No comments about Wrasses & Parrotfishes: The Complete Illustrated Guide to Their Identification, Behaviors, and Captive Care (Reef Fishes).

5 comments about Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution.

1. This is an excellent book, interesting, easy to read, and convincing. My interest in reading the book was in the "origin" of dogs and of dog breeds, and I am convinced by the explanations in this book. Lots of dog stories, lots of biology and ethology. Altogether superb.



2. I found this book loaded with inaccuracies, leaps to conclusions not scientifically supported, poor understanding of the science of evolution, unfair comparisons of natural selection with artificial selection, misinterpretaion, incorrect definition of the science of psychology, lack of positive peer review as evidenced by the source of recommendations on the back cover and generally frustrated reading for even a Master degree dog behaviorist. I'm sorry, but I found it difficult to believe these folks are biologists. It is clear they are not behaviorists although they freely infer that their opinions and statements are related to science based facts.
   
   I am upset that I spent my hard earned money on this book.
   
   I liked the "stories" and personal experience. The authors go against not only the current trends in well-researched theory but against the better judgment of thoughtful dog lovers. It's a wonder to me that people can make a small fortune printing this stuff.



3. After getting my first dog, I went through at least a dozen dog books in a short time, and this was the best of all of them. The author presents well-thought through arguments to present theories in dog evolution, and doesn't rely on common assumptions of dog behavior. If you are tired of dog books that lack a strong biological foundation, this is the book for you.



4. Heard Dr. Coppinger speak at the APDT conference and was fascinated by his theories, and the fact that he's able to change his opinions as insights, training and knowledge evolves. Not someone that's afraid to say he was wrong or has changed his opinion. Some VERY interesting arguments and absolute bolts of insight that should be obvious, but sometimes isn't, things like why infant, puppy, adolescent and adult dogs have different behaviors and why those behaviors aren't carried from one stage of life to the next, heat exchange principles in working dogs (primarily sled dogs, but applies to all dogs), cognitive vs. inherent behaviors, and the argument as to why we wouldn't be thinking of dogs with regard to their "wolf" ancestry, but that they've evolved so far past that the analogy is no longer applicable. A little "wonky" and research"y" in tone, but totally worth the effort for the insights! Scholar meets technician, clearly someone with real world dog experience.



5. Although this is a superb book written by a knowledgeable author I would not know how to rate it as I HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT!

No comments about Treasury of Great Cat Stories: A Collection of Tales That Celebrates the Mystique and Charm of Cats.

1 comments about The Toy & Miniature Poodle (Terra-Nova).

1. Along with my newly adopted mini poodle, I purchased three books on the breed. This one is by far my favorite for several reasons.
   
   Number one, it was obviously written by a person intimately familiar with the poodle breed. Though it did cover some basics that would be great for any dog owner to keep in mind (such as potty and behavior training and a basic vet overview), it also delved into specific poodle concerns that I - as a new poodle owner - had never known. My concerns about grooming, feeding, special health concerns and training were all covered.
   
   Another thing I loved about this book was its readability. I never felt overwhelmed or bored reading this, and I really felt prepared to take on the ownership of a breed of dog I'd never had prior experience with.
   
   As an added bonus, it came with a neat training dvd that showed some basic training techniques in live action.
   
   Probably my absolute favorite part about this book is that it covers how to ADOPT a poodle. I met my little buddy at the humane society, and most people are shocked to hear that when I tell them (he looks like he could be a show dog). You really can find a pure bred best friend at the pound. But don't let them overshadow all those adorable mixed breeds!!

5 comments about Tarantula Keeper's Guide, The.

1. This book was recommended to me by several people who are into tarantulas. I had no interest in reading any more than the care of tarantulas, but I've now read the whole book, simply because it was so interesting.
   
   I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the critters, and especially to anyone considering keeping one as a pet, or breeding them.



2. As a psychologist specializing in treating people for spider phobia, I found this book brilliant in teaching how to look after the tarantulas I own. As time is an issue for me, I wanted a book that would cut to the chase about keeping tarantulas so I could learn quickly about how to keep them so I could use them in therapy. This book delivered the goods and has allowed me to happily keep tarantulas so as to treat spider phobics. A must for anyone interested in keeping tarantulas.
   
   Anthony Gunn, psychologist and author of Fear Is Power: Turn Your Fears Into Success



3. a very useful and understandable book. An essential text for the lovers of the tarantulas



4. Being new to the tarantula keeping world I found Mr. Stanley's book an excellent source of information on all aspects of spider keeping. Especially helpful was the chapter on raising spider babies when my pet store bought Chilian Rose Hair decided she wanted to suddenly and quite unexpectedly give birth! If you are thinking about raising tarantulas I urge you to read this book first; you will enjoy the hobby so much more if you do.



5. Best reference on Tarantula's I've found. Answers most questions. Will be the most used book on my reference shelf.

4 comments about Golden Retrievers Complete Owner's Manual.

1. No extraction information from purchasers or medical veternarians. (Not anticipated for this type of guide.) One of the more mediocre and sub par publishings on sale. This book is not overly technical in a matter, however not the basic lore a beginning purchaser may need to progress to the more advanced handbooks. The author has not likely obtained enough research for complexity to please most critics in modern day style. To put it rather briefly, the one manual worth the expense would be Nona K. Baur's guide, which contains better categorization, specifics, and overall quality. This is the only manual most definetely worth the expense and payment.



2. It is an extremely awful & boring books that I had read. The content was very 'rubbish', please don't buy this book.It's waste your money and more important, it's waste your time, too.



3. This Is the best book ever for puppy training



4. I found this book very imformative without being over done. It was exactly what I was looking for in a first time book on Golden Retrievers. I highly recommend this book if you are considering puchasing a GR or at all intersted in this breed.

No comments about Poodles For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

2 comments about Build Complete Confidence with Horses: Beat Fear and Excuses to Attain Your Riding Goals.

1. Kelly Marks' s new book is most useful and entertaining. Within is an enormous collection of helpful strategies for managing the moments of trepidation that life with equine beings can contain. It is a veritable tool kit of ideas which can just as easily apply to life in general as to life with horses. One of her suggestions was to try singing nursery rhymes, so, to a sometimes obstreporous young Arabian, his owner sings "Mary had a Little Lamb". Great results! We are grateful! Octavia Gooch



2. I have Kelly's other books and enjoy her perspective on horsemanship. This book is not about horsetraining, it is about working on THE HUMAN, so if you are looking for specific horsetraining information, this is not it. However, it is an excellent guide for anyone not achieving their goals, whether it be with the horse(s) in their life, or any other part of their life. There are specific assignments in the book to help the reader - so reader involvement is required. This book would be great for any riding instructor who is interested in non-traditional methods.

5 comments about Shih Tzu Complete Owner's Manual.

1. This book was very helpful in learning more about my little Shih Tzu (Muffin). As these little rascals can be complex and different from other types of dogs.



2. I am in the process of purchasing a Shih Tzu puppy, and for that reason, this book WAS helpful. It was helpful in a generic sense about the pros and cons of puppies vs. adult dogs, purchasing from a responsible breeder, the expense associated with a puppy, etc., all of which I've seen in other general dog guides. The book outlines roughly the history and orgin of the Shih Tzu, but I found it a bit sparse and was dissapointed. However, there was a very good section on very basic dog training that is sensitive to the Shih Tzu breed. The photos and drawings in the book were a very good bonus. The one thing that I recoiled from was the almost harsh, scolding nature of the author as to who is qualified to add a Shih Tzu to their home, almost using scare tactics and extreme scenarios to frighten people away from the breed. While it is a valuable point that has it's place in any dog breed book, I found it was a bit much. I appreciated the clearly designed chapters and the sections on housetraining and health maintainence.



3. No matter what the rest of the information in this book is like, the mere statement that "Well-run pet shops generally obtain their puppies from good breeders (page 9)" earns the book one star only because there's no way to give it a minus-10 rating. NO good breeder will sell a puppy to a pet store. Pet stores obtain their puppies from puppy mills; now that a lot of people know how appalling the puppy mills are, pet stores will tell people pups come from "local breeders" which just means a LOCAL puppy mill. I could not understand why the author would write such a thing until I read his bio. He works for a manufacturer of pet products. Never, never, never buy a dog or a cat from a pet store unless you enjoy supporting a traffic in animal cruelty.



4. I truly hate to give a book a bad review, because I know the work that goes into one, but this book truly .... It could pretty much be about any breed of dog, it has such a paucity of information about the shih tzu. I bought it because I had just adopted a shih tzu and wanted any help or tips I could get about the breed, and I learned nothing. Please don't waste your money on this book.



5. I am a first-time owner of a Shih Tzu puppie. I found this book extremely informative - from choosing your puppy, to crate training, to feeding, to what to expect from your puppy when you first take it home. It also details the breeding process and whether or not breeding is for you. The book is well worth the price.

1 comments about The Ultimate Level of Horsemanship: Training Through Inspiration.

1. One of those books you do not want to put down until your finished. Al shares a lot of great insight that is well received. The pictures are incredible.