Pet Books

It is a good book but it is strictly for people that have never had a aquarium and are just setting it up or haven't yet.

This is a nice book for anyone that wants to set up an aquarium properly. Very helpful.

Very complete and detailed. Show a sequence of tasks to build a planted tank, stuff for work, types of plant and fishes.

I liked the part of how to treat wood and substrate.

This is a great book with lots of illustrations and information. In setting up a new tank, this author has isolated all the important information a beginner should have and if you follow it, the results are awesome. A must have!

I got this from a local library. Its very good. The author sets up a single tank in the beginning and by the end of the book (week 12) it is fully established. The book is great for people who want to use real plants in their tank.

Theres a big section with various plants arranged into four categories: background plants, midground plants, foreground plants, and floating plants. There are full color pictures on every page. Various species are pictured and described. The fish section is arranged into three groups: first fish, second fish, and third fish. (First fish should be added to the tank first, second fish should be added second, etc.)

The only problem I had with this book is that there is too much emphasis on plants. Personally, I am more interested in animal life and less interested in the plant life. But if you're a beginner and you want to have real plants in your tank then you will love this book. If there was an updated, cheaper, paperback edition, I'd probably buy it.

This is the first Bunnicula book I have read... and it won't be the last. The author has a great style of writing. Even though it is a children's book you cannot tell where the story is going... which makes it unpredictable and great. Highly recommended.

I agree enthusiastically with all the reviewers about this very enjoyable installment in the Bunnicula series.

The thing is, I have always gotten the audio books for my sons to listen to while going to bed at night. We have become addicted to Victor Garber's wonderfully expressive characterizations as the true voices of Howie, Chester and Harold. It's like our old friends don't sound like themselves. Patrick Mulvihill isn't bad but he just doesn't compare very well. His articulation isn't as crisp and the characters' voices are much more similar to each other compared to Mr. Garber's.

I wonder why they changed narrators? Oh, well, my sons still liked it. 5 stars for the story, 3 for the narration.

Peter has just won a contest: the prize is a school visit from his idol and the author of the FleshCrawlers series. While Peter's excited, Chester the cat is suspicious: Graves dresses in black, has a silent black crow about him at all times, and Chester knows that in each of Graves' popular books, something bad always happens to the pet... humor again blends with the supernatural in a Bunnicula story both newcomers and old fans of the series will appreciate.

The Monroe household is up in arms once more, but this time, much to Chester's chagrin, Bunnicula the vegetable juice-draining vampire bunny, is not to blame. In fact, none of the Monroe pets are to blame for this latest catastrophe. The blame rests solely on the shoulders of twelve-year-old Pete Monroe. When Pete enters a writing contest, and, oddly enough, actually wins it, he learns that his school will be receiving a surprise visit from one of the coolest authors on the planet - M.T. Graves. M.T. Graves is the author of the awesomely disgusting Fleshcrawlers books. And, while almost everyone thinks that M.T. Graves doesn't even exist, Pete is excited to have the chance to prove them all wrong. The reclusive author has never been seen before, and appears to dislike being around anyone other than his pet crow, Edgar. However, when he learns about Pete's strange pets - Harold, Chester, Bunnicula, and Howie - he opts to stay at the Monroe household for a few days, as opposed to checking into a hotel. Howie couldn't be happier to learn of M.T. Graves' arrival, considering he has read every one of his terrifying books. Chester, on the other hand, is suspicious. After all, the strange writer has made very special requests for his arrival: Bunnicula must sleep in his room, he wants unlimited access to salad - sans the dressing, etc. So when the mysterious man arrives at the front door, accompanied by the infamous Edgar Allan Crow, dressed entirely in black, and followed by a flock of crows who have taken up residence in the Monroe backyard, Chester's suspicions are proven right. There is something bizarre about this man, and he resolves to find out exactly what it is. Putting his reading - and sleuthing - skills to work, Chester begins to research the Fleshcrawlers books, and realizes that there is one common theme throughout them all: the pets always fall victim to some unusual fate. Suddenly, Chester knows exactly why M.T. Graves is so interested in all of the Monroe family pets, especially Bunnicula. He plans on using them for deranged science projects, and writing about them in his books. Harold, on the other hand, thinks Chester is barking - or, rather, meowing - up the wrong tree. But as more and more evidence is found, Harold begins to wonder if this is the first time Chester's suspicions will actually prove to be correct.

While I have only been reading the BUNNICULA books for the past month or so, I have quickly found myself sucked into their original storylines, and fabulous - if not slightly paranoid - characters. So when I learned that BUNNICULA MEETS EDGAR ALLAN CROW was, quite possibly, the last addition to the series, I knew that I had to pick it up immediately and learn what new adventures the Monroe pets had found themselves mixed up in. I can tell you now that this book does not disappoint. Howe has created an intricate, humble character in M.T. Graves. His likeness to the GOOSEBUMPS author R.L. Stine is interesting, and will most certainly appeal to readers who were obsessed with Stine's series in the past, or currently. M.T. Graves' somber personality, stuttering speech, and passion for black is interesting, yet his penchant for being alone makes the reader sympathize with him, and truly get a taste of the saying "beauty is only skin deep." As with previous BUNNICULA installments, Bunnicula is rarely featured within this tale, and, when he is, he is usually sleeping. However, readers will be delighted to have the opportunity to learn more about Pete and Toby Monroe, as well as some new human characters, from the school librarian, Ms. Pickles, to Pete's English teacher, and even the principal of Pete and Toby's school. Even with all of the human characters present throughout BUNNICULA MEETS EDGAR ALLAN CROW, the animals do not take a backseat in the storyline, and still dominate the mysterious tale, taking part in their usual activities: howling, bathing, eating chocolate, and, of course, sleuthing. While many series fall victim to the curse of bad sequels, Howe has managed to keep his BUNNICULA series soaring high, making each book better than the last. A sensational conclusion to a series with bite!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Its been twenty seven years since Bunnicula first hopped from the minds and pages of Deborah and James Howe's Bunnicula: A Rabbit- Tale of Mystery and into the popular lexicon. Merely mention the name Bunnicula to any thirty- something and you are bound to get a smile and a laugh as memories of Chester, Harold, Howie and the Bun of Darkness come flooding back. Finally, the rabbit with a V8 addiction is back; every bit as delightful as he was when he first appeared in 1979, and just in time for us to introduce him to our own children.

In the latest book, Pete Monroe has just won a writing contest, and his prize is his favorite author M.T. Graves, writer of the Fleshcrawler Series, coming to visit his school. M.T. Graves has some rather odd requests for his visit; he insists upon staying with the Monroe family, for one. Chester, the family cat, is suspicious of the writer's motives for the visit and, when he learns that something always happens to the pets in the Fleshcrawler books, he soon is seeing omens everywhere.

The voice of Harold, our faithful shaggy narrator, is just as humorous and engaging as he's always been while he guides us through the latest mystery under the Monroe's roof... what are the true motives of the mysterious horror writer M.T. Graves' visit to the Monroe household, and why his eerie fascination with Bunnicula? Why do bad things happen to the pets in his books? Could there be something unnatural afoot? Chester, the paranoid voice of supernatural conspiracy theories, seems to think so, and long- time fans of the Bunnicula series will delight in the feline's investigatory antics, and the inevitable chaos they cause. Howie, the wire- haired dachshund pup is also on- hand again to provide comic relief and to aid Chester in his investigations. All the characters still resonate as strongly on the pages as they did years ago, and, while the technology of the day has changed (as Chester utilizes computers in his evidence gathering) the spirit of the characters and the book remains the same; timeless. As Neil Gaiman says of Bunnicula, "Bunnicula is the kind of story that does not age, and in all probablility will never die. Or stay dead, anyway..."

Bunnicula himself remains as atonal in this book as he has in all those before it. The character of the rabbit himself still is only developed through the reactions of the other characters to him; we love Bunnicula through the eyes of Harold and his family. Bunnicula himself is still silent on all matters. He is the only main animal character that does not talk... or he was...

Meet Edgar Allan Crow, the seemingly eldrich companion of writer M.T. Graves. Chester believes him to be an ill omen, compounded by the large flock of crows that seems to take up residence on the Monroe property upon the arrival of the horror author. Chester waits on pins and needles for the crow to utter the word "Nevermore", at any moment, a' la Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven", yet the crow is strangely silent. It seems he has somehow lost his voice. Still, as the title sugests,there is good reason to suspect that this crow knows more than he is letting on...

The rich, accessable characters of the Bunniculaverse would be nothing without the humorous, suspenseful type of story we all have come to associate with the series, and fans will not be disappointed. The plot takes its twists and turns with the ease of a coaster on its tracks before arriving at its decidedly non- supernatural, yet eventful, conclusion. As with all the books, having read the prior stories is not a prerequisite to enjoy and become engrossed in Bunnicula's world, as any prior information needed to understand the tale is included neatly and with ease of narrative flow in this story. Any new reader to the Bunniculaverse will have no problem finding their way through the story, and will wish to explore the world more fully once finished~!

Only one question remains unanswered at the end of the book... will there be another? The book at the end references the Tales of the House of Bunnicula books; stories which are told by Howie instead of Harold and in which Bunnicula never appears. Without giving details away, the reader is left wondering not when but IF another Bunnicula book will ever grace our shelves. This reader remains hopeful that the Bunnicula series will continue for many more years.

Yeah, it's film centric but much of the information is great for digital too. If you are a wannabee, hobbiest nature photographer like myself, this is a great read.

All of John Shaw's books are great. There is some overlap between them as he goes over the basics but they are all worth a read for any aspiring nature photographer.

I learned a lot about exposure, composition, and lighting from this book, but it definitely is a "pre-digital era" publication, so if you're looking for anything specific to digital photography, better check elsewhere. Would seem to me that Mr. Shaw or a digital photographer could bring the equipment section (now titled "Equipment and Film") up to date by at least contrasting film and digital issues--here digital is not mentioned at all. The section on lenses, while very well written, loses pertinence since the majority of DSLR shooters are using cropped sensors. The reader is left to figure out the focal length equivalents to make sense of Mr. Shaw's sage advice.

Don't get me wrong, this man knows landscape photography, and the chapter entitled "The Landscape as Design" is like poetry: "First you must find a visually interesting subject. YOur goal is to present this subject to your audience in a pleasing composition..." He goes on and really hits the target in terms of what separates a good photograph from a great one.

This book is worth owning, I just wish it reflected more about how most people are shooting today, with digital technology!

This is a pretty good basic book with some great examples. I gave it only 4 stars because there are some other great books out there on Landscape Photography which I liked better than this one. John Shaw is a good author to explain the basics and sometimes you see him repeat what you read in the earlier chapters, for me I like it because it kind'a reminds you and you can remember it. This is important for the final shoot out day. ** Close-Ups in Nature ** is another great book from John Shaw and I love the theory and examples in this book.

This book influenced my outlook for the wide angle lenses, the use of Velvia, and polorizing filters. I now use all three liberally. Thanks John Shaw

This is very nice book with wonderful pictures and very practical advices.
I will recommend it to all semi-prof photographers and amateurs as well.

Robin Reardon has written an extraordinary second book. I read her first book, A Secret Edge, and found that one to be excellent. Thinking Straight is even better. The characters are so well-developed that they seem to spring from the page. The book contains humor, drama, and suspense enough to keep one reading on. Reardon spins her plot with the expertise of a well-established writer like Maugham or McMurtry. I had a hard time putting this book down. It is an excellent subject for any teen (or anyone for that matter) coming to terms with their faith in God and homosexuality. Reardon has certainly become one of the truly good writers of today. I can't wait for her next book.

Reardon is an excellent writer and shares the horrific story of the abuse of the medical and religious homophobia treatment centers

Taylor, the main character, is written with a sweet and endearing mix of naive and rebellious, and it is quick and enjoyable to read. The book only gains any depth when it concentrates on what Christian love should be, and how that should transcend any other part of being a Christian - trumping interpretations of scripture, conventional or outdated social rules, even trumping the idea of morality as a prescribed and unchanging system of human behavior. It offers up a mild sort of moral relativism, putting forward the idea that while the small number of edicts against homosexuality in the Bible were correct for the time due to the different social and cultural realities, that as the culture and societal norms change, so does what its moral. But, the book really only offers up just enough examination of moral complexity to cover inclusiveness for gay people, without really exploring what other moral implications this same relativity might have for other people and particularly what it might say about the viability of traditional Christianity in particular. Does Christ let us in on this changing and flexible nature of morality? If not, why not? It would seem to be a most important part of the religion then. The book directs us to a sort of covering mysticism that love, truly sought, would lead us naturally to uncovering how moral choices should pick and choose from scripture or convention. And I'm not saying this isn't a viable stance to take, but the book doesn't expand this theme even when it has the opportunity (for example, how does this apply to recreational drug users? are all recreational drug users addicts? is all such use immoral?). And because of that, the book (although endearing) finally becomes a bit more propaganda than literature. It walks a fine line by wanting to not offend too many of the default Christian moral assumptions, picking it's battle very carefully. And there's nothing wrong with that, except that if you examine it closely enough (and at least some teens questioning their religion along with their sexuality are capable of examining quite a bit), I think you see clearly a choiceful one-dimensionalness that's trying so hard not to offend that it looses its potential impact.

Robin Reardon has done a wonderful job presenting the story of Taylor a gay teenager whose parents send him to Straight to God to un-confuse his sexuality. The plot line is complex enough to keep your attention throughout, but with a theme that is unmistakable: the only thing wrong with being gay is how others perceive it. The characters are well developed and it was easy to put myself into their shoes. Like a good mystery (or real life), the characters motivations are unclear throughout.

The biggest takeaway for me was that one can have a healthy gay and Christian identity simultaneously. Reardon does a nice job interweaving scripture and progressive Christian thought while also presenting more traditional Christian views. While the protaganist, Taylor, definitely favored the progressive view, I felt Reardon fairly presented the qualms and quandries of traditional Christians.

This is one text that is not to be missed.

Taylor Adams is a gay high school junior, hopelessly in love with his classmate, Will, who feels the same way about him. When a first love seems to be working out so well, it's hard to imagine anything can go wrong, which is likely why Taylor didn't think through his response to his parents, who wondered why he wasn't intersted in continuing to see a girl from their church whom they had set up on a date. Their knee-jerk reaction to his coming out resulted in Taylor being sent away for six weeks of "rehabilitation" at Straight To God, a church-sponsored residential center for "confused" teens and young adults.

Based on his first few days aty Straight To God, Taylor felt his worst fears about the place were true. His roommate, Charles, seemed to be an inflexible, nosey snitch, some of his fellow residents were sullen robots or vindictive bible-thumpers, his caseworker was a stern lady who seemed eager to trip him up to prolong his "sentence," and the chaplain was just plain creepy. But Taylor warmed up to some of the other teens over the next few days, and found a helpful group of like-minded friends who helped each other make it bearable. When he became aware of some relationships that were not at first obvious, and the reasons why some of the older residents voluntarily came back multiple times, the center took on a new interest for Taylor, feeling a responsibility to some of the friends he had made while there.

In this compelling and rather ambitious followup to "A Secret Edge" (which also dealt with a gay teen's first love), Reardon tries to be fair to both the traditional Christian view on homosexuality, and the more liberal (and generally accepted) interpretations of scripture that support the fact that Jesus actually considered homosexuality a non-issue. That transition happens to both the staff and many members of Straight To God during the 300+ pages of the book, making for rather interesting reading, a good lesson for others wanting to be so enlightened, but perhaps more than a bit implausible and contrived to GLBT teens and adults who were past that point. I give it four stars out of five.

I am very glad to have purchased this book. It's clear, easy to get into and it's good to have a book like this around, especially if your cat is a good, good friend and you want to do the best by your cat.

Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats : Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nations Top Holistic Veterinarians
This is an excellent book...very informative...easily read...easily understood by the layman...would be an excellent book for veterinarians, who are not knowledgable about natural remedies, to have on hand when they are treating animals with infections that will not respond to antibiotics

This book is a valuable resource filled with alternatives to conventional treatment for your cat(s). I found this book to be very well written, informative and honestly presented. If you are looking for natural alternatives and real answers to your cat's care and longevity...you have come to the right place.

My vet recommended this book to me to help aid the diet of my adopted old diabetic/kidney diseased cat. It's an eye opener... some of the information about pet food is shocking! This book has been so helpful laying out your basic health care, lists healthy food recommendations, food recipies. and great holitistic help with ailments. My youngsters are getting a much healthier start with me just being better informed. Highly recommended!

I own many natural/alternative healing books for cats, and this is the ONLY one that has post-its sticking out everywhere that I've saved reference points to return to. Also, after cross-referencing with other books, it is almost always this book whose advice I follow with 99% success. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for anyone's pet library.

This book has some pretty great pictures! Definitely a great gift for any horse lover that dreams of having their own barn.

I live, breathe horses. Ever since the age of 2, when I rode my first horse I have been as they say "horse crazy". I ride horses alot for 4-H and for my school's Equestrian Team and when I saw this book in my Horse Illistrated Magazine and instintly wanted to get it. I looked online for it and found it on its original website, but I didn't want to pay the full price. I searched around an found the best deal here on Amazon.com I read the book cover to cover and still constintally (sp?) look at it. Its a dream of mine to open my own horse barn someday and this book has been a real instiration and a enjoyable book for me!

This pictorial gem makes a great gift for the horse-lover in your life. The photographs are absolutely breathtaking.

As a lover of horses and pictoral books on design, I have been looking for this type of book on horse barns for quite some time. This book contains a well thought out range of historic and new equine related buildings that have been beautifully photographed. The descriptive passages relating to each property give a very personal and charming look at the development, building process and use of the buildings. My interest in the book was primarily in the photographs which are not over powered by the text. I have purchased a number of other books on the subject but they do not compare to the quality of this publication. For horse lovers, would be barn builders and lovers of unique architecture, I highly recommend "Ultimate Horse Barns".

And I thought that people spent a lot of money on houses. Then again, with horses of the caliber being housed here, I suppose the cost of the Ultimate Horse Barns being shown here isn't significant after all. You could build nearly any of them for say $4 to $5 million. Needless to say these are not little sheds just to keep the horse out of the rain.

The buildings included here range from new construction to buildings that are well over a hundred years old. Many of these buildings are part of institutions such as the University of Vermont, the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto. Some belonged to the rich and famous, such as Vanderbilt. Some are working horse farms, but with a specialty in breeding or training high end horses.

Note though that these are working barns. There are horses here, horses being groomes, trained, or like 'Bailey' on page 125 looking out of his stall as if to say, 'OK, it's morning, where's my breakfast.'

GREAT BOOK, I LOVE IT AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY LOVE IT ALSO. THANK YOU

I was pleased with the timely delivery of this fabulous book. Our family has enjoyed so much of bird noises already. These books (we have the Bird Songs of America) are always put together so well.

I was very disappointed in this book it wasn't at all like I was lead to believe, I live in france and expected to see and hear more common european birds, really it was a total waste of money.

I was very disappointed in this book it wasn't at all like I was lead to believe, I live in a public restroom in Svalbard and expected to see and hear more birds common to Svalbardean public toilets, really it was a total waste of money.

I purchased this book for my mother, who loves birds. It is large and heavy. The audio has a good sound, and the controls let you jump from page to page.
One thing to know is that although each bird has multiple calls, this book only gives you one, supposedly the most common.

Not sure if it worked in 10 minutes but did have some ideas to try. Wouldnt be the first book I would buy on training but worth a shot if other ideas fail.

I like this book for it's teaching methods concerning positive techniques, for example, teaching a cat to do tricks. It has good step by step instructions for novice cat trainers to use. But the book falls far short in the section called "Correcting Improper Behavior." The author almost seems to assume that you'll be present, for example, every time kitty jumps on the counter, & that's just not going to be the case for most people, especially working people. The author suggests correcting improper behaviors by hissing at your cat while using a water pistol. I've tried it, & it doesn't work. Part of the problem is that when you see your cat doing something undesirable, you have to go & get the water pistol. By that time, the cat's finished with the behavior & it's too late to follow the procedure. I don't tend to walk around the house with a water pistol in my hand or pocket all day long, & many times, kitty silently surprises me with what he's doing. Another option is to keep a water pistol in every room, also not practical! In addition, many people want to buy a book such as this one to halt improper behaviors, & there are very few such behaviors covered in this book. So for the positive approaches, it's a good book, but it's not sufficient for dealing with improper behaviors.

I purchased this book and another entitled "Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats". The latter is absolutely useless! It is filled with antedotes and very little to almost no instruction. What a waste. "10 mintues" is the only book you need to clicker train your feline. My very energetic kitten has responded almost instantly to clicker training. It gives her something to do and think about, as well as use all the excess energy! After three 10 minute sessions my kitten targets, comes, sits, and twirls, as well as taking treats from my hand politely. What more can I say? Buy this book!

Don't know what else to do with your cat besides petting and playing a game catch the string or ball? Have fun, train your cat.

I just got this book and already my cat and I have spent time doing the beginning tricks and she's loving it! She bit my finger though trying to get the treat, so I suggest you follow the book and make yourself a training spoon. As for getting a 'clicker' I haven't found a good reason to use it. (After trying the 'come here' command successfully several times without the clicker, I tried it with the clicker and the sound scared my cat--maybe we'll work on it...)

Good info in this book--it would be nice if they can make a cat training DVD. It's nice to see it working.

I'm a HUGE fan of this book. It has straightforward, easy-to-follow instructions with clear illustrations, and it really works! I'm working my way up to the bigger things (like walking on a leash), but so far, with only 5-10 minutes of "training" a day, my cat has quickly picked up both the "come" and the "sit" commands. This book suggests particular hand signals to pair with the voice commands (which the pictures clarify) and they REALLY seem to make a difference. My kitty even responds to the hand signals alone now, which is great. But to pick up these behaviors in a day or two is truly impressive! I can't get over how fast he's learning all these things, and all credit goes to the book. It's a great resource for training your cat, and I highly recommend it to everyone.

This book is an excellent resource for the new OTTB horse owner, or even an experienced horse owner with their first OTTB. Anna Ford does an excellent job at describing the life of the OTTB at the track and gives step by step information on how to help the OTTB transition to a new career. It made the transition for my new OTTB mare smoother,and she is turning into a nice riding horse.

By far, the most comprehensive resource for re-training the retired racehorse. The first book I've read that explains the thoroughbred's life at the racetrack, common injuries, conformation traits, and a detailed schedule for successfully transitioning the retired thoroughbred into companion and show horse. Wonderful interviews with top US riders and beautiful photos. A must read for anyone with a retired thoroughbred or looking to buy one.

If you are contemplating adopting or purchasing a race horse, this is the book for you. It covers every topic of transitioning a race horse into a dependable riding partner. It's a step by step training manual that will ease the process for you and your horse. Off the track horses are wonderful mounts; you just need to know how to treat them. This book explains it all. It is written by the expert in the field. Pick it up today!

Anyone who owns, rides, trains, vets, plans to own, or shoes an off-track thoroughbred (OTTB) simply must read and own this book. It is potentially the best thing that has ever happened to the retired race horse in the U.S. and Canada.

Here we get all the information that we so much need: What's different about the OTTB's training needs? What has the horse experienced in the past, from weaning to racing? How do this horse's metabolism, temperament, physiology, emotional psychology, and work ethic differ from those of the non-race breeds? How can we help an OTTB transition into new careers? What feed and turnout routine is optimal, and what are the tolerances for variation? Which types of conformation in OTTB's lend themselves to which riding disciplines?

I so wish I'd had access to this book when I purchased my OTTB 8 years ago. It would have saved us both many hours of mutual confusion and fright. Every single sentence of this book rings true to my own experience and all the best literature I've read on the subject of retraining a retired race horse. They are different! Emotionally sensitive, eager to please, often having been deprived of true herd membership by their previous lifestyles, the OTTB's are a conundrum to many ordinary training regimens including natural horsemanship techniques.

This book lays out the entire life of the average TB racehorse, from birth to retirement to rehab to new beginnings. Written by a racehorse trainer who is the daughter of a racehorse trainer, it is not critical of the racing industry but it is knowledgeable of the special needs these horses develop. A true love of the OTTB informs every page, and author Anna Morgan Ford now operates a retraining facility called New Vocations, so she knows both sides of the racehorse's life, from track training to second career choice. You will find answers to every important question here, and references to further reading and resources are generally provided.

The photos are gorgeous and you'll get to see OTTB's in all kinds of activities from dressage, eventing, and show-jumping to pole-bending and cutting. I got teary-eyed many times at the actually inspirational content: yes, the OTTB does every post-racing equine job imaginable, and yes, these wonderful horses will make willing partners in whatever job you give them, if you approach them with sensitivity and engage their willing and enormous hearts.

I'm so happy this book appeared. I really believe that the OTTB is going to benefit from it: more knowledge, more good sense, more successful adoptions and purchases, more great training and health advice, equals a lot of horses saved from slaughter and a lot of joy. If you have ever dreamed of owning a retired race-horse, this is the one book you must read: your lovely future horse will thank you many times with his whole great big heart and soul.

How would you feel if you were perfectly happy with your two Labrador retrievers, and a new chaotic dog comes crashing into your ideal life? This is what happened to Jon Katz. He lives in England, and this book takes place in modern times.

Jon lives with his wife and his two dogs, Stanley and Julius. His standard of living revolved around taking care of his dogs, and doing what he loves: writing. He was more than happy with his way of living. When Deanne--a dog breeder--informs him of a two-year old border collie that needed help, Jon's love for dogs got the best of him and he introduced Devon to the family. Jon was struck by the difference in the breeds. Devon was hyper, had anxiety attacks, required three times the exercise that his two other dogs obtained, and didn't trust Jon at all. But this only motivated Jon more. He was determined to get Devon to trust him even if it drove him mad.

When Jon achieved his goal for Devon, Deanne called him and asked if he wanted a puppy. If he adopted Homer, the new puppy, that would be adopting 2 dogs in a period of 12 months. Was that too much for the dogs to handle? But the second his eyes saw the picture of the puppy, he couldn't pass the offer. He was concerned about how Stanley and Julius would accept another dog into their already shaken life, but he was more nervous about Devon. Would Devon be threatened by this new dog that endangered his position?

When Homer came, he was the exact opposite of Devon. He was cute, sweet, and had a charm on everyone--dogs and humans. Everyone but Devon. Devon took time to get used to the new life, but when Stanley and Julius passed because of old age, he had yet another adjustment to make. The rest of the biography shows how Devon and Homer form a new relationship without Stanley and Julius.

The pacing of this book was moderate. I think it was written in a Christian perspective, and the title explained how Jon had gone from two to four dogs in a year. The theme is about perseverance. Jon used Devon's bad actions as a stimulation to train him, and even when he was frustrated, he never gave up. He always had a good attitude considering his circumstances. Jon Katz's writing is very natural, and flows very easily. He has advanced vocabulary and interprets his dogs' feelings well considering that they couldn't talk to him. The mood changed from time to time. He was easily frustrated by the sacrifices of comfort he had to give up for his two new dogs. In time, though, he learned to love the new lifestyle. I thought parts of this book were funny with dog humor. I would recommend this book to people who have dogs, because they definitely would understand the humor and aggravation of having a dog more easily than those who don't.

follow up to Bedlam Farms - never would have bought any of his books if had known what he would do to border collie in last book - a real jackass - hope no one buys anymore of his books - he might have to get a real job

I thoroughly enjoyed A Dog Year. I identified with the author, Jon Katz, a middle-aged person with grown children and his wisdom and words changed my life. I started pursuing hobbies and things that I never would have thought I could or would ever do. This tender story of the man-dog relationship touched my heart.

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me is a must read. This book introduced me to Mr. Katz's writing. He has become my favorite author and I am now on his 3rd book that is also about dogs. His understanding and discovery of dogs are so true and pure and most dog owners would probably be able to relate and smile and cry as they read his story. I absolutely love this book.

This is a wonderful book. It's hysterical at times and moving at times. This is the first Jon KAtz book I had the pleasure of reading and I have now read most of them. As the parent of a Border Collie let me tell you he hits the nail on the head. Mine are not as amusing, however they are just as smart. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are thinking of getting a Border Collie for yourself, it may make yout think twice. They are wonderful dogs, but you should be aware of what you may be getting yourself into. Jon Katz has a writing style that will draw you in and you won't be able to put this book down or wait to go get your next one.