3 comments about My Guinea Pig and Me (For the Love of Animals Series).

1. After reading so many guinea pig care books with often inaccurate to down-right dangerous information, this book was a delightful surprise!! Wonderful and truthful information about environment and care!

   I would have given it 5-stars but had to take one off for emphasizing the need for guinea pig companionship with their own kind and then *not* adequately dealing with prevention of the breeding. (The author, a behavioral biologist, believes in the animal's innate right to breed. Unfortunately, there are so many unwanted pets needing homes, it seems irresponsible not to address other possible solutions such as same-sex pairing.)

   Overall, though, this book ranks as one of the best that I've seen and any guinea pig lucky enough to have an owner that follows the guidelines in this book will be very happy and very spoilt indeed!




2. This book is pretty good at providing quality information. However, this book offers few tips about grooming, specific breeds, and safety information (ex: what they can't eat) This book has many good tips and great pictures. It also covers how to get acquainted with your guinea pig, which I have not seen in many other books. Overall, I would reccomend it highly.



3. This is a well organized book on guinea pigs for both the novice young owner and a more experienced owner. The graphic designs and page layouts are especially well done. "Tips From the Vet" are highlighted effectively for the reader and there is a sprinkling of humor throughout. Almost all phases of guinea pig care are covered in a practical manner for both adults and younger cavy owners. I recommend it highly.

No comments about Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet.

2 comments about My Hamster and Me (For the Love of Animals Series).

1. This book is fantastic for reviewing hamster care!! The book is entertaining because it has games, activites, and toy checklists icluded in the book for the owner to check off. There are also many adorable pictures hamsters. I have been taking care of hamsters for seven years now, and this book is still helpful. It's great for kids and adults, and hamster experts too!



2. This is a nice book for the child hamster owner, perhaps for reading even before the pet is purchased. It does not contain all the details that a hamster owner might need, but it covers basic behavior and how to treat the pet. Cute photos, too!

5 comments about Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy.

1. If you, like me, have no idea on what to do with a new puppy, this is the perfect book for you too.



2. On the subject of raising dogs there are as many opinions as there are, well, dogs. Internet's full of 'em. Several of the negative reviews of this book have one thing in common: The reviewers differ *in opinion* with the scientifically based positions taken by the authors. Example: One reviewer scoffed that the book does not support alternative dog/puppy food alternatives, e.g. raw, or "home cooked". First of all, the book clearly supports their position on that with numerous, significant, fact-based rationale. The critic offers no evidence to support her counter-claims. Advice on socialization requirements and methods are also supported. And so on throughout the book. Perhaps those who rate the book poorly because they have a different opinion should offer a link to some scientific evidence and/or alternative book to back up their claims?
   
   Regarding the narrator of the book on tape, yes his voice and reading method are somewhat unusual, however I would not classify him as sounding like "sociopathic killer". That's a little unfair. I don't know if I could necessarily sit down with the intent of just listening to the book from beginning to end, but I have been listening to the book on CD on my commute to and from work and while driving around town and find it's quite pleasant in that venue. After all, this is a textbook, not a novel. The narrator is trying to convey information clearly. The concerns regarding being able to locate content on the CD's are valid. Many times I've wanted to re-hear a part, and had to listen to the entire track again, but my current CD player does not have a fast-forward or reverse option. My previous car did have that and it made short work of those issues.
   
   My wife and I just got a bullmastiff puppy and have found this book to be extremely helpful. It starts out as many such books do, advising you on the commitment required in having a puppy: According to the book 1/2 of all puppies don't make it to their second birthday in the home they started out in. The authors lament this fact and clearly are trying to give you sound advice that will benefit both you and the dog. They move on to describing health care, food requirements (they very clearly spell out what to look for on the dog food packages), socialization, how your dog sees the world (how their senses differ from ours), etc., etc.
   
   Sure, there are some parts on the CD's that you'd skip over if you were reading. Perhaps not. We found it all interesting. If that doesn't appeal to you, get the book not the CD. Better yet, check it out at the library first, and if you like it, then get it here.



3. This book does not translate at all into audiobook form. If you are interested in the content, purchase the print book. As a very long and thorough reference manual covering many topics, it is near impossible to reference needed information on CD's. Some information is in list format which is tedious to listen to. For example, the book gives detailed information on every single dog breed. This is information you want to look up based on your dog's breed, but you do not want to listen to hundreds of other breed information. The CD's do not have track titles so it is even harder to navigate the information. The narrator also has a monotonous and actually sort of creepy voice. His voice reminded me of what a sociopathic kidnapper might sound like if he was trying to lure a child into his car.



4. As a longtime breeder of purebred dogs I wanted to like this book but it has too many flaws to recommend it to a new puppy owner. The book is written by a committee of veterinary specialists from Tufts and it clearly suffers from that multiple author approach. Several chapters are well worth reading such as socialization, pet insurance the first aid kit are some that I would recommend but others such as the discussion of puppy nutrition, the Tufts temperament test, young children are not complete or contain incorrect information. It would be nice to have a single book to recommend to puppy owners that would cover all aspects of puppy ownership including veterinary care, training, development, health problems, etc. This is NOT THAT BOOK.



5. I heard the author speak on NPR and thought it was worth reading his book, since I am buying a new puppy. Being a first time owner, I really wanted to know what I was getting into. The book is quite comprehensive starting from the very first day and extending far beyond. I have been able to fly through it and it is not boring like you might think a manual might be. Chapters are well organized so you can skip over non applicable items and move forward... Really gives you a good idea of all the work, time, and effort that goes into good pet ownership.

No comments about Enid Blyton's Nature Lover's Book (Centenary Fiction).

5 comments about Terrarium and Cage Construction and Care.

1. I found this book very useful and informative. I have buildt terrariums since I was a child, collecting all kinds of scaly pets and the number one rule my mom made me follow was making them escape proof. These did not always work out well with missing snakes turning up in the laundry and a toothy alligator taking a bite of my hand when I first started out collecting such wonderful creatures. Boy do I wish that I had this book when I was a kid. This is a great book for both beginner and someone like me who's always looking for goood ideas on the subject.



2. The book wasnt everything I had hoped for. It did not cover the false bottom method for terrarium/vivarium construction. Seemed out dated and very very basic. Great for ideas, not for construction. Would maybe recommend book for reference but not a single resource.



3. The title of the book is absolutely misleading!
   I ordered this book together with 7 others and my hopes in this book was totally smashed the moment I opened and browsed through. It contained very little information on what I thought it should and many of the books I already owned had more info. The terrarium set ups were very unexciting. I tried going through amazon.com again trying to look for more books pertaining to "this subject" but much to my dismay, this was the only book recommended. This book contains more on recommendations of terrarium inmates rather than cage construction.



4. I bought the book being a person who loves zoos and was expecting it to cover the materials, chemicals, theorys, and design/setup of the cage and what plants to use with what lighting but none of the above really appeared in the book a completely misleading title and poor purchase.



5. For each setup, a lot of space devoted to different types of animals and each types general care. Would have liked to have more information on design ideas, construction tips, and maintenance of actual terrariums.

5 comments about Aquarium Plants Manual (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I bought this thinking it would help me. It didn't. Also in the back of the book, they have Riccia and Java Moss mixed up. The pictures are switched backwards. I don't recommend this book if you are going to invest your time and money into a plant tank. There are better books out there people.



2. Less than impressive small, thin paperback. Profiles only a small amount of species. There are at least a few errors: mislabeled photos and incorrectly identified species of plants and fish.



3. This manual is worht the money and is very helpful in the types of Aquarium plants that work best with different species of fish and water conditions. I found this maunual to be well worth the money and very helpful and it does have diagrams to show you exactly what you're being instructed on.



4. This little book is a very good value. It covers more than 40 different plants in its encylopedia section in addition to its glossary and several different info sections, including info on lighting, nutrients, selection and care. It gives more info about plants than can be obtained in the more general information books and is very inexpensive. It could be organized a little better but it is still very useful and very much worth the price.



5. There are books out there that are sensitive to the interaction of fish and plants. This is not one of them. Please invest a little more money and purchase one of those other books. The sample layouts are incredibly overcrowded. Even some of the photographs reflect the overcrowding!

4 comments about Breaking Bad Habits in Dogs.

1. a good book, illustrated examples not just text, easy strait foreward advice. I've bought this book 4 times for myself, friends and family. Anyone can follow this book.
   
   My only complaint is its not long enough, it covers things so indepth but in a way that anyone can understand it I only wish there was more to it.
   it has several different solutions for each issue, which helps because each dog, household, situation, person is different.



2. I purchased this book to help with socialization and separation problems of my beloved Morkie. Mr. Tenant's ideas helped with both these problems AND I ended up using many of the tips on other dog behavior topics as well. Since reading this book, I have a better understanding of how dogs think, which means that I now have a better behaved dog. The book is well organized, so it is easy to find information on particular dog behavior problems. The pictures complement the text extremely well. This book is by far my FAVORITE "dog behavior" book out of the many dog "how to" books that I own. I would highly recommend this book as a "must have dog book" for any dog owner.



3. This book cured my dog of moderate Separation Anxiety. I would highly recommend it. The chapters are organized according to the kind of problem, so you can find what you're looking for fast. The directions given are concise and easy to follow. Finally there are tons of pictures to help you along.



4. After adopting an out of control dog a couple of months ago, I have purchased many books on training. Most books say the same things, how to train basic commands. That would be easy if the dog would listen to you in the first place, but many dogs have behavior problems that make training impossible. Every chapter in this book was VERY helpful and informative. I would HIGHLY reccommend this book to anyone who is at their wits end with their dog. My dog behaves much better now and I am able to have guests come to my home again.

4 comments about A New Owner's Guide to African Grey Parrots (New Owners Guide).

1. Anything that helps us to understand and care for these amazing birds is welcomed. This is one of the books that is on my night stand. What a lucky person who has an African Grey who owns them.



2. This book is one of the best Grey books I have read. Ms. Moustaki does well in being simple, frank, yet detailed enough to guide the reader in how to care properly for an African Grey. Specifics would have been good in the housing your african grey chapter, but she painted a broad enough stroke and gave enough guidelines to guide the owner in their decision. This is a basic book, and meant for new-owners. It fits its purpose well!



3. This book has great information especially for the new bird owner. I would highly recommend reading it to anyone who is even just thinking of getting an African Grey! It gives alot of insight into things a first time bird owner might not think about ahead of time.



4. This book tell us all necessary information about what we want to know about african grey parrots

5 comments about Our Chosen Child: How You Came To Us And The Growing Up Years.

1. Just reading the title "Our Chosen Child" shows this book was made for the olden days of adoption. Who chooses a child now? Long gone are the days of selecting a child from an orphanage, at least domestically. Then, the first fill in page is a family tree! Don't most people know that family tree projects are THE WORST, anxiety provoking things for adopted children? Whose tree is it? Bio or Adopted family? I just don't like this at all. Create your own lifebook or scrap album
   
   I received this as a gift, I would never use it. We would never want our daughter to feel like we chose her like a doll or a puppy. We are the luckiest parents in the world to have been chosen to be her parents.



2. I really like this book. Even though not everything pertains to my child, it is nice being able to have a place to put all of his "Firsts."
   
   I don't mind that it focuses only on us, his adopted family. I have a special "LifeBook" which I created that tells him all about his birth family, including pictures and focuses on them. I think it is great for him to know that he has two families that love him! I also think that it separates everything so that it is not so overwhelming right now, while he is young.
   
   If you want a great way to share your child's birthfamily information, I would highly recommend buying "LifeBooks Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child" by Beth O'Malley, MEd. It is a great help in not only creating a LifeBook, but also gives you ideas on how to explain to your child difficult things about his/her adoption.



3. We found this way too 'cute-sy' for our taste.
   We much preferred "This is Me", which allowed for much more flexibility, as it's a binder. And it was not so cute-sy.



4. I was placed with my son when he was 22 months old. While this book is geared more toward infant adoption (wanting a lot of firsts as a baby book does) I am using it for his firsts with us. I have also asked his prior placement if they can fill in the information I don't have. It has pages for a naming Ceremony (I just wrote about them name we chose and why) My favorite pages are the ones where youput pictures of "Others who love you" I would recommend this book to any adoptive mom/dad and you can alter as you need it.



5. This book, while obviously well-intentioned, leaves too much unsaid in the life of a child who joins a family through adoption, in my opinion. There's no space for including the child's biological roots or specifics about their birth family, but only a vague "other people who love you" page, for example.
   
   I didn't feel comfortable using it OR giving it as a gift, so it sits in a box. I'll create my own lifebooks.