Pet Books

Three cheers for Hondo and Fabian! My daughter loves these books! This one is similar to the first which is a favorite. The story is simple for young children and they love the pictures.

Perfect books for toddlers. My 18 month old daughter loves this book and the original Hondo and Fabian. Simple story but not silly and based on things they know - cat, dog, car, cracker, baby, highchair, food etc. She can understand the books and sits quietly and attentively while I read it to her. The same can not be said of other books....

This is my first experience with the wonderful characters, Hondo and Fabian. This dynamic duo are their adventures are charming. The illustrations are some of the most beautiful I've seen. I can't wait to explore other books by McCarty.

Peter McCarty's FABIAN ESCAPES tells of Fabian the cat, who escapes out the window to leave his friend Hondo at home for the day. Who will have more fun? A series of mis-adventures keeps the two friends nearly equal in their day's excitement in this easy, gentle reader.

As a children's librarian, I advise my little ones to examine a book when they first get it. Look at the cover. Look at the color and prints of the endpages. Look at the title page. As a rarity and for this particular book, remove the dust jacket to examine the front board (top outside covering). There is a story already going on before they turn to page one.

Dust jacket: Hondo rests his head on the windowsill as he looks out the window; Fabian is grinning because he is outside! The title: Fabian escapes! Endpages: Fabian and Hondo are each galloping across the pages. Title page: Fabian is jumping out the window. Cover of book: Fabian is jumping over a fence, obviously back into the yard! Page one: Fabian in the window, Hondo on the floor, awaking from naps.

Wait! This page is deja vu! This is how Hondo and Fabian begin the first of Peter McCarty's books about these adorable friends. In the first book Hondo goes on an adventure to the beach; Fabian stays home with the BABY. It just had to be, it was just inevitable, it was only fair that McCarty create an adventure for Fabian. Thus, book two.

Fabian is in the window, Hondo on the floor. Their people take Hondo for a walk. As Hondo re-enters the house, Fabian slips out as only cats with their invisibility factor can do. He eats flowers and meets up with "the neighbors," three inquisitive dogs. The two stories continue parallel actions also used in the first book. In this one Hondo walks to the butter and eats it, he meets up with the BABY who makes him play dress-up (pretty much comparable to a face-off with three dogs). Fabian leaps over the fence and escapes; Hondo leaps up the stairs and escapes. Fabian hides out under the porch until the people come home and he can slip back in; Hondo naps the day away on a people bed.

Finally, when Fabian returns, Hondo says, "Where have you been, Fabian?" and walks with him to the favorite window to welcome him home. These two really are friends.

This brief summary surely does no justice to the power and magic of this artwork to insinuate itself into your heart and your mind. According to the verso (copyright) page, McCarty used pencil on watercolor paper to get this softened, almost nostalgic appearance of his animals. They look special even beyond the softness. Their eyes are reminiscent of stuffed animals in the way they are slightly indented in the facial area, their legs are foreshortened, and they have that over-fed look, if you get my drift. Loved, happy, contented inside pets with an occasional romp outside. What more could a dog want? What more could a cat want? Peter McCarty will let us know in the next episode of Hondo and Fabian. There will be another episode, yes, Peter? We love these guys as our own!

An excellent book to help with the grieving process. Wonderful real life examples of others who have experienced the same overwhelming pain and how they were able to deal with their loss. I would recommend this book for anyone who has lost a pet and is experiencing on-going depression.

I have been waiting for Betty Carmack's book all of my life. My feelings have never before been so validated. Throughout childhood, I have had numerous little creatures: hamsters, birds, dogs, turtles, and mice. Now after 45 years, I can finally grieve the loss of those precious creatures without anyone calling me foolish or overly sentimental. No one will ever again tell me that "little boy's don't cry." Little boys cry--right along with the rest of humanity--at the loss of one of these precious companions.

Betty Carmack's decision to let the "experts" be those who have actually grieved the loss of a pet gives her book more validity than if she had quoted from a thousand researchers. We hear the stories of these people and their companion animals through all the stages of grief. Pets are not just "nice things to have a around." They are the truest and most steadfast listeners to all of life's pains and joys. When they die, they leave a hole in our hearts. For some people, their cats or dogs or lizards are their closest companions. Such companions are never too tired to listen. No matter what we look like, whether bathed or not, shaven or not, they hear all that we are and hope to be, uncluttered by "unfinished business" in human relationships. True, they cannot take the place of another human being. Likewise, no human can ever offer the degree of unconditional love that animals, fish, and birds can.

"Grieving the Death of a Pet" is a triumph. It is a gift, given by an expert who was humble enough to let the very people she comforts be our comforters, the very people who know best what we feel and why. How can I thank someone for giving me back my feelings and childhood memories? Thank you, Betty Carmack. Thank you for the gift of your book and the gift of you.

This book is a touching and insightful look at how people grieve when their beloved pet passes on. Many overlook how pets have helped people get through tough times, and given unconditional love to their owners. I've seen dogs that help heal (in the sense that they give lots of attention and love) people with acute and/or chronic illnesses.

By the same token, many people grieve over the loss of their pets, particularly those who have been in the family household for over five years. Why else would children want to place their animals' remains in a special place in the backyard? Ms. Carmack not only shares people's heartfelt stories, but also gives good insight on just what is needed to get through those tough times. I gave this book to one friend who had lost a cat that he owned for twelve years, and he said that reading it really made a difference to him on that struggle.

To complain that this book doesn't fit a certain person's view on Christianity doesn't do the book justice. Just because pets aren't mentioned in Scripture doesn't mean they aren't important to people and healing. And to discount pets as instruments of God is very sad and lacking insight.

Thankfully, this book doesn't recommend spending thousands of dollars in pet cemeteries. BUT, that's up to the owner and none of other people's business, no?

FOr the reviewer who does not beleive animals go to heaven. Well why not? Didnt God create animals as well? Why would He discriminate against the most innocent creatures on earth by not letting them into heaven. I just lost my cat whom I considered to be my child and I dearly hope that when I get to heaven that she is waiting there for me. It just shows how egotisitcal human beings can be. I hope others that lose a beloved pet do not share this persons view and look forward to reuniting with their special pet one day.

My nine-year-old Great Dane just died, and I am devastated. My sister sent me this book because she said that she knew the author and she thought it might help me cope with the loss of my lovely girl.

I am about halfway through this book, and it is actually making me feel worse. The reason that it is making me feel worse is that included in this book are stories where the pet owners -- out of their sheer stupidity, ignorance, and irresponsibility -- actually caused the death of the pets that they should have been protecting.

One pet owner caused their German Shepherd to get heat stroke. Another couple put their friendly Rottweiler to sleep because he had bitten other dogs, and they were afraid he would bite a child. There are numerous other alternatives to euthanasia in circumstances such as those. Even the author caused the death of her first dog by actually pulling her dog overboard into a fast-moving river and then let go of him, causing him to drown. The author never should have jumped in the river herself let alone pull her dog in.

I just can't finish this book because I can't read any more stories where pet owners caused the death of their pets. I am very sensitive in that regard, and I think other animal lovers are the same way. I would never put any of my pets in harm's way like the author did. I know accidents do happen, but many of these people could have and should have been better informed and made better decisions concerning the safety of their pets. Many of these people set the stage for an accident by making a series of bad decisions. This just angers me at a time when I already feel sad.

Furthermore, this book has not told me anything that I did not know already. The author spends a great deal of time letting the reader know that it is okay to grieve over the loss of a pet. It wouldn't have even occurred to me that it wasn't all right to grieve the loss of a pet. You would have to be heartless not to do so.

If you are grieving the loss of a pet, seek comfort in your friends and family and find a different book to comfort you.

I haven't even finished this book yet but I've been so impressed wtih it that I was compelled to write a review. Carolyn writes in a simple but deeply profound way that easily manages to transport you into the desert with her. In that sense, her writing style reminds me of Paulo Coelho. It is easy to feel what she is feeling, see what she is seeing amd enjoy every minute of her delicious experiences.

Her understanding of herd dynamics goes beyond anything I've learnt so far and I've studied natural horsemanship and animal communication for some years. Her clear distinctions between horses that are 'leaders' or 'dominant' are just brilliant. Whether you're already knowledgeable or not in this type of horsemanship/animal communicaiton, this is a highly refreshing, deeply moving and very beautiful book that will leave a lasting imprint on your soul. I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone that loves nature, animals and horses and will be ordering some copies for Christmas presents this year. Bravo Carolyn!

As a person who loves to visit with equine psychics, trainers, & all those close to the horse, I really enjoyed reading Carolyn's childhood memories. I had some that were amazingly close to hers and it's fun knowing someone else had similar experiences.
I have been & would recommend it to all serious horse lovers and those that want to really understand horses.

As a rider and trainer in the French Classical Method, along with publishing a magazine devoted to the French Arts -- [thecavalieronline*com] -- I enthusiastically endorse this book. I have used her methods with my own horses, both young and old to amazing success. My young horse has matured to a dazzling and delighful mount, having originally come to me with a "much too big for his britches" attitude. My older horse, a rescue and very shut down from his past experiences, is now a warm and vibrant horse thanks to listening to him through liberty techniques. Thank you Carol for your brilliant book.

I LOVED this book! It expressed my own thoughts and values with horses so very well, and explained why I do so many of the things I already do with them. I felt like Carolyn Resnick was telling my own inner story, and I found her prose to be like soul candy--I often re-read passages just for the delight of them. A wonderful book that delights while it is educating.

For all you horse lovers out there who aren't quite satisifed with your present relationship with your horse despite all the training -- whether it be Natural Horsemanship or the usual "standard" approaches -- you'll find this book a great step up and out of the many current mindsets in horse training. In my view, you truly owe it to yourself and your horses to at least give this book a good read and really consider the Carolyn Resnick Method of training. I truly feel you will be glad you did and will learn things that will give you a better bonding and understanding of your horse(s).

John Lala, Jr.

I was so into this book, as if Sarah was my bird.There is a very good lesson learned from reading this.

This book is touching and wonderfully written. It gave me a deep understanding of exotic birds and a new respect for them. Wonderful gift. Amazing true story.

I have to agree with the other one-star reviews. As I read more and more of this book I became more horrified and angry. Whatever books she claimed to read were evidently published in the 1930s to judge by her treatment of her birds -- there's no such "macaw wasting disease" caused by not flying, for heaven's sake. When I read that the bird had been allowed to die (murdered) I threw the book down and couldn't finish it for several days. The author evidently didn't educate herself on anything regarding the welfare of parrots -- she simply took the word of the rescue person that the macaw couldn't be touched. Of course the macaw could have been touched -- IF the author had educated herself and worked at it and been patient. The macaw was bonded to her and probably was begging to be touched. But she didn't seem to care if she ever touched the macaw or not. And after losing (killing) two parrots she ran out and got another macaw, barely before the bodies were cool -- this time, of course, she got the deck screened in. Too bad she couldn't have thought that far ahead the first time. And now that I think about it, I don't believe she ever said she was sorry or that she regretted what she'd done or even admitted that she handled things very badly. I certainly won't go back to the book to check that out though. The title is false advertising -- there is only one small instance of the macaw playing tug o' war with a dog and a short rope. The book should have been titled How I Killed Two Parrots and Made a Killing Writing a Book About It. Please don't encourage people to buy this book; the author doesn't deserve it.

I fell in love with the central character of Sarah in this book, and I've rarely been as angry as I was when she died in such a senseless, unnecessary way. I kept wanting to go and save Sarah from what the inevitable. I am giving the book 2 stars because Ellis-Bell does do a good job of describing the wonders of macaw personality and makes you fall in love with Sarah. I have a blue and gold, a rescue, unclipped, and I was so excited to find a book with a blue and gold as a central character. Unfortunately, the ending devastated me for weeks, and I still tear up at what happened with Sarah.

Guilt is a central theme in the book. Ellis-Bell feels guilty for Sarah's capture, for keeping her in a cage, for Sarah's screams (note to the uninitiated - screaming is NORMAL in a macaw and any parrot, it is loud, expect it and learn to live with some screaming), for Sarah not being able to be free, and for Sarah ruining the lives of her husband and other animals. Of course, Sarah doesn't ruin their lives on purpose, she's simply a macaw and one that's set free without guidelines or structure in her life.

Misinformation is rife in the book, and it is, if anything, a guide to how not to keep a macaw. Some of this misinformation is further perpetuated by the owner of the sanctuary - for one thing, meat is fine for macaws in small amounts. I'm not impressed by her either - letting Ellis-Bell adopt a sick, special needs bird knowing she believes the bird should be free and can never be handled. Most of this misinformation has already been mentioned, but the biggest one of all was letting the bird out without any training or attempt to see if Sarah could have been handled. The macaw I adopted was considered vicious when we got her, but we've worked through that. She was also my first bird, but unlike Ellis-Bell, I did a ton of research and found some good people to help me. I have lost her outside overnight (ironically, when she was clipped), we found her very early the next morning, and because she could be handled, she climbed right down and onto my arm after a little coaxing. I can't help but think Sarah would have had a better chance had she been touchable. Also, the author is married to a contractor - why not build an aviary for Sarah so she could go outside while Ellis-Bell gardened? Also, why not put food in the trees so that Sarah could have some chance of surviving?

Even with the dogs, Ellis-Bell interprets their actions on a human basis. She goes overboard with Sarah, thinking that what Sarah wants is freedom without any kind of structure, when what Sarah probably wanted (based on my own macaw) was to be with her human flock and be secure in that flock.

The ending is just horrific, compounded by the idiotic loss of Zoey, and worst of all, before Sarah is even gone, she adopts another macaw, and then proceeds to compare him favorably to Sarah. You wonder then if Sarah's death affected her as much as it does her readers. It scares me that she has another macaw, in this case one that is known for behavioral issues and said to be perhaps the smartest of the macaws. I hope things go well for her new bird, but I have my doubts.

Sarah was a wonderful bird; the author clearly has issues and problems, and it's horrible that her problems led to Sarah's death. If you want to read the book, I'd stop at page 189. The rest tells of Sarah's death in excruciating detail, and it's horrific.

The image that comes to my mind when I think about the woman who wrote this book is a manic woman living in a run-down trailer on a garbage strewn lot surrounded by more animals than she can care for. And certainly more animals than she can care for properly. Perhaps she is an animal hoarder, that is someone who believes that it is her mission to save or rescue animals and who believes that whatever treatment she provides is better than anything that anyone else could do.

But she did a terrible job taking care of this bird and let it try to fend for itself in the chilly forests of Northern California. (SPOILER: the bird starved to death or died from exposure.) This macaw and the conure and something like 39 cats lost their lives as a result of her irresponsibility. She fed the birds inappropriate foods and gave the bird gin-and-tonics! She let the birds torment the dogs, she accumulated stray cats and then wrote off their lives. One wonders what sort of veterinary care any of these animals received. She repeatedly disregarded the advice of bona-fide bird rescuers. She gave the bird gin-and-tonics! (I had to repeat that. I just cannot believe that someone would do this.) All the while the phone is ringing, the birds are squawking, the dogs are cowering, the cats are being eaten by mountain lions, food and poop cover the floor of the trailer, old machinery rusts in the "garden", her husband has moved into his office....

She imagined what these animals think, in fact the very title of the book demonstrates her tendency to anthropomorphosize. It's unlikely that the parrot thought she was a dog. It's unlikely that any of these animals had the thoughts (I'm a dog, I'm bad, I'm good, I'm clever) she claimed for them or felt the human emotions (jealously, longing, shame, sorrow due to injustice, remorse) she attributed to them. These are the classic characteristics of an animal hoarder: that she has some sort of special, perhaps innate, ability to understand what animals think and that animals possess some sort of special ability to always do what's best, to predict the future, to understand any situation, to understand the things she says to them.

This woman is irresponsible at best, negligent probably, and perhaps mentally ill and, so, not fit to take care of this many animals, or any animals. The book is not well-written and it appears, from the comments of other reviewers, that some of the more technical facts are incorrect. The discussion of her sex life is gratuitous.

Dr. Doolittle she is not. Someone should call animal control.

The book is very colorful and my daughters really like them. I wish they were more complete. They do not have the numbers of the animals.

This excellent book provides an overview of how things or events from the past can be dated - from when the earth formed to events in human history. As the author points out, although much of the distant past can be dated in a relative way, i.e., by classifying events in the order in which they occurred, the determination of actual ages has received an incredible boost through the use of radioactive isotopes of certain elements. The author weaves this fascinating tale very well - from the discovery of radioactivity, through the discovery of its use in dating ancient artifacts to refining the age of the earth and the timing of milestones in human evolution. The individuals who did the early pioneering work, as well as those who currently strive for greater precision and refinement in this field, play prominent roles in this gripping story which clearly illustrates how science works. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative, very engaging and quite accessible. This book appears to have been aimed at broad readership; specialized terminology is well explained when first used in the main text and a glossary of technical terms can be found at the back of the book. But also, an appendix is included that concentrates on some of the mathematical formulas involved, for those who are more mathematically/technically inclined. Consequently, this book can be enjoyed by anyone, although science buffs may consider it a particularly special treat.

The main focus of this book is on how objects can be dated using measurements of radioactive isotopes and their products, that is the elements and isotopes that form after radioactive decay.
The author begins with a brief discussion of ideas about the earth's duration before the advent of dating techniques using radioactive isotopes. Here he discusses the duration of the earth as inferred from the Bible, the influence of James Hutton in moving scientific opinion towards a longer time scale, William Smith's use of fossils to come to a relative (that is, the order in which rocks were formed, but not when they were formed) dating of sedimentary rocks, and the conflict in the later half of the 19th century between geologists' belief in a long earth history and the physicist Lord Kelvin's model of a relatively short (20 million years in some versions of the model) duration for the earth.
With the discovery of radioactivity, in the early 20th century it became apparent that radioactive decay could be used a sort of clock. The physicist Ernest Rutherford was one of the first to attempt to estimate geological time scales using radioactive decay. The British geologist Arthur Holmes in his early work was one of the first geologist's to use the decay of uranium to lead to estimate geological time scales. These early efforts were hampered by the lack of understanding that different isotopes of the same element exist, and that there can be more than one radioactive isotope of an element.
As understanding of the complexity of the problem increased, more accurate methods resulted. Claire Patterson, at the University of Chicago and later at Caltech, came up with the roughly 4.55 billion year estimate of the duration of the earth's existence in the 1950s using the uranium to lead decay series, after much difficulty in eliminating laboratory contamination of lead from leaded gasoline. Starting in the 1940s at the University of Chicago, Libby and his graduate students developed carbon 14 dating, which is suitable for dating objects that contain carbon from roughly the last 50,000 years and is therefore useful for archaeologists, and for geologists who study ice ages. One thing I was interested to learn is that the carbon 14 method is the only one that involves the actual counting of radioactive decay; the other methods, such as uranium to lead or potasssium argon, actually require the measurement of the "parent" element and isotope (such as uranium) and the "daughter" element and isotope (such as lead) with a mass spectrometer, because radioactive decay is too slow for practical counting from small samples of these isotopes.
Each radioactive method is suitable for different time spans, The uranium lead method is suitable for very long (billions, hundreds of millios of years) time spans, the potsssium argon method for intermediate (in a geological sense!) time spans, and carbon 14 for the last 50,000 years or so. Because carbon 14 is produced at varying rates over time in the upper atmosphere (from the interaction of cosmic radiation with molecules in the air), to improve its accuracy it is calibrated with (mainly) tree ring data. The calibration at the moment goes back about 26,000 years.
Recent developments have allowed for collecting information from smaller samples, such as individual crystals of zircon,
I found the book easy to read. The author includes two appendices with some discussion of the mathematics of radioactive decay, a chart of the geological time scale, and the periodic table of the chemical elements.

The book is cute but not very informative. It did not give me any new answers about Goldens quirks like why they make sneezing sounds every morning. I have 2 goldens and they both do the same thing. It is not a worthwhile book.

I had really hoped to get some serious answers to some Golden 'quirks', instead I found this book to be cute and slightly entertaining, but not in the least informative. If you're seeking concrete information, this book is probably not for you. If all you want is a cute book about Goldens, then go for it and enjoy!

I gave this as a gift to a friend who owns a Golden. He loved it. He's already passing it around to others to read.

This book is very well written. I gave this book to my husband for Christmas. He is enjoying sharing wtih me and with others about things that goldens do! We both have learned some things as to why goldens do what they do? For example,why do goldens rebel when they are between one and two years old ? The answer is because they are essentially teenagers.
I would recommend this book to anyone that has a golden. There is never a dull moment with a golden in your household.

This is a very good book--the pictures are great and worth the price of the book themselves. The "curious Golden Retriever behaviours" are basically curious behaviours of ANY breed of dog, with one or two exceptions, but still it was a very interesting book and it helps you to understand why your dog does some of the (somewhat disgusting ) things it does.

I never had a puppy before, just adult rescue dogs. When I got my 8 week-old puppy, I was unprepared for his crying and howling when left in his crate, or his needle sharp teeth when playing. I got this book just in time! It solved the problem of crying in his crate, and now he is a pleasure to play with (I found out all about bite inhibition training!). Many of these things are important to know about while the pup is young. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a dog of any age, but especially to anyone considering getting a puppy. The author presents a style of training that is logical and very kind, and promotes a great relationship between you and your dog!

Every dog can be a good dog - just follow the fun & easy lessons in this wonderful, dog-owner friendly book! All training methods are humane & based on how dogs learn. The lessons are not only fun - THEY WORK! This book contains a wealth of information. It covers much more than teaching basic obedience commands - it addresses & explains - with insight and humor - the many things that dogs do which people consider undesirable. Most importantly, it gives the reader a wealth of tools to change behavior & make every dog a "good dog". Extremely readable, & arranged for easy reference, Good Dog 101 is a must for new dog owners & trainers alike.

I enjoyed the background information as well as the informative, scientific theories and recommendations. The book is readable and easily adaptable to real dog training issues.

The first part of this book gives a fascinating description of the history of dog training and a context to the current field that many of us dog owners try to navigate. This section is easy to read and entertaining! The second part of the book serves as an excellent reference manual for the varied challenges of each individual dog. We all know that our dogs are unique and of course nearly perfect in every way, except maybe those few little quirks! This book provides a detailed table of contents so that you can quickly get to the solution for each of those little quirks! The methods described are simple and based on principles of humane behavior training. And the best part is that they work!

My bookshelves are crammed with Dog Training books of all types and sizes. Most look unread without dog-eared pages or stressed bindings barely holding the pages in place. It's not that I haven't read them, it's that once read they become just silent clutter on my bookshelves, never to be picked up and pored over again.

A few dog training books, however, are tattered and worn with little more then a rubber band keeping their pages together. Donaldson's The Culture Clash is one of these books, as will surely be my newest purchase, Cristine Dahl's Good Dog 101. I love the unique accessible style of Dahl's writing and the fact that it's a book you can pick up and read only as much as you need in order to fix a particular problem. But if you like you can read on into a depth of "why and how" far beyond the basic fix. History, humor, and practical solutions all combine with solid behavioral science in a consistently delivered elegant presentation that reveals a deep and sophisticated affection for the subject of canine behavior and training. These qualities will make this book a venerable resident of my shelves where it will certainly begin to show its age as I reference it again and again for years to come.

I've only read the first few chapters so far. I've been a horse person all my life but never known a mule. So far i've learned a lot about these animals and had a few good chuckles as well. A variety of authors give their experiences and insights along with great photography. It could be a coffee-table book or an important addition to your library.

Read it all the way through and then gave two copies to friends! Well researched and really interesting!!

John Hauer is a hero of mine and this book is one of the best ideas (and as I understand this man history) one of hundreds that really works well. It is a collection of anecdotes, historical facts and wonderful photographs and prints. It's also a monument to the great American Mule Culture that mule owners around the world have come to admire and respect. My only criticism is that the brief to each of those contributing could have been specific, and then their contribution proof read to weasel out the repetition about mule reproduction etc. But all in all a nodal piece of modern mule related literature.

A wonderful "coffee table" book.. I enjoyed reading it, but did
find some statements comical, my seven mules aren't near as good as
the ones in this book.. Course, I still love them!

I love this book!!! It is a unique collection of personal stories, essays and historical articles in celebration of the unique characteristics and qualities of the mule. It describes in detail there intelligence, sure-footedness, agility, strength, endurance, disposition and natural cautioness. The one trait that I loved the most about mules was there "Endearance". Actually there is no such word but the book says there should be. It is a descriptive of the way in which many people react to mules: they often want to hug and even kiss them. I found that term to be more than true! Mule Lovers will be captivated by this book and horse lovers...well...they may be converted.

This book was just what I needed for a cruise trip around the Hawaiian Islands. Good information in this book. On a "not a birding trip" I added 26 species to my life list at Hawaii.

Still the best field guide to the birds of the tropical Pacific, Pratt's book is now over 20 years old and in need of revision. The bird life of Hawaii is in a constant state of flux, with species arriving and becoming extinct every decade. One of the most common species today, the African Silverbill, was rare when Pratt's guide was published, so is completely missing from the book. Nesting information, feeding habits, and other aspects of natural history are given very little attention. So, while the serious birder will want to own the book and carry it in the field, it is now necessary to purchase a second book to fill in all the missing information that has come to light in the last two decades. For the birder visiting Hawaii, I recommend also carrying the Hawaii Audubon Society's Hawaii's Birds. It is a lightweight supplement that includes all the new species that one is likely to encounter as well as much more information regarding the habits of each bird.

If ou go to Hawaii and you want to go birding, I can recommend this book. It is a comprehensive guide, with clear and accurate drawings, and checklists for each island. The only thing missing is a list of buirding sites.

Pratt, Bruner, and Dickinson have produced a superb field guide completely covering all the islands of the tropical Pacific from Hawai'i west through Micronesia. This is a true field guide: it gives the field marks of every species, notes problems in identification with special emphasis on distinguishing similar species, and wastes no space on matters not related to identification. (The exception is that Pratt, a significant ornithologist as well as an expert in identification, summarizes controversies in classification whre appropriate.)

The text is organized by order and family, not by region, so the flycatchers of Tahiti appear next to the flycatchers of Palau rather than near other Tahitian birds. But the illustrations are grouped by region: Samoan land birds appear together, regardless of relationships. This greatly facilitates use in the field.

The illustrations are paintings, not photographs, which allows the authors to show similar birds in identical poses as well as eliminating the accidental marks which appear in even the best photographs and can confuse the user.

The authors have chosen to include the extinct birds of the region as well as the living ones. This puts a certain amount of "deadwood" on the illustration pages, which may be detrimental. But, considering that more than one "extinct" bird has been found after being missing for nearly a hundred years, it is probably worth the minor inconvenience.

I have used the book extensively in Hawai'i and believe it to be the best guide Hawai'i's birds. I would not consider being without it anywhere in its area of coverage.

This field guide has excellent sketches of birds but the layout is quite awkward. This guide like most if not all guides breaks down the birds by family groups. This works well for most areas but not Hawaii. As an example, on the first page for Crows and Honeycreepers there are six birds listed, three are extinct, the other three birds all exist on seperate islands, so if I am birding on Kauai and I look on this particular page there is only one bird I would have any chance of seeing but I still have five other birds on the page as a distraction. On the other pages there are on average 8-10 birds per page but once again some are extinct (and not boldly labled as such) while there may only be one or two birds from each island on the pages. My recommendation to make it easier to ID birds in the field would be to put all the extinct Hawai'ian endemic birds on two or more pages (since there are so many of them) for emphasis and then have seperate pages for each island. Since there are so few birds to be found on each of the Hawaiian islands versus say the tropical forests of Costa Rica, I beleive my recommended format would be much less frustrating than the current format of the book to use in the field.