5 comments about kittenwar: may the cutest kitten win!.

1. If you like cats / Kittens this is for you. Book based upon web site comparing cutest kitten. Mostly a "picture" book :)



2. I purchased the book on Christmas Eve at my local B&N. My son had to be practically dragged bodily from the book table even though I assured him that I had bought a copy and it was in the bag.
   
   This book was the unexpected hit of Christmas Day. Everyone, regardless of age and whether or not they were "cat people," became engrossed in choosing which kitten was the cutest and booing if their choice was dissed on the next page. I hope they come out with a Kittenwar board game next, or maybe a Kittenwar for the X box crowd?



3. If you enjoy the "Kittenwar" site, you will love this book! I am giving it to my niece who has a new kitten and she will love it!



4. I love this little book. I participated in the contest and was pleasantly surprised to see the picture of my kitten in the book. Then I found my name in the credits for the photographs. How cool is that!



5. If you love kittens this is a wonderful book. My daughter brought it to school and those girls can not get enough of it.

5 comments about Cats (Smithsonian Handbooks).

1. A good book for a general overview of cat breeds. Great pictures.
   
   I'd have liked a bit more infromation on each breed though, the info given is only very basic.



2. This is a really good book. My daughter 10 years old loves it. She kept checking it out of the library. I found it on line and purchased it. She keeps it in a safe place. A must for all cat lovers.



3. I read the book "cats" by: David Alderton and this book tells everything from kittens being born to the ancestry of these felines. This book has facts about every cat just about and their body weight and lots more. This book has everything on them, whether it's just for your pleasure or for the facts this books got it. I loved this book I thought it was very good, it has a lot of very good information and facts, it also has over 700 colorful pictures.
   This book tells you anything and everything about cats. It's a great book for children to learn about both domestic and exotic cats and kittens. This book helps you with your decision on buying or adopting a cat and picking out which one's right for you. It talks about how to groom them this book even tells you which breeds of cats always win shows and awards and how to win one with your feline. It tells you how many months it takes before a kitten is fully weaned off its mother's milk and doesn't need its mother anymore.
   "BUY THIS BOOK "this is a very good and interesting and factual book. This book is great for children or cat lovers of any age. It is very unique and could tell you just about anything you need and want to know about cats and kittens.



4. I've owned this book (the eyewitness edition, actually) for years, and it's still the best and most comprehensive photographic guide to cat breeds that I've seen. Great, clear photographs featuring both common and some rarer breeds in all the major color variations for each breed, as well as lots of good, interesting info on each breed and its history.
   
   A must have for cat lovers!



5. Ideal for people who like cats, or for people who hate cats but want to know their enemy.

5 comments about The Tribe of Tiger.

1. I heard of this book not long after I had read "The Hidden Life of Dogs", and was initially skeptical of how much better this book could be. I needn't have worried--"Tribe of Tiger" is nothing like its predecessor. Starting with the incident involving the cat and the loaf of bread in the book's introduction, it is packed with interesting (and sometimes hilarious) stories about real felines, whether they be housecats or cougars or circus tigers. As usual, the anthropomorphism can be a bit much sometimes, and some of the conclusions drawn from these stories seem far-fetched, but all in all it is definitely worth it. I first read a copy I had borrowed from the library, and finished it in a day and a half; after I had to give it back, I went out and bought my own copy. If you have even a casual interest in animals, you're bound to enjoy it.



2. I had this book on my shelf for years before finally getting around to reading it, and now wish I'd done so sooner. The author is one of the tribe of true animal-lovers: people whose love and understanding of animals does not get in the way of their analytic abilites and scientific curiosity. As noted, the book does not particularly flow; some chapters are on the author's observations of house cats and others are on her own and others' studies of wild feline species of many kinds, with emphasis on cougars, tigers and lions. But even though I found some chapters a bit subjective, anecdotal, and tedious, I kept reading because there are some hugely rewarding insights in these pages. The author is an original thinker, a keen observer, and a passionate advocate for the well-being of cats large and small. I would rate this a must-read for anyone who loves and wants to better understand "the tribe of the tiger".



3. This is the SEVENTH copy The Tribe of the Tiger's I have purchased-simply because my friends "borrow" my copy and then pass it along to their other friends who are interested in cats. Needless to say, it is cheaper buying another copy than hiring a "Private Eye" trying to locate another "traveling copy" of TTCTC. "Set my borrowed copy free-and educate the world about felines"-CJC
   
   Normally I would be angry, I am taking the time to order to order copy number 7-but this visit, I took more time by adding a review because this read is worth it. I wonder if I should face the facts, and just start a "give away" book club-for THIS TITLE book only.
   
   Tribe is not only one of the best for information about cats, BUT-is a "hot item" when it is discovered by readers. (Don't lend your copy out if you really intend on keeping it-for rereading.)
   
   This time I ordered 2 copies, so I could "borrow out" one-while holding on to a "house copy". Maybe this way I can refrain from ordering another for a few months. OR MAYBE (wishful thinking) a borrower will actually RETURN any one of my formely lent copies. NAH, that ain't going to happen.
   
   If you are truly interested in more than how to take care of your pet, love to be able to "speak in feline body language" or want to understand life through your cats eyes-THIS is the book.
   
   No magical mystical wonderments-offered inside, just common sense and great thinking. If your set of beliefs include "mystical junk" about your cat-you may want to educate yourself-into the real world by reading this book. I promise you your cat WILL a better life because you have taken the time to learn from this book.



4. This is without doubt one of the best books on animal behavior I have ever read. What Thomas does that others do not (and often cannot) is three-fold:

   First, using her long experience with animals both domestic and wild, she INTERPRETS their behavior from her observations. Most of us do that, but scientists in general do not. They cannot because such interpretations, unless established scientifically, would be labeled "anthropomorphic," and prove dangerous to their careers. You and I interpret the behavior of our animals, but most of us have only a small fraction of the experience that Elizabeth Thomas has. She has spent decades in the wild, especially in Africa, studying animals and their interactions with humans.

   This interaction between humans and their way of seeing the world and that of cats and their way of seeing the world--our differing "cultures" as Thomas rightly uses the term--is the second thing she does so very well. Her stories about how the Ju/wasi people, for example, treat lions and how the lions treat them--with mutual respect--and how that differs from the way non-indigenous people treat lions is just fascinating to read. She describes the Ju/wasi talking to a couple of lions, telling them firmly and politely that a certain fallen wildebeest was theirs and that the lions should leave. After listening, the lions left. (p.118) And how the Ju/wasi behaved if by chance they should come upon a lion in the wild: the person would take an oblique angle away from the lion and walk with purpose, keeping the lion in sight but not staring. Thomas discovered that a lion meeting people sometimes would do the same!

   The third thing that Thomas does extraordinary well is to use her novelist's sense of description and IMAGINE how the cat is feeling. She writes beautifully with love and understanding, but without mawkish intent or any phony sentimentality. Here's an example:

   "Even people with very inconspicuous disabilities are quickly zeroed in on by cats...the entering tigers stopped...to stare...at someone they had spotted deep in the [amphitheater] crowd. Following their gaze I finally found what they had noticed immediately: a child with Down's syndrome sitting quietly and (to me) inconspicuously amid his family." (p. 123)

   If you limp by a caged carnivore, a wolf or a leopard, say, your limping will excite the animal because an injured or disabled animal is its best prey. As Thomas explains, carnivores want to obtain their meals with as little risk of injury to themselves as possible because any injury in the wild can prove fatal.

   Here's Thomas on the roaring of lions: "At about ten o'clock that night a lioness suddenly appeared between the two camps and began to roar. The loudness of lions cannot be described or imagined but must be experienced. My body was so filled with the sound that I couldn't think or breathe, and in the brief silences between the roars my ears rang." (p. 135)

   She goes on to speculate later in the book that lions may use their roars to frighten and flush out their prey.

   On page 161 Thomas describes exchanging yawns with a lioness lying by a water hole. Thomas yawned and then, "To my amazement, without taking her eyes off me she also yawned. Was it coincidence...Was it empathy? Fascinated I deliberately yawned again. She yawned again!"

   I've had similar experiences with cats. A yawn is a signal that they are comfortable with your presence. Domestic cats in the yard will also turn their back on you as they lie on their side to signal that they are comfortable with your presence.

   I always wondered about water holes on the savannas in Africa. How could the various animals come to drink in safety, and how did they manage to avoid one another? Thomas gives a convincing explanation. The lions, who are most active at night, come in the night to drink. During the heat of the day prey animals come when the lions are resting. And of course the humans wait until the sun is fully up before approaching. When the elephants come, the lions leave. Interestingly enough, Thomas claims that lions will not spoil the water hole with their scat.

   Thomas's skill as a novelist shows in this passage. She is describing her friend Katharine Payne's experience with a lion that she had spotted just a few feet away as she lay in her sleeping bag: "He looked and looked at Katy. She looked and looked at him, hearing the wet noises of him swallowing his saliva and settling his tongue. He was thinking of eating. Cats are famous for their patience--the big lion watched Katy while the moon slowly rose behind him...The lion continued to think of eating. Eventually, he drooled." (p. 162)

   One of the points that Thomas makes in this book is that all cats, from four hundred pound lions to our house cats, have much in common. Our domestic little kitties are more social than we think, and their hunting instincts are just as savage as those of a leopard. And yes lions purr.

   She also claims that tigers are better off in circuses than in zoos mainly because they engage in regular activity that stimulates them, and that they enjoy their interactions with their trainers. She makes a convincing argument, and yet we must have zoos because without them most of us could not see these magnificent creatures; and indeed someday sadly zoos will be their only home. Maybe what is needed are zookeepers who know the culture of their animals well enough to provide them with something more than meat and boredom.

   It is wonderful how Thomas becomes, for the purpose of this book, the animals she describes. Here she describes a lioness observing cattle: "One whiff of that dizzying, grassy scent would have set a lion's mouth watering." (pp. 181-182)




5. I spend a lot of time in India and am very knowledgeable about tigers. I was absolutely amazed to read that Ms Thomas thought it perfectly acceptable for tigers to be kept in tiny cages, and dragged around America only to emerge in a circus ring and then be put back in a cage. Ms Thomas seems to think this a wonderful life guaranteed to keep tigers alert and happy, and reccomends the practice continue. She even sings the praises of John Cuneo who breeds tigers for circuses in the US and is currently being prosecuted for animal cruelty.
   On the tiger in a circus: Ôthe owners live in small trailers and tigers live in travellin cages on wheels, each cage about twice the length of the tiger who inhabits it. Sometimes nothing beteter than a large tarp or the edge of a circus tent shelters these little groups of people and tigers just barely protecting them from wind sun & rainÕ

   The tiger is a top predator, it is extremely intelligent and built to hunt. That is its raison d'etre.

   Even when not hunting a tiger will prowl may be 15 miles a night.
   They spend 2 years teaching their cubs to hunt.
   If Ms Thomas seriously think that learning a few miserable tricks to perform in a ring, keep an animal such as this stimulated and happy, she clearly has no knowledge of tigers at all and frankly makes one wonder what if anything else she writes about in the book has any validity.

   If you are interested in tigers, don't buy this ridiculous book buy anything by Valmik Thapar, a man who really does know about this majestic predator.

5 comments about The Blessing of the Animals: True Stories of Ginny, the Dog Who Rescues Cats.

1. Ginny's unique talents in locating sick and injured cats had rendered her numerous appearances in CNN, Animal Planet and major news. Her rescue stories were illustrated by two national best selling books: The Dog who Rescues Cats and the Blessing of the Animals. Ginny passed away on August 25th, 2005.
   
   
   
   With the passing of Ginny, her unfinished mission of cat rescuing is continued by her caretaker Philip Gonzalez everyday. A non profit organization, The Ginny Fund, has been established to raise fund for cat rescuing in Long Beach New York.
   For more information about Ginny, Pleas visit ginnyfanclub website.



2. Today's New York Daily News reported on the passing of Ginny, a/k/a the Mother Theresa of Cats, gone at the age of 17. She succumbed to old age yesterday afternoon on a blanket in Philip Gonzalez's care. As for Ginny's story, this is one of my favorite books. The stories are truly heartwarming and this book was a "gotta have it" purchase. Browsing the pet section in a local bookstore, I found this and it jogged my memory: Ginny's story was familiar to me due to a Reader's Digest article, but what happened next? This book captures all the tails...er, TALES, lol. I will definitely re-read this now. How could a dog love cats she doesn't live with? As a cat person, I've always been intrigued by this. How ironic that such incredible humanity could have come from one of god's furry creatures. Rest in peace, Ginny. Let us hope there are more of you in the world.



3. I read this book in one afternoon and handed it off to my husband, who could not put it down. I relate to the author in one respect: after having animals all my life, I connected with one cat so profoundly that I have devoted my life and work to alleviating animal suffering and overcoming the devastating problem of pet overpopulation. It's bittersweet. I love animals with a depth that is so satisfying, and enjoy human and animal company more than I ever was able. But I am now so attuned to animal suffering (generally due to human neglect or abuse -- I'm not trying to fight the forces of nature) that it is difficult to focus on anything else. Just read this book. It feels so good!



4. A continuation of a very sweet story. I have a few stray cats around my home and even though my inside cats aren't as willing to share as Ginny (LOL), I make sure to feed them and give them shelter. I highly recommend this book and also the one that came before it! (Not sure of the exact title).



5. Just as I feel about their first book, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this one too! Let's hope these true stories inspire others so be so kind. Enjoy.

5 comments about 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You.

1. Anyone who takes this book's advice will lose thier cat to death in 6 months...
   
   Garenteed.
   
   
   What else can you expect from a woman who wants to ban all pet ownership and Servuce animals for the disabled?
   
   
   Yes, I am one of those "loathsome creatures" that enslaves a dog to be my eyes. If dear Ingrid had her way, my best friend in life would be taken away from me, and every other visually impaired person on earth who dared to have one.
   
   
   And this woman claims to love animals... Meh.



2. I was very disappointed in this book. It wasn't anything like I expected. It was more on cat care and it seemed to make things complicated. I expected it to be more of suggestions for play and comfort. Pretty dull read.
   
   Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



3. 
   As a career microbiologist with a fair grounding in biochemistry, I might be qualified to say a few words about the feline vegetarianism advocated in this book.
   
   While I'm certainly no apologist for the mass-market pet food industry, I can't let the author's advice on feline nutritional needs go unchallenged.
   
   Basically, Cats ARE obligate carnivores. Why? Unlike humans, cats cannot synthesize the organic compound taurine, which is essential for their survival. THE TAURINE CONTENT OF GRAINS, VEGETABLES AND FRUITS IS NEGLIGIBLE; IN MOST CASES SO LOW AS TO BE UNDETECTABLE. Cats CAN live on a modified (VERY carefully modified) diet consisting mostly of well-balanced vegetable protein PROVIDED they are given some form of supplementation for the nutrients that cats normally obtain from eating meat. Synthetic taurine is available, although I was under the impression (perhaps erroneous) that "synthetic chemicals" were anathema to most serious vegetarians. "Natural" taurine is easy to come by, with the caveat that there's only ONE "natural" source of taurine: meat. Perhaps my logic is flawed, but I don't see much of an ethical distinction between feeding your cat meat as opposed to a meat derivative.
   
   If you know of someone who claims to have a cat who has thrived on a vegetarian diet for years without some form of taurine supplementation, they're either lying about the supplements or about the cat's health. A person who tries to "convert" their cat to vegetarianism without a thorough knowledge of the modifications that need to be made in order to make up for the essential missing nutrients in the cat's diet is condemning their pet to a life of sickness, blindness and eventually, premature death.
   
   If there should be any remaining doubt on the matter, just type the words "taurine cats vegetarian" (without the quotation marks) into your browser's search field, and see what comes up.
   
   This one issue doesn't necessarily invalidate the contents of the entire book, but it does raise serious questions about the judgment and expertise of a person who cavalierly advocates something as potentially dangerous as feline vegetarianism.



4. Cats cannot CANNOT be trained to be vegetarians, Unitarians or librarians. They eat meat. They need MORE protein and fat in their diet than dogs. Cats fed on carbohydrates develop a disease like cirrhosis of the liver. It's cruelty to animals to feed a cat on anything less than a the diet such as they require. They are carnivores, the way God made them. Ignore the advice in this book, please and feed your cat a healthy diet recommended by your vet.



5. Ingrid Newkirk (the author) is the President of PETA and a militant-type activist. No wonder she thinks cats can be vegetarian!! Love and respect animals and pets, and be informed- but please, don't be a freak.
   There are many other books available by people who are still sane and care about animal welfare.

1 comments about The Tao of Meow.

1. This is a rather refreshing change from normal cat guides out there, as it uses the concept and principles of Tao to let you gain a better understanding of your cat.
   
   The author strives to relate cats to the philosophy of Tao as closely as she could, and the step-by-step remedies for kitty problems areas are useful and I find the additional information such as cat massage a nice, additional treat. This book focus more on building a strong and close bond with your cat via the ways of Tao, and it also offers certain insights which I found to be really true with my little kitty boy! Certains points in the book are also thought-provoking, and apart from learning about cats, we might also learn a thing or two about life from them.
   
   Although this is not a full or complete guide to cat matters, this is still, a very nice and refreshing book to enjoy in your armchair. If you’re looking for something to complement or enhance your readings of cats, get this! It’ll surely provide you with hours of reading joy. : )

3 comments about Cats in Quilts: 14 Purrfect Projects.

1. 
   Very nice applique patterns and instructions,color suggestions, and helpful tips. Many tiny pieces, so I recommend this for the skilled applique artist.



2. For all quilters who love cats as well this is a great book. The applique techniques are easy and the results are a quilt with lovable cats on it.



3. I love this book...The patterns are fun, and I love Carol's applique and ideas ...If you like doing cats, then this is one of the books that you should own..

5 comments about Three Cats, Two Dogs: One Journey Through Multiple Pet Loss.

1. Mr. Conglaton took a heartbreaking event and turned it into a joyous remembrance. His skillful writing enables the reader to acquaint themselves with his pets. This is a moving testimonial to his best friends who were taken from him abruptly. Anyone who has owned a beloved pet and lost them before their time should read this book. It will make you cry, but the joy that he and his wife received from these cats and dogs will keep you reading to the very last page. I particularly enjoyed reading the newspaper columns that he wrote about his friends and felt I knew each one. Must Read!



2. First some background--A few years ago some stray and ferel cats started adopting me. Due to the life they led they all came with major medical problems (FIV, FeLk, FIP, kidney failure and more). I loved them all, I cared for them all through very long, painful, illnesses. I had to make agonizing choices, put them through painful proceedures, watch them suffer, and watch them all die. I loss 6 in the course of one year. And others before and after that year. That's why I bought this book.

   I don't want to discount the author's grief over the loss of his pets, which I can wholeheartedly understand and commiserate with, but his "journey" is so unlike anything that any other pet owner on the face of the earth is ever likely to go through, and he was so blind to the gifts that he received that the rest of will never even come close to, that I found myself incensed at his bad attitude and behavior. I could not in any way relate to this mans "journey."

   His animals died quietly in their sleep. He didn't have to live with long terminal illnesses, painful treatments, or horrible decisions. I don't want any of my pets to die, but as they have to, I would pray to have them pass as his did rather than suffer through illness. But was he even remotely grateful for such a quick and painless passing? No.

   He was a public figure so hundreds (no joke!)of people offered their sympathy and support to him. But there were two people who did not...and he was so angred by these two people that he felt it necessary to write about them, by name, in this book. A whole whopping two people were insensitive to his ordeal and this so enraged him that he felt it necessary to lash out at them? Poor baby. If I could find two people who understood what I was going through I'd feel blessed and lucky.

   He got to stop working, due to his grief. Have any of us ever had that luxury? Or did our bosses not want to hear about it? Again, was he grateful? or annoyed when people hinted it was time to come back to work?

   He held a public memorial service for his pets in a theater and it was standing room only. He got to talk about it, share it, let it go. How many of us get any opportunity to talk about our dead pets to anyone, least wise hundreds of people? Most of us know that no one wants to hear about it. We have to keep it inside. Again I feel he was blessed and yet he didn't see it.

   Despite his grief he got twice as many new pets within a very short period of time. But does he enjoy them? No, in fact, he refuses to even celebrate Christmas with new pets. And once again gets irritated when a couple of people don't understand this. This proved to me that he learned nothing from the deaths of the original five....life is short and can be taken at any moment. He should have celebrated joyously that he had new pets...but he "couldn't bring himself" to do so. I barely had time to grieve one death before another was occurring yet I assure you I celebrated Christmas and every other day I could with the new pets.

   The authors attitude annoyed me. He was given the best of everything and it still wasn't enough for him. If he had seen those five pets through long, painful, illnesses one right after the other, and had to grapple with painful treatments and surgeries, when to euthansize, digging a grave in his backyard one night and getting up and having to go to work the next day, all the while having no one to talk to about this...then he might begin to understand what the average pet owner goes through. I don't think he has a clue what it's like for the rest of us....and I hope he never has to.




3. Just finished another interesting paperback book I bought thru Amazon.com titled
   Three Cats and Two Dogs--One Journey Through Multiple Pet Loss by David Congalton. Copyright 2000 Publisher: NewSage Press

   It is a story about a writer who is also a radio talk show host and his wife who lose all their five pets one night in December 1997 to an accidental fire while the couple was out. In the months that followed, not only were they grief stricken and felt a deep sense of loss but also felt a sense of guilt and great emptiness. Within months and after lots and lots of tears, they started to "move on" as best they could. Within two years they had rebuilt their fur family including among them several handicapped animals. At the end of the book, their family consisted of a grand total of nine cats, one kitten and four dogs and they couldn't seem happier although they will always think about the night when all 5 of their pets died.
   This is a great book for anyone who has ever lost a pet and would understand the couple's grieving process. And happily the book does end on a joyous note.
   Happy Reading.




4. Having suffered pet loss in two different forms, ( as a result of death and as a result of a divorce) I could empathise and sympathise with David and Charlotte on losing not just one animal companion, but five. Although I do not by any means claim that I fully understand the depth of their grief, no one truly can. Grief is an individual process and experience, because of the relationships that exist between all individuals.

   As I read this book I could only do so a page at a time, stop to cry and grieve for David and Charlotte and then move on again sometime later, to the next page. Once I read up to Chapter Four (I think it was) I could proceed reading normally, although somewhat bleary eyed.

   This is a truly moving and emotionally draining encounter of love, connection, companionship, loss and grief in the truest sense.

   My condolences and my congratulations to David and Charlotte, not just on their loss and a wonderful book respectively, but also for being able to 'see the light' in a time of darkness, by showing the world how animal companionship is, in its most pure and deepest form, and for being able to 'move on' out of respect for five wonderful soul companions.

   As a result of reading their true story, David and Charlotte inspired me to commit 'deeds, not just words' to the animal kingdom. I have committed my spare time to my local animal shelter (Blue Cross Animal Shelter)...and as a result of that deed, I adopted two cats and a rabbit....(to add to my two canine companions and rabbit!!!!)

   You two should be proud of yourselves...your committment is infectious.

   Well done David and Charlotte.

   Blessings for all Animals. May they always have people such as yourselves to see them in peace and harmony, with love.




5. This book tells me it is okay to grieve and it does it very well. The problem is I already knew it was okay to grieve because I was grieving - terribly. I wanted to find out how to deal with my grief. I read a lot of reviews and a lot of books, but the only books that worked for me were Will Fido Be in Heaven and Cold Noses by the pearly gates.

5 comments about I Would Have Bought You A Cat , But... A Get Fuzzy Gift Book.

1. My daughter collects all the Get Fuzzy books. When I saw this was a hard copy I was very excited. They fell to mention the book is like a 5 x 5 and a sentence or two on every other page. Of course my daughter will enjoy adding this bad kitty to her collection but I think the "hard copy" description was deceptive.



2. This is a gift-book that is a compilation of single frames from previously published whole comic strips. The frames are usually the "punch lines" and are funny only if you have previously read the entire strip and understand the dysfunction that is Bucky Katt. There is no new material here. If the recipient of the gift is not familiar with the material, they will not think this is funny. If they are familiar with the material, they have seen all of this before.



3. this is a great gift for any dreamer who says I want a cat!



4. As all of his cartoons, I loved this book. It is very, very cute and would make a great gift for someone who likes cats. I bought it for myself.



5. If you like Get Fuzzy you are going to love this book. I laugh everytime I read it.

5 comments about The Book of Night with Moon.

1. I have read a lot of books about cats, but not many have impressed me like this one did. I thought that the Ailuran culture was fascinating,and the feline wizards were cool!The book was interesting and the plot was original.The battle scene at the end had me on the edge of my seat!If you love cats,you should read this book.It is one of Diane Duane's best!



2. The other reveiwers have already summerized the plot, so let me just say this: "The Book Of Night With Moon" is one of the best cat fantasies I have ever read.
   
   (Okay, maybe that's not a very helpful reveiw, but I just wanted to give this book the five stars it deserves).



3. This book combines two of my favourite elements: cats and wizards. The striking cover art catches the eye immediately, and the story synopsis completes the allure. My previous familiarity with Duane's work is limited to her Star Trek novels, but I consider her contributions to be a high point of the series. All these things combine to make this a novel I would want to buy at first glance.
   
   Chalk it up to my love of cats, but I find it easy to step into their world. Or maybe it's the writing. Either way, the transition is smooth. The plot unravels slowly, building to a climax that is well worth the wait. Duane's attention to character development pays off. The reader cares what happens to the four feline wizards.
   
   The fact that most of the characters are cats could have been reduced to the level of gimmick. This is an area where Duane's skills as a storyteller are quite apparent. She invites you into a willing suspension of disbelief, and you happily accept. While the cats seem as "real" as people, one never forgets that they are cats. Body language, indeed. Every movement, every reaction, is true to feline behaviour.
   
   Each of the cats has a distinct personality, which keeps the reader's interest even through the slower parts of the story. Urruah is the most entertaining, with his sardonic attitude toward just about everything. Saash is the ultra-professional, despite the fact that she has the most to lose. Rhiow functions well in her central role, giving the reader an accessible heroine. Arhu is the most riveting of the main characters. He undergoes the broadest changes, which serve as a benchmark for the developing plot.
   
   As much as I like Ith, I find it difficult to take him seriously. Maybe it all comes down to the image of him casting spells with his stunted arms. I realize Duane must have meant to make him exceptional, to break the "stereotype" of the dinosaur, but he is the weakest part of the story. In the midst of the climactic scene, along comes Ith and the tension is blown.
   
   Overall, I enjoyed the story. Duane has created some wonderful characters. Their interactions ranged from hilarious to poignant without ever losing realism.



4. I might kill you.
   
   Diane Duane is an awesome writer. I love all the characters in this book, and the end is really sad. Not very surprising, but sad.
   
   Please read this book. No wait, why am I saying please? READ THIS BOOK OR ELSE!!
   
   P.S. I know where you Diane Duane haters live.



5. In the late fall of 1999 I first found this book, and the talent Diane Duane along with it, in a bargain bin sale at my local library. I bought it for one dollar for no better reason than that I liked the title and the read on the back of the book sounded interesting. This is not, I understand the best way to choose your reading, but I find if you read two or three books a week, it doesn't matter, you'll find the good ones eventually.
   
   I fell in love with Rhiow almost immediately, and from that grew an immense repect and enjoyment of Diane Duane's writing expertise. I am not a finicky reader, if you tell a good story and avoid glaring grammatical errors, I'll pass over a misspelled word or a small plot hole here and there with no comment. Diane tells an excellent story.
   
   Her world is as deep and rich and real as the one you live in. It is one of those worlds that might just put a lie to that old saying "truth is stranger than fiction." Diane somehow manages to craft this world and make it believable while allowing a story to flow steadily forward that is engaging, dramatic, tear-jerking, humorous, and paced so evenly that coming back to the story after leaving it for a week is almost as natural as after a break of five minutes. The star of Diane's show in this wonderful book, though, is Rhiow.
   
   Rhiow is a CAT, with all the character and temper that goes with that noble title. How can anyone, who a cat has for their own, not see that this story, while fantastic, is dangerously close to the truth, at least as far as cat's characters go. My cat loved this book. I read it aloud to her over a few weekends (I'm not sure if she liked it because I sat still and talked to her for hours on end or if she's been brushing up on her English) and then gave the book to a friend and coworker of mine. After my friend finished the book and put her stamp of approval on it (she's a bigger cat-person and fantasy fan than even I am), I started keeping a copy around to give to any of my friends who turned out to be cat lovers. Yes, this book is that good.