Pet Books

All I can say is Spirit Horse's is just Breathtaking. A beautiful book,I would recommed it for any horse lover.

This is one of the most beautiful books that I have seen of horses. Very well done. If you know somebody that loves horses, this is the book to buy.

The best art photography I've seen.. A must for horse lovers.

The photo book Spirit Horses is an must for every horse lover. The photo's are incredible and create or catch a mistical atmosphere as I have seldom seen. The captions are inspiring. Not a book to read but one to pick up once a week for half an hour meditation. Highly recommended

Misleading - Linda Kohanov only wrote the Intro.
Repetitive photographs and sparse text.

This is a great little book for what it is - an overview of things you can do. It's not in depth and can't be, really. There's entire books devoted to the homestead cow, goat, sheep, poultry etc. Still it's a great overview to get one thinking about how much they can do without a large farm if you manage well. Prices are obviously dated but there's some good diagrams for a raised turkey pen, pigeon loft and 16X20 barn that's worth the cost of the book. There's some discussion of why they did this and they write as absolute urbanized people who moved to the rural area long before the "back to the land" movement. The idea of mowing 3-4-5 acres of land was not even there - *use* it! The putting an orchard and integrating bees and a garden is almost early edible landscaping. It's a great book to sit down with a notebook and look at your land and what you can do with it. It's an idea starter and a basics of information to allow "that sounds great let's find out more" or "I don't think I'd like this one".

Dated, But what isn't? Well worth the price

OK, there is some good information in this book. For example, I never heard of a septic tank having a siphon discharge system. But this book touches on it briefly, in one diagram and a sidebar, and goes on. I will have to research to see what are the disadvantages of a siphon discharge system and why they are not more widely used.

This seems to happen over and over again, this is more an outline or a checklist for further research than a comprehensive how-to book on getting back to the land. It is easy and enjoyable to read, the tone is light and conversational, the two authors have dinstince editorial voices, the layout is more magazine-like than a book (you decide if that's a plus or a minus). The postwar lingo and drawings, and the Leave It To Beaver assumptions of what family life should be, have not aged well.

This is a facinating period piece, but if you are really contemplating a rural lifestyle (and for some reason I am) Five Acres and Independence gives you a lot more information at a better price. The Have-More Plan covers the subject broadly but not deeply, and I feel that I've paid ($)for a comic book or an outline of talking points to convince The Little Woman that this is a good idea.

(For the record, there is no Little Woman in my life.)

This is the little book that started an entire revolution of "back to the land." It is amazing and thoroughly covers all that is needed to become self-sufficient.

Yes, its out-dated. There is nothing about email. But it concisely covers the entire subject and forms an excellent foundation for anyone wanting to go towards simplicity.

The Have More Plan is more of a long pamphlet than a book. Chatty prose and descriptions of the authors' life on their homestead. An excellent discussion and plan for a real WORKING kitchen. Nearly all of the information is sadly dated, but it does give an interesting look into the lives of early back to the land pioneers--without the political posturing that the Nearings (Helen and Scott) seem to be unable to avoid. Add it to your library of small farming books, but you may find the actual USEABLE information to be thin.

In this book Henry and his big dog, Mudge, enjoy the escapades of fall. They shake together as Henry's mom tells scary Halloween stories and together they endure the Thanksgiving visit from Aunt Sally. These books are a favorite for my reluctant reader. The love between Henry and his dog Mudge is heart-warming.

Anja Beran has created a beautiful and comprehensive Classical Schooling Book. Refreshing, professional and with the horses wellbeing in mind. The book reflects her quiet, systematic, consistent and truly classical approach to riding. Her Piaffe shows her refined Portuguese background just as well in the beautiful photos as in real life. A true joy and a must for any rider!

Love this book! This book clearly shows how how Dressage SHOULD be ridden. This book along with Anja's video "Elegant Dressage Training" show how a correctly trained horse should look. I have become a great fan of Anja and keep her beautiful images of the horse and rider in mind when training my own. She is a great inspiration to me!

A "how-to" book on classical training of the horse and rider.
This is the most amazing book on classical training/riding and the result of the author's 19 years of experience. Ms Beran first trained with the French Ecuyer Marc de Broissia for 16 years and was a friend of Manuel de Oliveira for over 19 years. This book motivates you to look for the mistakes within yourself - to be hard with yourself and gentle with your horse. This book is intended to open your eyes and help you to find the truth and your ability of being able to feel perfect harmony between rider and horse in all movements. Classical equestrianism is also summed up as "the ability to train horses in such a way that they follow the rider's will with contentment and self-confidence" also "the ability to train the horse according to its individual physical and mental potential". The illustrations are superb and an absolute must-have book for those interested in classical riding and training. The anatomy section helps the reader/trainer understand the how and why of what happens during the horse's movements. Absolutely stunning.Classical Schooling with the Horse in Mind: Gentle Gymnastic Training Techniques

First read Dr. Heuschmann's "Tug of War" and then Ms. Beran's "Classical Schooling". Then think. Then get on your horse. Please: in that order.

I was so disappointed in this book that I returned it, which I have never done before. The philosophy of humane treatment of the dressage horse is great, and the anatomical analysis is good, but I really wanted training techniques and there was little of that in my opinion in this book. I bought Dr. Gerd Heuschmann's "Tug Of War: Classical Versus 'Modern' Dressage" and that is great -- has the philosophy and the anatomy that I need to take good care of and strengthen and improve my horse in training, and it was less expensive. I still need to find a good training manual.

I like the way it is written and the pictures to show what the author is talking about.

Is helping both my dog and I as we start down the Agility Road.

If you're interested in competing, this is a very good book to get started with and to use in conjunction with agility classes. If, like me, you just want to know more about the sport and maybe do a bit of backyard agility with your dog for fun and to give her an occupation other than chewing everything in sight, then it's really too advanced!

It gives good instruction for teaching a dog the begining of Dog agility. It makes anyone feel as though you can understand and perform any of the tasks written and described. It also teaches all of the basics of the sport. Very informative.

I read this book a few times, and liked it. It has lots of pictures and does a good job explaining the obstacles. My dog appreciated to book too. She enjoyed learning the tricks and the time we spent together while we were training.

I bought this book a 1 1/2 years ago because it was recommended by a local trainer and handler. It sat through my first little class of agility at the local Humane society. But, my dog loved Agility so much, I found a need to look further. What a great book for someone with little time to spend reading and a great deal of learning to be done with an active dog. It has helpful tip boxes. So, if like me, you don't read it by the chapter, but by need you get to what you are looking for fast. Clear easy language. The Contents pages are listed under concise titles and appendixes are straight forward and helpful. The equipment list for simple backyard stuff... I can actually build. The useful info on various National club's focus and their differences; and where to get more info... great stuff. Why write a review now... well, I am buying another book for a friend who is getting into agility and buying the next book too for me. And it's on sale...a bargain especially if you think how little time the class instructor has to instruct you on handling your dog.

If more people took the time to educate themselves about horses and horsemanship in general and Xenophone's book in particular, perhaps we not see so many "show horses" of various popular breeds so physically manipulated by in breeding for only one or two specific traits rather than breeding for the whole horse. What was true in Ancient Greece is truer still today - without good feet, balance in the body and common sense a horse is worthless. Bravo to Amazon for bringing us this excellent book dirt cheap!

The material in this book is thousands of years old but amazing in how modern the approach is to horsemanship. Most of Xenophon's advice is timely even today. It shows how little has changed over the centuries.

This is a must if you are passionate about horses. It is so clear and to the essential point that it is a pleasure to read.

Xenophon covers several aspects of horsemanship, from grooming, leading, and choosing a horse, to mounting, riding, and training a war mount. Very, very interesting to see what is still applicable today. While this isn't a "training" or even a "horse care book," its a great historical reference from those interested in how horses we cared for and trained 2000 years ago. However, for those looking for a story or a book to teach riding skills, I suggest you look elsewhere. Those interested in dressage will find this worth-while, as it is considered the oldest text on the subject.

Xenophon's philosophy and many techniques, though tailored for the development of a war-horse, demonstrate the ageless capacity for human empathy toward the horse. The horse centered work makes the goal of a harmonious partnership attainable. The book interweaves aspects of barn management, riding technique, and early human psychological insights. The translation keeps this work relevant and vibrant. The overriding theme is one of responsibility for the education and wellbeing of the horse. It is, if nothing else, a comfort to read that some horses in the ancient world were treated humanely in the training process...even if under the unfortunate auspices of a warrior culture. Kurt Hartle, Reydon,Suffolk. UK

My children are very excited about this book. It is full of wonderful illustrations and information about different climates/regions (desert, jungle, mountains, etc...). In each region it also explores various related topics such as walking through the jungle, volcanoes, avalanches, conquering Everest, the death of rainforests (these are headings in the book). I would highly recommend this. It seemed a bit small in size when I received it, but upon opening it and sharing with my children I can see it was worth the money. We are using it for homeschooling.

I bought this book before we brought our new puppy home. It was great for my 12-year-old son, who has helped train two other dogs and wants to be more involved with this one. The program is fairly regimented, so if you are more go-with-the-flow and less step-by-step, you might end up feeling as if you are not 'on track'. She does have a lot of tricks to help puppies learn but does not provide alternatives if her favorite trick does not work. The best thing about the book is it shows you how capable a puppy can be at a very early age. The worst thing about it is that it doesn't give you much insight into how your dog is developing and how to know, besides sometimes frustrating trial and error, if it is ready for a particular skill.

We recently adopted a mini schnauzer so wanted to raise him the best we could. This is basically a step by step training process with the help of this book.

the whole family is reading this book chapter by chapter in order to train our new puppy. The book is easy to read and understand. More importantly it makes sense. A solid read for beginners.

Charlotte Schwartz still believes that if you let a dog go out the door before you, eat before you or allowed up on the furniture, muchless sleep with you that it will take over ruling the household.

Dogs totally understand who controls the food - the ones with the opposable thumbs. If you ask for a few simple things like a sit before being fed who cares who ate before whom? You give up many of the pleasures there are in enjoying the companionship of your puppy/dog if you follow Charlotte's advice to not allow them up on the furniture or up on your bed.

There are better puppy training books out there like Pat Miller's books - The Power of Positive Dog Training and Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog. Much better training books for your dollars to spend on!

Out of all the puppy training books that I have read, this one has advice that I will use and keep handy to continue using. I have lived with dogs my whole life and training is not a new idea to me. This book however is easy to digest, read, and follow! I have had my new puppy for two days..so wish me the best of luck!!

An internet search of images turned up several VERY intriguing still-lifes full of bright color swatches, lacy textures, and over-lapping objects in a style like absolutely no other artist on earth. Dang! Who's work IS this? Hmmmm! Shirley Trevena. Dig deeper and a plethora of utterly brilliant images, each one as exciting as the last - and I'm thinking, "I have GOT to learn more about this woman! Bought both of her books AND her DVD, and if she ever puts out anything else, I'll get that, too. Most artists are creative, but in usually in a rather traditional, safe sense. Not Trevena. Her work reflects both her knowledge of color and how it's supposed to work, of composition, shapes, lines --- all the elements of the accomplished artist, and then she breaks all the rules and STILL makes it work! Perhaps she has some intuitive, mystical sense about color choice, about playing pale colors against daring and dark hues, and expecially about composition. I don't know. But, if I could collect only one artist's work, I would fill my house with Trevena's. Taking risks, being outside-of-the-box creative is exactly what she has done - inspiring you to do the same. I have well over 100 art books now. Hers are my absolute favorites - the ones from which I've learned the most about taking risks, and feeling giddy with excitement when I'm able to take risks with my own paintings.

I love this book and have read it from cover to cover. Shirley Trevena's paintings are thrilling to look at, the text is very readible and the layout keeps you turning the pages. I have been painting watercolours of flowers and still life for many years but Shirley Trevena shows me new ways to forge ahead, and fun ways to overcome some of the obstacles I have been facing in my work. Congratulations also to Albert Jackson and the other photographers for a truly excellent book. I look forward to the other book by Trevena.

Although the title of the book refers to watercolour painting only, artists using other mediums will get inspiration as well.

Shirley Travena dives into the medium with enthusiasm (no tepid, sepia palette here!) incorporating watercolour with mixed media (including of all things, oil pastels and collage) using imagination, flair and ingenuity. The illustrations are vibrant; a feast for the eyes. While tonal values, composition, alignment and other basics are covered, they are presented in an innovative way. No boring lectures here.

The author shows a delightful candour - admitting how hesitant she was when first starting - and even daring to show some of her early works, on which she has since improved. But then she provides creative ways of overcoming problems, including the initial, daunting feeling of confronting a blank piece of paper or canvas. In addition to trouble-shooting, there are numerous ideas for achieving great effects with very simple techniques. Her use of masking tape to create different planes, for example, is very creative.

This is an experienced artist who nevertheless insists there is no 'right' way to create pictures, which is borne out by such headings as "Daring combinations" and "If a picture needs something, feel free to invent it." Whatever medium or style you use, doing some of the experiments and explorations in this book could well give a new lease of life to your paintings, as well as provide inspiration for new works of art.

This is a book for the daring... it goes beyond the typical information found in the average watercolor instruction book. Many, many good suggestions and ideas can be found.

This is a wonderful book for any artist wanting to expand their horizons in w/c. The author is generous in giving concrete examples and techniques and also gives a step by step explanation as to how she created one of her paintings. As an art teacher I find this an exceptionally good book.

it is a shame for him to start out with a good dog and a good book and then turn himself into real jackass -- he should have stuck with his labs - they are suited more to him - fat and lazy - hope no one buys anymore of his books - and maybe he will have to get a real job instead of making money off of a dog he killed!!!!!

This is one of the best books about dogs I have read. Jon Katz has a way of writing that makes you feel the laughter and the pain. There are times when reading this book that you will literally be laughing out loud. HE is a very descriptive writer. I would (and have) recommend this book to friends. It is a must read for not just dog lovers but anyone who just needs a good book.

I found this book to be a fun, enjoyable, quick read. If you love animals, you will love this book. It has dogs, sheep, a ram and donkeys. The best part of this book is the parts that deal with the dogs. I recommend it.

--Gerard Zemek, husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

The reviewer comments on the back cover of this book say "An inspiring portrait of the human-animal bond...". "Funny, touching, and insightful...". "Rewarding memoir...". I might have said as much about other books on humans and animals, but not this one.

Jon Katz tells us straight out that his goal in taking on the care of three border collies, a herd of sheep, and two donkeys is to better himself, to "become a better human being". It's an admirable goal - but at what sacrifice? When does it seem a good idea to experiment on animals for your own so-called personal growth? What kind of growth is that really?

Obviously I am in a different camp from Katz. Long ago I concluded that there is no animal on this earth who is safe from humans. I also concluded that human destruction of much of the natural world means that some animals, including cats and dogs, no longer have a natural habitat, that in fact their natural habitat now is with us, in our homes. A corollary: it is our responsibility to care for homeless dogs and cats humanely (which does not mean killing them); we created this situation and we are responsible for them. I offer this paragraph as a disclosure that explains part of the reason I take issue with the way Katz approaches the animals he takes on.

Katz sells his mountain hideaway (the subject of previous books) and purchases a run-down farm in upper New York state. He brings his three dogs there and accepts delivery of 15 sheep and the first donkey. Later he travels to the farm of a self-described "donkey lady" and purchases another, younger donkey as companion for the first. He works with his dogs, trying to train them to herd the sheep, and he spends much of each day cleaning, repairing, doing the chores associated with this life. He also spends part of his day writing about it and appears to spend nearly 100% of his waking hours trying to figure it all out. By which I mean he sorts through his relationship with the different animals and comes to conclusions about himself, those animals, and other people and their animals. Forcing himself to be responsible for all of these animals is supposed to make him a better person.

What others have characterized as "introspection" I see as justification. Katz spends endless paragraphs justifying actions that he suspects others may see as wrong somehow. He tells us honestly what trainers have told him (that, for example, he needs to stop yelling at his dogs) and that he bemoans his failures as a human being, and then he obstinately reverts to pattern (keeps yelling at his dogs). It is as if he wants to become a better person but retain all of his prejudices and habits in the process.

Again and again he describes occasions when he has gone against the advice of people he trusts, only to find out that their advice was good. A trusted trainer said don't bring another puppy into the mix until you have resolved the issues with Homer. Katz wants a new puppy so he gets it anyway, only to find out after much work with all of the dogs that perhaps that wasn't such a swell idea. I can't help but conclude that he is going after what Jon wants rather than what the dogs want or need.

When Katz wants a new dog he heads for the breeder. He chooses a breed and a specific puppy for its characteristics. He wants a border collie to herd sheep. He wants a labrador for companionship. He snipes at those who frown on obtaining dogs from breeders with this argument: some people adopt babies but most of us want one of our own. Is that a fair comparison, though? The comparison fails on more than one level:

*When Katz goes to a breeder it's like he's going to an adoption agency, not "having his own". He also deludes himself by assuming he can specify exactly the dog he wants. Even when you choose a puppy of a breed that tends to have certain characteristics, there is no guarantee that the puppy will grow up to be the dog you expect. Katz's own experiences with different border collies are testament to this variability in dogs. All dogs. (not to mention all people)

*Even the best breeders produce dogs that are "not acceptable": dogs they can't sell. These dogs are a result of the breeding process. Even the champion dogs tend to have physical or mental issues that are genetic, a result of the breeding process. The best breeders will claim that they find homes for all of their dogs, whether or not they are "perfect". But every time a breeder's dog goes out the door the people who take that dog do not instead take another dog that needs a home. Thus breeders contribute to pet overpopulation and contribute as well to the population of genetic misfits.

*Approximately 40% of the dogs in shelters are purebred dogs. Many breeder dogs do not come to good ends.

*Katz ignores statistics because he wants his own chosen dogs, not some "rescue", even though he has rescued dogs in the past, from inappropriate homes. Therefore he justifies his decision.

When Katz takes out his rifle and shoots a feral cat it is at the end of many paragraphs explaining he never thought he'd ever shoot anything and his dogs were being attacked and he did not have a choice. Actually, he did have a choice, but it would have taken more work of the kind he chooses not to do. It would also have labeled him some kind of bleeding heart there in the country, and we can't have that. He desperately wants (maybe needs) approval from the old-time "real" farmers and ranchers. Katz is no lazy person. He simply makes his choices for his own comfort and supposed better-personhood rather than for animals.

Katz does come to the conclusion that he cannot provide the kind of home needed by his sweet Homer. After agonizing and justifying this decision - a justification not needed, believe me - he places Homer with a family that can give him what he needs. In this Katz has done the right thing. He wears the hair shirt, however, over and over expressing distress that it was his own bad training practices that complicated life for Homer and made it necessary for him to go to another home. Enough already. He protests too much.

I have come to the odd conclusion that perhaps Katz is not the dog person he says he is.

He would say he's not a "Dog Person" too, but his definition of "Dog Person" is not what I mean. He describes his sister and others he has met as dog persons, and what he means is people who actively rescue "unadoptable" dogs, who care for them with every last scrap of their incomes, who let them overrun their lives in every respect, shutting out people - except other "Dog People" who meet the same definition. This type dog person is a small subset of the whole, the dog people I know personally.

Katz is not afraid to reveal what he sees are the problems in his own personality: a lack of patience, a tendency toward anger, especially quick anger. He refers frequently to a childhood of chaos where he learned these ways of keeping other people at bay. He obviously truly wants to find and keep a genuine long-lasting closeness to those who matter to him, and does not want to continue to alienate friends and family with his bursts of anger or silence.

He finds his salvation in the animals. Through them he learns patience especially. Through them he harnesses his will toward the care of others. Through them he finds a connection to his sister that had been lost. Clearly this is the message of the book. Animal people will all tell you that animals change you, make you better than you were. I have no argument with that. What concerned me throughout this book was the total me-ness of it. It was always about Katz and what he wanted and needed from the animals. Even though he went on various trips to find out what the animals needed, the need of the donkey to find her "inner donkeyness", for example, ultimately he did these things because they would make him a better person. There is something backwards about this approach that simply bothered me the whole time I read this book.

At the end of the book Katz is laying in supplies and readying the farm for another winter. We are expected to believe that he has found his place at last. I for one doubt it. It was good enough for one book but the adventure will not be enough for many more.

I'm disappointed in this book, after having wanted to read it for a long time. It is the first of the author's books I have read. It's fairly interesting, but not anywhere close to a great book.

I had assumed that this is a book by a shepherd about his sheep and his working border collies. Instead, it's about a man who has animals for a hobby (apparently mostly as research for writing books, actually). He comes across as very narcissistic: leaving his family, expecting working farmers to help him at a moment's notice, working a farm that he doesn't need with dogs that aren't well trained, as a short-term experiment.

His understanding of herding dogs seems slim. Now, I have a collie and not a border collie, but I'm dismayed to see him present herding as bloodlust, as a dog's desire for tasty prey that is kept in check by its owner. Good herding dogs, from everything else I've read and seen, protect the sheep and don't drool over them. Herding dogs really aren't hunting dogs; the instincts are very different.

I can't figure out how this book made it to best-seller lists. There are MANY better dog books out there.