide, there are several themed community fish set-ups to think about, recommending not only suitable fish for each, but also plants and decor that fit as well. I have been around the fish keeping hobby for a while and thought I knew! But how much I learned a lot from this guide!!
   
   Besides the compatibility topic, this particular guide includes brief but complete sections related to general aquarium care such as tank set-up, water quality, aquascaping, feeding, maintenance, choosing and adding fish, breeding and health care. Aquamaster Guides are a "must have" for the beginner aquarist. Just by a quick glance, you can notice that they have been crafted with much care. The order in which contents are presented and the way each page is designed:going straight to the point, very visual, including superb pictures and neat graphics makes them, entertaining, easy to read and follow from beginning to end.

4 comments about A Rough-Shooting Dog: Reflections from Thick and Uncivil Sorts of Places.

1. If you have owned a Springer, enhance your enjoyment & memories with this wonderful read. A great book.



2. I have read other books by this author. Most of them are autobiographical (mixed with practical hints about dog training and bird hunting). All are well written. This one is the best, I think. That relationship with his springer transcends the usual mush. The dog obviously was a paragon, the dog of a lifetime.
   The reciprocity between the two gives the lie to those who claim that dogs have learned how to con humans into doing their wont.
   The book is well worth reading. It will enlighten and grab you.



3. I read this book to learn something about training English Springer Spaniels. I walked away with a deeper reflection on myself. The Author shares his experiences during the time when he acquired his first Springer. He also shared with you things that where happening in his life (like the passing of his father) and the deeper understanding of nature that blossomed during that same period. A wonderful book and a great read.



4. I found this one by accident in the local library. The title was the flash of motion; the cover confirmed that this book was, indeed, something I should have been seeking; and a few minutes' idling through the first chapter snared my full attention. Fergus is a rare combination of sophistication, rural woodsense, and honest observation (within and without). He's the "thoughtful action" sort of character, intelligent and very much at ease in his chosen home, who so puzzles and disquiets our urban cousins who simply have no frame of reference in which he fits. His springer spaniel Jenny sounds like a godsend as hunting dogs go, but with enough flaws to keep her off any pedestal, and enough love of the hunt to keep her in the field. My father's long-gone springer spaniel Maxie was the legend around our pheasant-oriented household in Nebraska, so for me, Fergus's essays about his relationship with Jenny provide insight into my father's character. Of course this book will be wrapped under my dad's tree this Christmas. Not to be missed--just don't read it in July, with grouse season several months away.

1 comments about Under the Paw: Confessions of a Cat Man.

1. Tom Cox is a very funny writer. His stories about the cats in his life, past and present, are sweet and hilarious and sometimes very sad. Highly recommended to any cat lovers, but especially for guys that secretly love cats and are afraid to admit it. Come on! Women dig guys that love cats. What more perfect animal walks upon the earth? Tom Cox perfectly describes all that is cool and ridiculous about cats. All the British slang is a hoot to boot! I have to start calling my cats moggies now. Does that sound like a Muppet?

1 comments about Provincetown Dogs.

1. At first glance, browsers will think this is a children's book. Children will enjoy it, but so will dog lovers and probably anyone who has encountered these dogs on visits to Provincetown. I think you'd buy this book as much for the art work as for the telling paragraphs about each of the 14 dogs featured. The book will appeal to dog owners who enjoy sharing stories of their own pets. They'll wish their 4-legged housemates had been immortalized with the Provincetown cast.

1 comments about Men & Dogs: A Personal History from Bogart to Bowie.

1. MEN & DOGS has a number of charming photos of various hounds and men of renown. But this reveals one of the problems with the book; the men are not necessarily with their OWN dogs.
   
   In fact, the men may not be dog owners at all! For example, David Bowie is shown with an unnamed Great Dane. The dog is not Bowie's; the photo is from a publicity shoot. Bowie may in fact loathe dogs, though certainly not as much as Peter Sellers, (also pictured with a dog.) The text informs us that during a fight with his wife, Sellers "strangled her parrot and chucked one of her puppies into the swimming pool." Ulp.
   
   And glamorous and striking photos aside, I was disappointed that there was absolutely no organization to this material. Dog breeds? All over the place. Chronological sequencing of pictures? Nope. Groupings of actors in one chapter, politicians in another, and so on? Forget it.
   
   SIDELIGHT: Nobody loved dogs more than Humphrey Bogart. His response to neighbors complaining about his barking boxers: "What son of a bi*** doesn't like dogs? What kind of monster is he? He ought to be glad he can hear the wonderful sounds of dogs barking."

5 comments about Riding for the Rest of Us: A Practical Guide for Adult Riders (Howell Reference Books).

1. This book really should be called Horse Ownership for the Rest Of Us -- it's not about riding, really, its more about owning a horse, how to choose your barn, etc. But if this is supposed to be written "for the rest of us" I don't know who the other people they're referring to are -- this book still assumes that you have the time and resources to get to the barn and ride YOUR OWN HORSE every day or thereabouts -- I'm not poor but there's no way I have the resources to buy the horse in the first place much less pay for boarding and vet care -- how about starting there? What if you don't own your own horse and have a full-time job but still want to be the best rider you can be? It was an interesting read but I gave it away, if you're looking for actual riding tips and techniques for older riders you should probably look elsewhere.



2. From the title and information about the book it appears aimed at all adult writers, in giving us the information we need, but can't find anywhere else. As a beginning adult writer, though someone who has been around horses for nearly fifteen years, I beg to differ with that claim. If you're a new adult rider, someone fairly inexperienced with horses, then Riding for the Rest of Us is exactly what it claims to be--a practical guide for adult riders. For those of us who have some horse knowledge, it may cover new territory, but most likely the information we're looking for is better obtained from other sources.
   
   I rode both English and Western, yet I found the book's emphasis on English riding to be off-putting. Most of the basic information, horse care, time management, finding a good instructor, would be the same regardless of disciplines, but the book with its focus on the English disciplines pretty much excludes the many adult riders who ride Western. While I don't believe this to be intentional, it certainly restricts the audience and further undermines the claim that this is a practical guide for adult riders.
   
   If you're completely new to horses and riding, then you'll find valuable information in the pages. If you have some experience under your belt, you may be better off looking for more specific books.



3. I ordered this book and was full of expectation. But what a disappointment. The author just keeps on talking without getting to the point. I really learned nothing new from this book.



4. There are a lot of books about training, managing and caring for horses.
   This book fills a niche that is so empty that it's still my bible when working with adult riders.
   Ms. Jahiel has done a fabulous job.
   If you are thinking of riding for the first time or getting back on board after a long hiatus then think seriously about buying this book.
   Heads above the rest.
   Thanks from someone who gets quite a few folks who have hit their stride in a career and then decide to follow the equine dream.



5. This book is a disappointingly shallow treatment of the subject. It raises many good questions an adult rider needs to ask... but doesn't help at all in finding or interpreting the answers! Everything is dealt with in a single paragraph, and that's just not long enough. I just didn't walk away from this one with an improved point of view as I'd hoped.

5 comments about Lovebirds: Everything About Housing, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, and Diseases : With a Special Chapter, Understanding Lovebirds (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. This book appears to have all info necessary for keeping lovebirds. It was an enjoyable read, an easy read and not boring, the author knew what he was talking about.



2. This book is TERRIBLE for the first time lovebird owner. I bought this book a couple years back and ended up not following much of the advice because I found an experienced bird person at an awesome bird store. Thank goodness!
   Among the blatant lies in this man's book are:
   1. Handle your lovebird with gloves.
   NEVER handle a parrot with gloves on. It scares them. If you are afraid of being bitten, don't buy a bird.
   2. Saying handfed lovebirds are only friendly to the person who handfed them.
   LIE. Handfed birds are very friendly and will easily bond with their human flock.
   3. (my favorite) "Children must be told that lovebirds ordinarily can't be carried around the room on a shoulder or finger."
   Care to explain why my SINGLE lovebird loves to sit on my shoulder and easily steps up for me?
   4. They will never learn to imitate.
   5. They must be kept singly.
   I can't even begin to argue this one. It's ludicrous.
   My recommendation? Don't buy this book!
   It will only lead to many unhappy, unhealthy lovebirds. This man should have his right to write taken away.



3. As the owner of six new love birds, I found Matthew Vriends LOVEBIRDS A Complete Owner's Manual relatively helpful. I knew little about love birds when I read the book and know a only a little more now. The book did not answer many of my questions, though it raised a few points about love birds I would never have asked. For example, the caption of one photograph says the coloration of the peach-faced lutino lovew bird is sex linked, however, I could not discover which sex was linked. This book is not nearly as comprehensive (or thick) as the title leads one to believe nor is it filled with as much information as other books in the `Barrons' series on parrots including the Senegal and African Grey, however the book is filled with lovely photographs and a number of illustrative drawings.

   LOVEBIRDS includes text and maps describing the origins of various types of birds in the family. Vriends apparently owns love birds which he maintains in an outdoor aviary. He includes a good deal of information about keeping love birds in outdoor aviaries, so some of his information such as dealing with frozen toes and vermin that attack birds living aviaries (ticks, rats, mice, etc.) as well as raising love bird babies, may be less than useful for folks like me who keep birds indoors and want to understand "beak fighting" know in advance that clipping their little wings may make it difficult for them to move around an aviary. Although these cute little guys are accused by some of being less than loving, my short experience has shown me that plenty of seed cups and members of the opposite sex alleviates some of the rivalry.




4. Cute pictures and thats all. Bad info...says you shouldn't have a single lovebird! Thats ubsurd. I have one sitting on my shoulder right now and shes definately happy. It is true you have to spend a lot of time with a single lovie but I know its possible!!



5. Faith, our Peach-faced Lovebird thanx the author, Matthew Vriends
   many times over for writing this book. Small in size, easy on the pocketbook, yet filled with a wealth of wisdom about raising & caring for these precious creatures of God.
   From hand feeding to housing, playing to protecting, care and concerns, how to, don't do, in simple language, "Lovebirds" is a winner!
   The information on illness, disease,& what to do, was invaluable. In fact, we were able to proceed in Faith's best health interest before the Vet's visit.
   Buy it, highlight, read, & reread this wonderful owner's companion.

2 comments about Collies (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. Some good information, but a lot of the information could apply to any other breed. It's very easy to read and reads quickly. Would have given it 5 stars if it'd been a bit more in-depth and thicker. Good book, just needs to have more in it.



2. The book is good for a beginning collie owner. Beautiful pictures. Wish they identified the dogs in the pictures. Took longer than any other order from or through Amazon.

2 comments about All About My Cat.

1. If you want to create something fun and quirky that you'll probably never look at again, but have a fun time doing, this is for you. It has fun little questions, like what president your cat would be if he was a president, if your cat likes comedy or horror movies etc.
   
   If you're looking for a REAL keepsake, I recommend "my cat's journal" by aaron hunt. it was by far the best of the four books i bought, get that one.



2. If you love your cat, you should buy this book, which asks just about every possible question about him/her. From "Does your cat like Fruit or Vegetables" (True or False) to "It hurts your cat's feelings when:" (check all that apply). It is very cute, and even after your cat is gone, you will have something to remember them by.