5 comments about Reef Secrets: Starting Right, Selecting Fishes & Invertebrates, Advanced Biotope Techniques.

1. What a great cut-to-the-chase reference for the reef hobiest. The selection guide is very helpful, especially if you are concerned about compatability or just want to develop a specific region in your own reef tank.



2. As a beginning reef aquarist, I enjoyed reading this book, but I am not sure it is a practical book for the novice.
   
   Some of the advice it gives seems designed for the advanced hobbiest who has little need for the book. For example, it advises no more than about a 10% water change each year. That is probably enough for an established, well-maintained aquarium in service for a couple of years already, but I doubt it is a regime suitable for someone just starting.
   
   The authors' advise seems to defy conventional wisdom in other areas. The suggested Ph paramaters, for example, vary from anything I have seen elsewhere. Perhaps that's why they are called reef "secrets". Or perhaps they are just "typos"
   
   Interestingly, the book presents a photo of what it bills as one of the finest amateur marine aquariums anywhere. I went on-line to learn more about that system and learned that the owner has a maintenance regime and water paramaters at odds with the recommendations in this book!
   
   Still, all in all, an enjoyable and well-informed read. It's just not a suitable "how to" book for most of us. On the other hand, the section at the end on species selection was very useful.



3. Very good for beginners. Covers all important topics. Very simple language, without technical jargon which is often overwhelming people who just starting with hobby. Very nice stocking guide and chapter about biotops which is not found often in similar position.
   
   I recommend it to anyone who thinks to start with reefkeeping hobby.



4. Loved it! Has some of the best reefing information available, without the over-technical mumbo jumbo! The stocking guide is excellent; just lacking on a few species.



5. One can appreciated the authors' long experience with marine aquaria who elegantly and with simple language explained larger biological concepts yet provide detailed instructions on how do to what and why. Very inspiring are the suggested biotopes that include among others "seagrass aquarium", "reef gorge aquarium", "pizza anemone aquarium", "rubble zone aquarium" as well as the standard reef tank. These are refreshing ideas that are needed with the current predominance of grocery store shelf-like stocked, overcrowded best-of-the-month SPS tanks. Also contains a comprehensive guide about most creatures possible in a reef tank and essentially makes e.g. Sprung's "Quick" guides unnecessary in one's library.

5 comments about Parenting Your Dog.

1. Don't let the title stop you from buying this book. While the author draws parallels between parenting and puppy-raising (and there are many; I have no children but can carry on a pretty detailed parenting discussion!), she does NOT advocate viewing dogs as human/children.
   
   This delightful book is a guide to raising your dog through all life stages. As such, it talks more about teaching and manners and liveability than about formal training. How many of us really need to obedience train our companion dogs? But all of us need to raise them to be mannerly and to adapt to a mostly-indoor, human-oriented life. Couching her excellent advice in child-rearing terminology makes it easier to grasp and apply. Even when she disagreed with some popular advice, I understood her logic and largely agreed with her.
   
   This book, along with a current veterinary guide, are really all you need to embark on a great life with your dog companion. (If problems arise later, you can always supplement. Some great options are Outwitting Dogs: Revolutionary Techniques For Dog Training That Work!, and also the tv show that is the basis of It's Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet (the show is more problem-focused.)



2. The author does not recommend owners treat their dogs like children, rather that a good parent shares the same qualities as a good leader. Trish King is a popular trainer, speaker and now author and her book addresses practical approach to common dog training and behavior problems at all stages of a dog's life, including the difficult adolescent stage, where most dog owners have trouble.
   
   Without trendy phrases like "calm-assertive" or "dominance", Trish King effectively educates readers on actual dog behavior and how to avoid and address behavior problems.



3. This book has chapters from choosing a puppy to handling aging dogs and a great chapter on the most common behavior problems. Since I handle most of the behavior problems in my area, I read carefully how the author approached these in puppies and adults and was very pleased with what I read. Wouldn't it be great if all dog owners would learn to use such great information!



4. This book is a great read for anyone who is interested in maintaining a trusting relationship with your dog while providing the structure and boundaries required. It is very readable, with good humor, and the recommendations very doable for anyone who owns a dog. The dogs will be grateful if you read this book.



5. Trish King is a font of canine information. The notion that an unwanted animal behavior can be eliminated, not by using punishment, but by encouraging an overriding *desired* behavior, a seemingly simple theory, works as well with my Boxers as it did with my human children. Why didn't I make the connection sooner? I attended a dog training seminar last Fall in Madison WI at which King was a featured speaker, hoping that King's in-person speaking style would mimic her writing style, and I was not disappointed. Speaking as a pet owner who is ever on a search to learn new ways to deepen the bond with my canine companions, I found King's book to be insightful.

2 comments about House Cat: How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound.

1. About two years ago, I did a complete 180 and became a cat lover, having previously felt indifferent toward them. In January of this year I adopted a beautiful calico cat from the adoption room at PetSmart (where I purchased this book also, right at the end of the cat food aisle).
   
   I am so grateful to have purchased an independent book on the subject, rather than the equivalent from the "For Dummies" or "Complete Idiots' Guide" series. Christine Church presents her suggestions, her do's and don'ts, in a very engaging and lively way through numerous anecdotes involving her own many cats. She has owned as many as eleven cats (and at least one dog). The book is informative on a number of subjects; I was enlightened to learn, for example, that not only is declawing painful, it can change the personality of some cats for the worse. Previously social and friendly cats sometimes become mean and withdrawn after losing their beloved claws. After reading "House Cat" I can safely say I won't have my cat declawed.
   
   The story of Gillie was both heartbreaking and heartwarming! What an incredible cat, to survive cancer for so long and hop around on three legs! When I see his picture on the dedication page, I regret that I never met this cat in real life.
   
   I was also quite touched by the story of Taffy, the cat who always longed to go outdoors and was granted her wish late in life when she was too frail to possibly run stray. Taffy is one of the several feline dedicatees of the book; Christine Church writes: "For Taffy, whose life brought sunshine to mine and all who knew her. I'm glad I was able to give you sunshine in the end."
   
   With excellent photos to supplement, this is a well-written book indeed.



2. Never before have I seen a non-fiction book with interesting stories to start each chapter and make you want to read more... Like a novel, but unbelievably informative! If you want to know how to care for your indoor cat, or any cat, or are thinking of making your cat an indoor cat, or getting one.... Here's the purrfect reference. Also added, besides good information and interesting antecdotes, are links to excellent and informative web pages. This is truly the cat book for the 21st century!

5 comments about Right from the Start: Create a Sane, Soft, Well-Balanced Horse.

1. This book is so clear, so logical, and so methodical that the big mystery of dressage is cleared up. Finally, after years of "outside rein, inside leg" someone comes along who can simplify and break it down. He also admits that in the beginning it doesn't look pretty and sometimes you have to "gasp" pull on the reins! Then you refine from that. A must-read for the backyard or serious rider.



2. I truly love the concept of starting the horse from the ground but it is not as easy as it looks. The book was very well illustrated and clear. I do think the groundwork lessons should have been in Chapter 1 and progressed from there. As it is written, the groundwork is toward the end of the book which is confusing for a novice like me. I need step-by-step guidance. I still highly recommend this book, especially for the groundwork section.



3. My ex-racehorse was a horrible tongue loller. I bought him for dressage and we know that is not allowed, my trainer told me just to keep riding him like we were and he would come around. This wasn't working because he would lock his jaw, stick his tongue out and go faster(just what he learned on the track). I started Mike's book and read chapeter 18 several times because this was my horse, everything he had to say was about my horse. So we started on softening his jaw, getting him to Soften, Bend and Move into the Hand and it worked. He still has a long way to go but his tongue lolling has decreased(I may add that he goes in a french link German silver Boucher bit). All the rein and leg aids make sense to him now and he can use his body much better. This is the ONLY book that I have yet found that addresses tongue lolling. For all you out there with a horse sticking his tongue and evading the bit try these techniques, it's not a overnight success but you will see a differance with consistent work in hand.



4. This is the best book in my library. I've had it a for a few years and have used it on several horses - one of whom refused to go on the bit for over two years before using this training method. It is clear, concise,and every step make sense and builds on the last. He gives examples and reasons for his methods and they make good common sense. It is invaluable as a tool for creating a strong foundation for a horse and even a rider's training (too often the two are considered seperate topics). I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.



5. I have been reading a lot of books about starting young horses recently and this is by far the best. Aside from the fact that it is well written and easy to follow, I feel that it answers the questions most books skip over and puts simply into words what is difficult to describe. Although there are many books that offer advice on starting young horses, many of them tell you what to do - ground schooling, long lining, lungeing - but don't give any insight on what you are trying to acheive in terms of balance, bend and contact. This book fills in those gaps and more. I also recommend "Dressage in Lightness" by Sylvia Loch (see my reviews).

5 comments about Dog Is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship.

1. If you love dogs, this is a must read. If you don't love dogs, you might by the end of this book. There are so many heartfelt stories. My favorite is the one about Bloodlines. Volunteering with the local animal shelter really makes you appreciate people who believe in the same things that you do.



2. Most of the stories in this book "hit home" with me and I found myself saying "I've had that experience with my dog(s) - I could have written that". Some stories were a little long, just a few I found not as interesting. A good read for dog lovers.



3. If you are a dog lover this should be required reading it is such a great book! It is a little treasure of great writing from some of the best writers ever....I wanted this book to last forever I enjoyed it so much!



4. There's a lot in this book for dog owners--namely, 42 stories on some aspect of dog. Some of the information is factual, but most has to do with relationships--dog to person and dog to dog, the former being much more prevalent. Most any dog owner would gain something of value from this book.
   
   I like the stories from Caroline Knapp, Alice Elliott Dark, and Bonnie Jo Campbell the best. Knapp's and Dark's stories are serious and compelling. Campbell's story about her dog Roscoe, who she comes to believe is a reincarnation of her former and erstwhile fiancé Oscar, is hilarious. The ties between the two are numerous. Even the dog's shortened ear (frostbite) is linked to Oscar's untimely and embarrassing demise.
   
   My pick of three female authors should not be considered unusual in that most of the stories in this book are by females ("A dog is woman's best friend"). Most, also, are about medium- to large-sized dogs. Labs and herding dogs (blue heeler or cattle dog, Border collie, kelpie, and German shepherd) get the most ink.
   
   If you're like me, meaning you often don't do what trainers recommend, you should find some comfort in instances where an owner didn't do what trainers recommend, and things turned out okay. Amusingly, one owner and her dog celebrated their graduation from training by going home and climbing onto the sofa, something the dog had been forbidden to do during the twelve-week training course. The story's message is two-fold: Loving your dog the way you wish is sometimes more important than rules. And since dogs are infinitely variable, what works with one may be useless or even counterproductive with the next.
   
   Many of the owners in this book seem to have dogs who sleep with them religiously. My dogs never have. The closest I've come has been a miniature schnauzer, but even she had her limits and often baled sometime during the night. My current dog's routine, which matches that of the dog before her, is to stay with me until I stop reading and turn off the light. Then she's off to her familiar haunt--a fabric-covered chair near the front door (a nice arrangement, however, for the nights we forget to lock the front door). What these other owners have that I don't I can only wonder. Less body odor or perhaps--we're talking dog here--more?
   
   (I'm giving the book five stars even though I found the formatting (justified, double-spaced text in two columns) at the start of each chapter irritating.)



5. This is a book that is easy to carry with you and the stories are just the right length to read while waiting (for anything). I could relate to many of the stories.

4 comments about The New Basic Training of the Young Horse: From the Education of the Young Foal to the First Competition.

1. Worth buying. Has usable, common sense information. Well put together in sequence of stages for training the young horse.



2. I was disappointed with Klimke's basic training book. While it was interesting to read about their comprehensive training program for young dressage horses that includes eventing, the material was not specific enough to learn how to do any thing. The book covered way to much material in a general way and addressed too many audiences. So it did not really appeal to me. The books is very well designed with great pictures and format, but the text wonders. If you want to learn new techniques don't buy it. If you like to read general horse books with great pictures, it is worth buying.



3. I am a huge fan of both Ingrid and her father, however I was a bit disappointed in their book. They seem to talk about general things "you want this and not this", but don't tell you how to do "this" and not teach "this". If I knew how to do it I supposed I'd already know it was correct. I had hoped it was more specific for we riders who have not atttained FEI status. I would like to have seen more step by step on some of the big issues like ground control and how to have masterful hands. Some movements are explained, but not all.
   It was interesting to read what they think is correct and how they manage and treat their horses. I'm not sure that this should be in every dressage trainer's library. Some of the other books by other master riders are much more helpful.



4. I've been riding all my life, but wanted to understand some basic philosophies of getting a young jumper started. I found this book to be very helpful in laying that foundation. If you've never owned/ridden before, then you may want to seek some personalized attention from an experience horseperson. But if you're a good rider already, you'll enjoy this book.

5 comments about The Complete Standard Poodle.

1. The book came on time. It was a delight to read and very informative. I especially devoured the chapters on Puppy Care, Understanding Your Poodle, and The Versatile Standard Poodle.I read it from cover to cover in two days. Discovered that a local breeder, whom I had contacted about a puppy, had a champion dog of her's pictured in the book on page 159!



2. Gorgeous book! Beautiful color pictures on almost every page. 20 pages dedicated to grooming including a variety of hair styles and all major topics are covered such as health and training. Of all the poodle books I've purchased this is by far my favorite.



3. This book is full of wonderful pictures and a complete history of the standard poodle. However, the author is a former show judge in the UK and spends a considerable amount of the book discussing British standards for show. The recommended diet (raw human food) is contrary to what most American vets prescibe. The information on grooming the standard poodle is quite informative and includes pictures of finished cuts. However, it does not include enough information for a novice like me to attempt the trims.



4. Eileen Geeson does a fabulous job of giving background information pertinent to standard poodle owners. She touches on a broad range of topics, from our emotional attachments to our furkids to puppy-raising information and everything in between. One of the most helpful sections gives warning signs of injuries and diseases prone to standard poodles. The pictures in the book are precious, and Geeson's book is a fluent read.



5. What a wonderful book! I bought my first Poodle and this book was a treasure!

5 comments about Tropical Freshwater Aquarium Fish from A to Z (Compass Guides).

1. Exactly what I was looking for. A book with lots of photos of fish and brief descriptions and basic info on each. Easy to use, colorful, nice protective cover. High quality.



2. This book has may types of fish profiles, including many popular aquarium fish, and great pictures. It has the nifty plastic jacket, which anyone with a fish tank will appreciate. It is a small enough book to bring with you to the fish store, and informative enough to make you glad you brought it.



3. An OK book that is very brief in its details of fish species and occasionally slightly inaccurate with regards compatibilities. Very nice pictures that get it an additional star from me just because they make species identification a lot easier than some of other books. It has a nice plastic cover for those times when you're reading and dripping at the same time and is handily pocket sized for taking to the shops with you.



4. Not a lot of detailed info, but it's a great visual reference guide. I love it and it's cheap!



5. As someone new to the hobby, this book helped me tremendously in selecting not only what fish I could and should put in my new fish tank, but helpful tips as to how I should care for them (Ph levels, water temps, compatible types, etc.). I reviewed this book and read "The Essential Freshwater Aquarium" guide; both books help ensure that my first try as an aquarist results in a healthy environment for my fish. I was so impressed by the A to Z Guide that I bought one for a friend who has kept fish for over a year but was mixing fish indiscriminately without regard to the size of her tank or the type of fish already in the tank. We both now have a high enthusiasm for our aquariums and consult the guide before any new fish purchase. Highly recommended for new and experienced aquarists.

5 comments about The West Highland White Terrier (Terra Nova Series).

1. I was totally unfamiliar with the West Highland Terrier breed and I wanted to find a book that could educate me on numerous aspects, including training tips. I was very pleased with the content of this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about West Highland Terriers.



2. I love this book, is a quick guide about the most adorable dog breed.



3. One of the best dog breed books I've read. It's original. Really appreciated author's smart style and wit. Much more informative than others. Very contemporary with some interesting trivia.



4. Jill Arnel is definitely an expert when it comes to terriers, especially Westies and Cairns. So happy that this book is out there.



5. If you are a Westie owner or perspective owner, this book contains valuable information for you. This included information that I've never read before in any book devoted to Westies, such as why their claws grow so fast. I highly recommend it - plus the photos are wonderful.

2 comments about Dog Body, Dog Mind: Exploring Canine Consciousness and Total Well-Being.

1. I intially purchased this book for myself. I read almost the entire book in one sitting. It is absolutely wonderful. I expected to learn more about my dog's behavior and needs but I learned much more than that. Read it and you will also learn something about human behavoir and needs. It is a must have for ANYONE but especially for those who live with a dog!



2. Dr. Fox has a wonderful grasp of animal psychology and what care they need. This book is tremendous.