5 comments about Snuggle Puppy (Boynton on Board).

1. An instant hit with my 12mth old son. We love to sing this to him, and he loves to hear us telling him how much we love him.



2. My one and a half year old brings this book to us a lot. She loves the parts where it has the "kiss" because I make the "mwah" kissing sound and give her a kiss. She gets a crack out of it every time and most times tries to kiss the dog in the book right after I make the "mwah" sound. It's an easy read and repeats a lot, so easy to remember the words and the song rhyme. A must add to your collection!



3. This book is amazing! I love all the Sandra Boynton books honestly but this is one of our families Favorites! I love that there is actually music to this song out there so I can sing it to my son. Sandra Boynton has surpassed my expectations in this one! I am thrilled and it will be a well read book in my house.



4. My 15 month old grandsons LOVE this book! They've been enthralled since before they turned one. They love having it read to them and they also love looking at it on their own. We sing our own version of the song and it always, always has a calming effect.



5. My son loves all the different colors of the letters in the book and whenever we read the book he likes to flip to that page and point at it!

5 comments about Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life.

1. The book came in great condition however, it took a few additional days to get to me.



2. i find cesar very easy to listen to the only thing i had hoped there was more info on how to become calm assertive the audio book is funny informative and relaxing to listen to while i am driving.



3. I get more out of Cesar's books in reminding me of my role and responsibility as a pet owner. If you are looking for a tactical book giving you step-by-step instructions, this probably isn't the book for you. Cesar's books don't always give clear tactical steps to dog training. You do X, Y, Z. But I still think it's a good read if you take it for what it is.
   
   What I always take away from the books:
   (1) Reminds us that what we want to give our dogs and what the dogs need, may be two very different things
   (2) Not to humanize dogs with feelings and human traits - but to understand what those traits/instincts mean for the dog and how they explain its reactions
   (3) Remind us to be mindful of my own attitude and the energy I am projecting around animals
   
   
   I've both read a few of Cesar Milan's books AND watched his TV show. When I see the 1-star reviews, I wonder if people are actually reviewing the books or just reacting to the TV persona? Or even just reacting to certain words viewed often as negative like "discipline" or "dominance"?
   
   Personally, I don't understand when I see people saying Cesar Milan rules by "fear". I don't see it. But I do understand that every dog is different and not all training methods will work for every dog. And combining techniques and tactics may be the best route to really benefit your dog.



4. This is an excellent book that breaks down each attribute of cesar's methods into basic or steps so that it is easy for the average joe to follow. We have been able to use this book to help significantly with our high-energy labradoodle. We also just got a new dog and was able to use the steps in this book to properly introduce her to the house and family.



5. This book really helped me to grow in many ways. When I had my first service dog to train two years ago, it wasclear that Autumn needed a strong leader and a versitile training method. THis book helped me understand the manner of the pack behavior dogs exhibit and it showed me how to bring those traits not only into my relationship with my dog, but applying those lessons to my own battle with cancer helped me stay the fight and continue to live. i highly recommend this book for many reasons. Read it to find out how it can and will help you with your dog and your life!

5 comments about 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog.

1. I'm giving this book as a gift to my daughter who has a lab but I had to try a few with my pointer. Very good directions and good results!!



2. I have a therapy dog and we visit hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, etc. every weekend. She is highly trained in obedience, but I wanted to do some fun things with her that the residents/patients could enjoy while visiting them. This book was perfect! She's learned so many new tricks and we had so much fun doing it. It was a nice break from obedience training. Everyone we visit is so delighted, lots of aahhs and oohhs. They always ask for her in particular. The book is filled with tricks for all levels of learning from beginner to advanced and includes tips to make the training easier. When my dog enters a room she waves hello and when we finish our visit/tricks she "bows" and before we leave she "says a prayer". The smiles she gets are so worth it!



3. Our dog can now use the toilet and she remembers to flush every time!! Eat your heart out ceasar!



4. Love it, everything from sit to get me a beer! And it shows you how to do it step by step, the body language, eye contact all of it. I ordered this one and Victoria Stillwells, It's Me or The Dog book. Together they are awesome!



5. There is a short section in the beginning of the book with basics of training and some good tips. The remainder of the book presents 101 tricks you could teach your dog. However, the average number of steps it ~3. Actual techniques for molding behavior, capturing behavior, or naming that behavior for a specific trick are not well explained. For example, "Take it" consists of (paraphrased):
   1. Pick a toy the dog likes and hand it to him with a verbal cue.
   2. "Have him hold it only a few seconds" then you take the toy and give a treat and gradually lengthen the time he holds it before rewarding.
   3. Funny applications of thing he can hold.
   What's missing is how to get the dog to take the toy in the first place. Perhaps your does, but this will not be the case for all of the tricks. You will likely end up with unreliable compliance. Also, detailed positive training books teach getting the dog to reliably do the behavior before adding a verbal cue.
   
   I highly recommend using this book only for ideas once you already know strong basics of positive training.
   My favorite books for this are:
   Treats, Play, Love by Patricia Burhnam---wonderful explaination of how positive training works and plenty of examples
   The Power of Positive Training---plenty of how-to's, but a bit self-righteous about positive training and insistance on clickers. I use a verbal "clicker", the word "yes", and apply the book's methods.
   
   Good luck and happy training!

5 comments about Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals.

1. I love the way Temple Grandin explains things in such a straightforward, no nonsense way. I had a little trouble with the chapter on chickens because there is still so much mistreatment in that industry. I don't know if I'll ever be able to prepare and eat chicken when I think of the visual images. All I can say is that this book gives us hope that people in the industry (and everywhere) are finally realizing that animals DO have emotions and that we as humans have a responsiblity to treat them as such. If you enjoyed Animals in Translation then you will surely enjoy this book. I only hope that people who have a direct impact will read this book and heed its recommendations.



2. Great for anyone living with animals, children, or any adult who acts like and animal or child. I've read many psychology/sociology books. The information provides interesting insight.



3. Not done yet, because I'm reading several books, but this is a fine reference book in regards to many aspects of understanding the animal psyche and how it works on a variety of levels. I'm really enjoying it and will definitely reccomend it!
   Way to go Temple! Outstanding!



4. The Author of this and several other books is remarkable. The recent HBO movie brought Temple Grandin's extraordinary story to a wider audience. Diagnosed Autistic at four years old, the story of her "opening doors" to achieve a PhD in animal husbandry and a full professorship is inspirational. As is her significant contribution to animal welfare in the meat production industry. This was an easy read and very enjoyable. And, sometimes, useful for its insight into animal mentality. She is dispassionate, clear thinking and, probably, most of the time, right. But there's the caveat. She does acknowledge when she is offering an opinion, rather than a scientifically demonstrated fact. (And, by the way shows just how limited our body of scientifically demonstrated fact really is!) This is a valuable and inspirational book which tries to tread carefully through the minefield of human sentiment regarding animals and animal welfare. Her unsentimental and realistic perspective is refreshing. The extent of our ignorance and how that ignorance brings suffering to animals is depressing. But anyone who cares about their pet, or about animal welfare, will truly enjoy Dr. Grandin's perspective.



5. This was my first experience with the famous successful animal activist. It is a delightful read and made the HBO movie on the author a must see. I intend reading more of her books and meeting her at Colorado State or at the World Affairs Conference in Boulder if possible.
   
   RMPowell, MD

5 comments about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

1. Well I read many of the reviews and I was very disappointed to see how many people hated this book. Since I didn't know anything about autism I was very interested to see what this book was about. I really, really liked it and I now want to lean more about autism. If I think that way after reading this maybe there are others who think similar and that is a good thing. I don't believe this is the only way to view autism, but it is A way. THIS IS A NOVEL or fiction, not a true storry! Since I read this book I talked to some people who have kids with autism and many say this book is a fiction, but has some true elements.
   I just want to say to the parents of autistic children who hated this book, that I now want to learn more about Your child's condition and maybe one day I will work with kids like Yours and help them. You never know where you find inspiration and interest in a subject so keep Your mind and heart open!!



2. I read this book because my girlfriend works with Autistic children and she wanted to read it together. I didn't expect much; from the cover, I thought it was Young adult liturature. It turns out that it was a great read with a lot of depth. It was amazing how much tension resulted from everyday situations when seen through the eyes of someone with Aspeger's. It definitly increased my perspective on this condition. Despite the tension it was a pleasant read, with a lot of humor. It was a good page turner for me. I stayed up way too late finishing it.



3. I am the school psychologist for a class of teens with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and related disorders. I purchased a classroom set of books, including the discussion guide and audio set, for the teacher to use as a class project for literature and as part of our disability awareness. Students with AS have a poor sense of self which underlies their deficits in Theory of Mind (that others have thoughts and feelings different from their own) and social communication. The main character, Christopher, so accurately demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of AS. What is most fascinating is that my students, who are aware of their disability, cannot relate at all to the main character, even though Christopher has very similar behaviors to their own. All of this reveals how really impaired AS students are in terms of their intra-personal intelligence and ability to manage in every day life although they are bright and knowledge in other ways. The class is progressing slowly through this book, which is a remarkable story and beneficial for teens with AS to read. However, it is more appropriate to read through with them to get maximum benefit. It is a must reading for parents and others who want to understand Asperger's syndrome in every day life.



4. Christopher Boone, the narrator of this story, is a fifteen year old Rain Man. He is as gifted mathematically as Dustin Hoffman was in the movie, but he's as helpless as he was as well, he's socially without a clue. He sees things differently than others, in his words, "My memory is like a filmÉ.And when people ask me to remember something I can simply press Rewind and Fast Forward and Pause like on a video recorder." He takes what he's told and what he sees at face value.
   
   When he discovers Wellington, a neighbor's pet poodle, killed, stabbed with a pitchfork, he is at first blamed, then he decides to find out for himself who forked the dog. Using Sherlock Holmes as his model, he digs into the crime and this forces him to foray out into the real world, away from the familiar safety of his home and special school. And it also leads to an unraveling of his own family's history. He learns a secret that forces him to re-evaluate everything he's taken for granted and that's pretty scary stuff for a boy like Christopher.
   
   Christopher is a wonderful character and he walks through an endearing story well told. This is a book that should be on everybody's Christmas or birthday list. I can't praise it highly enough.



5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time began beautifully. The mystery of who killed a dog, shown through the eyes of a 15-year-old autistic boy, was more intriguing and entertaining than most of today's generic amateur sleuth mysteries. Written in an easy to read format with helpful diagrams, this book appeared to be an interesting tale that could perhaps shine a little light on the thought processes of autistic teenagers.
   
   About halfway through the book, the dog's murderer confesses and then entire focus of the story shifted. Instead of a mystery, it became a rambling tale of running away from home. It went from engrossing to dull in the turn of a page. With the story switching gears so unexpectedly, it felt as though the book was in fact two separate stories (featuring common characters) pasted together to create a book. It felt off, like something just wasn't fitting properly.
   
   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time's quirky uniqueness didn't translate through the second half of the book. This was a case of an amazing book turning dreary. Had the entire book been dull, it might almost have been better.

5 comments about Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems.

1. Even though my friend and I do not own a dog, we watch "Dog Whisperer" on TV. When my friend's daughter adopted a 9 month old basset hound, we purchased "Cesar's Way" for her in hopes it would help solve the wetting and chewing problems.



2. Excellent - more in-depth than just watching his show. A must-read for all dog owners!



3. his way.
   
   I'm a big Cesar fan but was worried that the book would be just publicity-type writing. However, I found it to be highly-readable and very well-structured. I suspected his co-author, Melissa Jo Peltier, deserves a lot of credit for that as Cesar has always been straight-up about his difficulty in learning and using the English language.
   
   This book clearly conveys what Cesar has taught me using his National Geographic TV show.
   
   - Exercise, discipline and THEN affection
   - The "migratory" walk is essential
   - You can fool people but you can't fool dogs
   - Dogs live in the moment.
   
   Glad to have it all in print for easy reference. Highly recommended



4. This was a wonderful book that provided me with much needed insight into the mind of my dogs. I read this book easily over a short period of time and found it to be very educational. Ceasar lets you know how to interact with your dog in a language he or she can understand. He also gives you some good advice for interacting with other people in your own life. I thought it was great and have seen a big change in myself. My dogs are doing much better as well and I feel more in control of my life. It's a good investment so pick it up!



5. Cesar, teaches you how to become a calm/assertive pack leader and correcting common dog problems. He is great in this book. I've been following his training in this book and noticed a huge improvement in my own dog. Cesar's Way is a wonderful book to own. I've learned a lot from this book and would highly recomend it to anyone who owns a dog.

5 comments about How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond.

1. I purchaced this book from Amazon for help with my chihuahua. She is not a puppy, so was not real helpful, however, I did find help in the book in some areas. Working with behavier problems was very helpful. I ended by buying a book on just Chihuahuas.



2. great book with wonderfull information! very useful tips and wonderful guidelines for raising the perfect puppy. I have a APBT puppy and this book has really helped me raise my puppy right. So far so good!



3. I purchased it for a friend who is not too keen on reading, and a dog training book was not the preferred method of information, yet he is enjoying it. Cesar maintains the reader engaged with easy to understand wording and concepts, this book is informative and surprisingly entertaining!



4. Lots of storytelling, very basic instructions, absolutely nothing when it comes to the more challenging aspects of dog-human relationships. Since my dog didn't read the book, it's up to me to convey the information and apparently there's a communication gap (true in most relationships!). I was looking for more instruction on what to do when we (dog & I) are not successful at the basic level.
   I love Cesar, but believe there's more to the story and I didn't get it in this book.



5. This book goes in to great detail about finding the right dog for you and having the right attitude about everything from potty training to basic manners. The human needs to develop the calm mindset in order to deal with the dog.

5 comments about What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures.

1. I've read all of Malcolm Gladwell's books, and this one has all the merits of what he's done previously. The characters are colorful, he presents interesting research, and he asks (and attempts to answer) intriguing questions. The only thing I found confusing about this book is the articles are organized by topic rather than date (the book is articles he's written for the New Yorker). This organization gets confusing at times since what he discusses in the article has changed since the piece was written. For example, the Enron analysis has a postscript to explain developments that happened since he wrote the piece, but that doesn't keep the piece from being a little confusing/outdated as you read it. The publication dates of the articles aren't listed, which makes it frustrating to know where Gladwell is coming from.



2. This is a book by Malcolm Gladwell.
   
   The book is actually a collection of essays by him that have been in the New Yorker Magazine. Truly an interesting group too - probably something for everyone.
   
   There are around 20 essays in the book. Some of my favorites are the essays on: (1)Ron Popeil aka Mr. Ronco - there is more to those infomercial products and the guys behind them than you might think; (2) the ladies who promoted hair dye - where you learn about the famous line "Does she or doesn't she?" and other interesting items; (3)Enron - actually there are two essays featuring it, and it was even weirder there than you might have thought; (4)Solving homelessness - you might never believe this cost effective method until you hear the whole story; (5)Panic and Choking - the kind involved when you are stressed and don't function correctly, and it really made me think about things I have seen/experienced from a new viewpoint; (6) Hiring and Interviewing - actually two essays and really worth considering.
   
   The title comes from one of the essays that was about a very talented dog trainer. Not one of my favorites, but then I never had an unruly dog.
   
   The author has a very fresh and interesting way of presenting things. Many times he is showing readers (without beating them over the head or putting them on the defensive) how wrong the conventional wisdom about things really is. He has a great writing style and is very persuasive.
   
   Of course, the best thing about the book is probably the selection of topics themselves. This is an art form as done here.
   
   This is a very entertaining book, and I think that most if not all readers will learn something useful from it.
   
   HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!



3. There are few authors that I know of that create that "have to read" feeling for me but Malcolm Gladwell is one of them and this book did not disappoint. What the Dog Saw is a collection of Gladwell's articles written in The New Yorker where he has been a staff writer since 1996. What amazes me the most about Gladwell is his ability to take the seemingly mundane, pair it with two or three other seemingly mundane topics, and make the story interesting and relevant while touching on topics that impact our daily lives.
   
   One of the articles that caught my attention was written about the inventor of the birth control pill, John Rock. He was a Catholic man who was deeply concerned about the approval of his church and, due to his concern, created the placebo pills that women are still taking today. The significance of the placebo pill was to prove that this was a natural form of contraception and no different than the most popular method being employed by the Catholic Church at the time. (Sadly, John Rock was eventually excommunicated and lost his faith even after he worked so hard and, at times, seemed to have the approval of many within the Vatican.)
   
   By calling the pill natural Rock proves that there are many things science knows, such as how to stop women from ovulating, and then there are things science won't, or can't, understand until after they have had time to see the long term effects of their actions. Something that is said to be "natural" or "safe", such as birth control pills made from progestin cannot not actually be accurately judged until enough time has passed to clearly prove the truth behind the statement. (Progestin actually increases the chances a woman will have breast cancer.) Gladwell also points out that as family sizes have decreased and the number of times women menstruate has increased from about 100 times in their lifetime to 350 or 400 times, that the possibility of cancer from cell reproduction in that process has also increased the chances of ovarian and breast cancer.
   
   This actually leads me to something in my life that has been weighing on me heavily. Science introduced vaccines in 1798 (smallpox) and has steadily increased the number of vaccines available (and required by schools/states in most cases) ever since. Undoubtedly most doctors who administer vaccines as well as those who research and invent vaccines have society's best interest in mind and then the drug gets shoved down our throats via the government and the special interest money they so eagerly accept. My point of this is I have no idea what is "necessary" for my child and what will only harm them. My book for week 3 is a vaccine book that is not anti vaccine but takes a more cautious approach than that of Paul Offit. (see Wired Magazine article: An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All)
   
   I already have a healthy fear of the unknown and uncontrollable, and it really bothers me that the first choice I have to make on behalf of my child may bring harm. Vaccines are not something that you can easily research because much of the research is paid for by people who have an interest in finding data either for or against them. Also, you can't pick and choose single vaccines because they are combined with a number of other vaccines that, no doubt, I won't want to give. I'll move on.
   
   Among the other articles Gladwell touches on the actual value of an interview, why knowing if someone will be a good teacher is the same as knowing if a great college quarterback will be great in the NFL and the difference between what it is to "choke" and panic.
   
   You can find Gladwell's bio and most recent articles here.
   
   What the Dog Saw is not only worthy of a read but also a purchase as are the other 3 he has written. (The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers)
   
   I hope this finds you well.
   
   ~jc



4. By comparison, his previous three books are much more insightful and well written than this collection of his New Yorker articles, of which many outstanding ideas had been consummated in those books. On the other hand, I must congratulate Gladwell that he had been improving his writing and story telling skill brilliantly over the years. Pity that I realized so with my finding some chapters in it quite boring indeed. In short, I strongly suggest potential readers to try this in a bookstore before they make a purchase. You may thank me for that.



5. I love Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Outliers. They're outstanding, compelling works. It speaks to how deeply ingrained those works are in the American consciousness to note how easily people inflect their conversations with the terms 'tipping point' and 'outlier'. I'm party to that and I hear it quite a bit from others. And though Gladwell isn't anyone's idea of a narrator from Central Casting, his quirky, breathless, enthusiastic inhabiting of his own words makes the audio version a better option for the complete Gladwellian experience.
   
   I enjoyed this compilation of his works from The New Yorker, but I'm not going to press it into people's hands like I do Outliers and Tipping Point. I liked some of the pieces, got quickly bored with some of the others. If you don't cotton to the subject of a particular piece, you're in for a tough slog because Gladwell's "delightful side excursions" (to quote one of the professional reviewers here) - while thrilling and exciting on subjects you like - can be akin to Chinese water torture on subjects you don't. So, while I listened intently on the Cezanne/Picasso piece and the Cesar Milan piece (just picking examples from my head), I used the 'next track' button on a couple of others. [I did listen to all but two of pieces in their entirety.]
   
   Fans of Malcolm Gladwell owe to themselves to buy this book. Those new to Gladwell should start with Outliers or Tipping Point.

5 comments about Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.

1. This book is about a boy who does not know how to spend his summer so all he does is go in the house and play video games all day. With nothing else to do, Greg says this is how he wants to spend his summer; no responsibility, no cleaning, no nothing. But his mother has a different plan for him. He does not know it but his mother is getting him a dog so he can take care of it and have a good summer. The thing is, Greg doesn"t want the dog so he decides to blow it off. At the end of it all things get worked out. However Greg still feels like he is not having fun this summer so he enjoys the dog the best way he can.
   
   I think that this is a good book because its interesting. I was like that before and I didn't know what I was going to do but at the end of the day I planned something to do. It worked out at the end and I ended up having a great summer just like Greg did in the story.



2. Bought this and another in the series for my 8 year old grandson at his request. He loves this series and I see now they're making a movie with the same story line. Love it when my grandson reads!



3. I ordered the book diary of a Whimpy Kid this is a good book for children of all ages. My order was on time and was no expensive. I was very pleased



4. I am doing this review for my 11 year old son (who is dictating what I should write).
   
   "This is a good book, but not as good as the others in the series. It is funny, but doesn't have a very good story line. The ending is a little weird. But I think you should get this book if you want to complete the series."



5. Even non readers will enjoy it. My daughter likes them, yes its a good book for girls also.

5 comments about The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel.

1. I love this book. What an incredibly beautiful story told thru the eyes of the family dog. Like Enzo, I too believe that your family pet is just that -- your FAMILY and just one chromosome short of being human. This book has made me cry and laugh and warms my heart. Did I say, I love it?



2. An excellent book. I had modest expectations, but after 10 pages, I "got it" and was hooked. Dog owner or not, race fan or not, if you are a parent, a spouse, a friend, or if you have parents, I recommend you read this book. You will relate to it and be touched by it. It's funny, poignant, philosophical, thought provoking and of course, entertaining. Kudos to Mr. Stein for a well crafted, intricately woven piece of literature.



3. Garth Stein's "The Art Of Racing In The Rain" is by far and away one of the most wonderful books I've read in a long, long time. I literally could not put it down, finishing it in less than 24 hours. It's a beautiful, thought provoking story, told with humor, compassion and insight. Thank you for this novel, Garth Stein!



4. Upon reading the first page, the Reader is immediately captivated. Right from the beginning, one falls in love with Enzo, the canine protagonist who promises to break our hearts, but shares with us an intimacy so personal and poignant that one will never be the same again. You will never look at a dog who strives to be a man the same way ever again either upon reading this.
   
   Garth Stein has entered into the realm of emotion few experience and are blessed when they do. At 321 pages, you'll wish there was no end. The prose is beautiful, as are the characters. Be prepared to read a book you will not be able to put down.



5. This takes a very simple idea and turns it around into a beautiful story. You are guaranteed to laugh, cry and come away from reading this book with so much more that when you started. It's life in the eyes of a dog, man's most precious partner. I found myself unable to put this book down and have offered it to everyone I know.