5 comments about Why Goldens Do That: A Collection Of Curious Golden Retriever Behaviors.

1. 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.



2. This book is a must for golden lovers. The pictures are fabulous, surpassed only by the quality of the writing. Each page is a treasure, and even if you already know "why Goldens do that" the writing invites you in, brings a smile to your face and a giggle to your heart. Delightful! It is a book that is a great coffee table book that people will pick up to read over and over again.



3. We have three of these wonderful dogs and the pics and words have them nailed. The cover is a dead ringer for my youngest. I read it and want more Goldens. Great book!



4. I would expect to understand my dog behaviors just like the book promoted on the title. The book does list out all interesting behaviors though. But it does not provide much info more than 1 or 2 lines. I did not feel I know more after reading this book. It is more like a personal experiences of the writer to this breed. So if you want to know what your dog want to communicate with you when he behave something. This is not the right book.



5. This is such a cute book on Golden Retrievers and a must have for anyone who owns one. It's not intended as a training book but an "ah ha!" book on why golden retrievers do all the cute and silly things that they do. It's great for kids and adults and wonderful purchase

1 comments about Runaway Retriever (Pet Trouble).

1. Parker and his older sister lived with their dad. Since she was leaving for college, his sister thought a dog would be just the thing to keep the guys from getting lonely. It didn't take long for Parker to discover that Merlin was more than a cheerful, energetic golden retriever -- he was an escape artist! The baby gate in the kitchen was easy to conquer -- he just jumped over it. But then he learned how to release the latch on the back yard gate, and even figured out how to escape from doggie day care!
   
   The assistant principal is upset because every time Merlin escapes, he comes running to school to find Parker, and a cheerful, tail-wagging golden dog is just the thing to disrupt all the students. How can Parker teach his dog to stay?
   
   This is the first in a series of delightful dog books for middle-graders. Some are more girlie stories than others -- see my reviews. (Loudest Beagle On The Block (Pet Trouble), Mud-Puddle Poodle (Pet Trouble),Bulldog Won't Budge (Pet Trouble))
   
   Kids with or without dogs of their own will love Merlin's escapades. The themes of friendship and family support are also positives. Recommended for boys or girls ages 9-12.

5 comments about A Dog Among Diplomats.

1. Randolph and Harry are back for more!
   
   A great follow-up to A Dog About Town, J.F. Englert picks right up where he left off with A Dog Among Diplomats, keeping the pace going and the characters strong.
   
   Imogen's story is moved forward as the motives behind her disappearance become clearer. It appears that she is involved in much a much bigger picture than first thought possible, and this time it's possible that she's involved in a murder. It's Randolph's job to put the pieces together to help Harry find out what's going on and clear his mistress' name.
   
   I really like the fact that Harry and Randolph's characters are clearly growing both emotionally and as individuals. They both are coming to terms with Imogen's disappearance, possible betrayal and what that means in their lives and how they need to move forward. Jackson returns to give Harry some much needed focus in a new art project, and Zest Kilpatrick is back to try to lead Harry's heart astray. I like to see Englert moving forward with these aspects of the story, and not letting Harry and Randolph wallow in misery. The characters are clearly becoming their own. There is also the addition of a great new cast of characters, including Harry's sister, Iberia, her husband Tony, and their daughter Haddy McClay.
   
   There is a murder, of course, and Randolph is up to the challenge again. Englert leaves Randolph to his own devices this time and creates new ways for him to communicate with Harry, and even lets his more doggie attributes take over, helping him gather the clues through his own cunning. I think Englert has paid attention to his own dog in creating Randolph; there are so many doggie attributes (the snout stamp, for instance) that I can see in my own dog. I like seeing Randolph handle things in a very doggie-fashion (surfing the net and reading aside). It's an original idea that Englert handles perfectly.
   
   The ending is left wide open for another, and I can't wait to run off with Randolph and Harry for more adventures.



2. The follow-up to last year's A Dog About Town comes out of the gate running. And it's a winner! Like the first book in the series, this one is written in the first person from Randolph's point of view. But I was now used to seeing through the eyes (and nose) of a dog by this time! :P
   
   In this installment, Randolph and Harry are still pining after the missing Imogen, but now there's been evidence that she's still alive and in New York City. Though why she was last seen fleeing the scene of a murder, and is now nowhere to be found again, has the police, as well as Harry and Randolph, a bit baffled. Randolph has even been asked to play a part, by playing the role of "therapy dog" to a visiting diplomat who will be staying at the Bed & Breakfast from which Imogen recently fled. Now as a few more dead bodies turn up, Imogen's involvement in this string of murders is questioned, though she still can't be found and brought in for questioning herself. Is this just some elaborate hoax someone is trying to pull? Or is there a reason for Harry and Randolph to be worried?
   
   This was another fun cozy and I look forward to reading more about Harry and Randolph in future books.



3. A really worthy successor to A Dog About Town, this further account of a portly Labrador's adventures leads to spies, the UN, murder, a knife-wielding chef and the thrill of ordering books on the internet. Randolph, the aforesaid Labrador, is the narrator of the book and is still worried about finding his vanished mistress, Imogen, and protecting and communicating with his somewhat gormless human companion, Harry. Harry and Randolph's adventures are sometimes terrifying, sometimes hilarious, and always a great read.



4. If you love dogs and love mysteries/suspense novels, this is a great book for you!



5. The cover of this book makes it obvious it's the dog who is the brains behind the case-solving as he is also the narrator. Let me introduce you to Randolph, a portly black lab with a well developed knowledge of literature among other intellectual interests. Randolph and his owner, Harry, an artist, live in Manhattan.
   
   A DOG AMONG DIPLOMATS is the second in the Bull Moose Dog Run series, the first being A DOG ABOUT TOWN. This story takes up where the first left off with Harry and Randolph both dealing with the disappearance of Harry's girlfriend, Imogene, who was Randolph's mistress before Harry was in the picture. The reader learns fairly early on that the mystery surrounding Imogene's disappearance involves some Australian land and uranium rights that are soon to be willed to Imogene and certain people are willing to kill for them. The steady flow of dead bodies turning up all seem to point to Imogene as the killer, even though there are several spies disguising themselves as diplomats from the United Nations lurking about. Through the course of the investigation Harry discovers that he didn't know his live-in girlfriend as well as he thought he did. He begins to question everything as the evidence piles up, which leaves Randolph even more determined to help prove her innocence. Randolph is able to learn a lot by filling in as a therapy dog for one of the diplomats. However, between the thyroid condition he is suffering from that leaves him easily exhausted and a murderer in close proximity, even his life is jeopardized.
   
   When reading this book, its important to keep an open mind. There are parts of the book, that if taken too seriously could turn the reader off. It's not a serious, bite your nails kind of mystery. I mean, it isn't every day you read about a dog with his own email account or who orders his favorite books online. But with that being said, those are the quirky things about this book that make it entertaining and different. Basically, it's a decent story with interesting characters. There are a lot of them to keep up with, but Englert is able to blend them all fluently. I could find things about the book to pick at, but then I remember that it's a story about a dog trying to solve a mystery, so I choose to keep my perspective, sit back and enjoy the story.

5 comments about I, Trixie, Who is Dog.

1. the book starts off great then kinda just gets lost. The story line really is like it is written by a hyperactive lab...all over the place



2. I have always been a fan of Dean Koontz and yet had not seen anything about this children's book. For Christmas a friend of the family's gave the book to my little boy; a 2 year old. It is OUR favorite bed time story now and I am loving every evening with it. Jak loves the "puppies" and says hello to "Wixie" every evening. Thank you to Dean Koontz for channeling your inner child for our children. Please Thank Trixie as well.



3. Dean Koontz's I, TRIXIE WHO IS DOG receives Janet Cleland's fine drawings as it tells of dog Trixie, who gets to be a dog and appreciate the charms of a dog's life. Author Dean Koontz reveals the joys of doghood through the eyes of his golden retriever Trixie in this delightfully fun story.



4. Trixie is a special dog who is allowed to do many things a capable dog can do, but she dreams of doing more. Just about any adult who has owned a dog can find something to identify with in this 'children's' book. Good for lighthearted laughter and memories of that special dog from back when. The illustrations match the tone of the words. A fun book for adults.



5. I would love to see more of his books made into movies. I can see it when I read them. Just like I did with M. C. & T. C. & J. G.

5 comments about Moments With Baxter: Comfort and Love from the World's Best Therapy Dog.

1. What I liked best, of course, was Baxter. I also liked the information provided about therapy dogs and the certification process.
   
   What I liked least was "the book." I often am disgusted by the poor grammar and writing skills found in fiction offerings and am frequently infuriated by these issues in non-fiction. This book, however, reinforced the truth that even when grammatically correct, something can be poorly written. I didn't enjoy the stories because I found myself going into editing-mode and mentally rewriting the stories to make them more, er, "readable." Ms. Joseph is an English teacher so I expected the proper use of the language and that expectation was more than met. She shouldn't plan on writing any more, though, unless she works on a writing style to encourage reading pleasure - not just information transferal.
   
   The proceeds from the sales of this book go to terrific causes, the production aspects of the book are beautifully done (it's pretty), and the value of the content will lead me to recommend that others purchase it. I won't recommend it as a good read, though, because I don't think it is one.
   
   I salute Ms Joseph, her husband, and all the myriad persons and organizations who train, own, and use therapy animals. That doesn't mean, though, that I have to say that any of them are great writers or that books about any of them are necessarily good books.
   
   I'll give Baxter, the dog, and his owners 10 Stars!
   
   I can give Baxter, the book, no more than 2 stars



2. This book was amazing to me as very few dogs of Baxter's size live to be as old as he did! I have owned and loved Chow's for over 25 years and Baxter's temperment is not the norm for Chow Chow's! The short "moments" of each story really touches your heart and with proceeds going to charity it is a great book!
   
   Baxter was meant to be a therapy dog and he did it well!
   
   Gwen B. Williams
   Rocky Mount, NC



3. I have a dog. And the reason that's so important in this review of Melissa Joseph's beautiful coffee table book, "Moments with Baxter", is that the first thing anyone thinks of when they read a book about dogs is their own dog. If they don't already have a dog, the thought is always of whether or not they should get a dog, and if so, should it be one like that. In this particular case, one like Baxter.
   
   Baxter is a therapy dog, which is a dog with the task of visiting children and the elderly at libraries, hospitals, and homes for assisted living, lending its companionship to those who are sick or hurt. "Moments with Baxter" is a collection of stories about the people he has known throughout his career as a therapy dog, told by his owner, Melissa Joseph. Baxter is a large golden bear of a dog, who came into his career at a late age, around 14, and completely swept the employees and patients of San Diego Hospice off their feet.
   
   The stories are told through large scale photos of Baxter visiting hundreds of different people throughout the ward. They are remarkably uplifting photos, many of them depict men and women who are near death and yet up and smiling, their bone thin arms wrapped around Baxter's neck with youthful smiles on their faces. These aren't the kind of photos we associate with hospitals, and it's difficult to comprehend the transformation that 15 minutes with a therapy dog can bring to someone.
   
   Baxter brings a kind of ease that is also uncharacteristic to the hospital setting, typically fraught with emotional extremes; the wailing of a family's loss, or the infant cries of a newborn. Baxter is such an amazing dog because of how clearly none of this touches him. He seems complacent in the photos, never sad, but never overjoyed either. He stares almost inquisitively at the camera as if to say simply, "I'm a therapy dog. This is what I do." And people squeeze him and smile, they put adorable hats on him, squeeze him again, and he maintains his respectful demeanor.
   
   I think about my own dog, Tortuga, and how excited she gets to meet anyone. She does cartwheels, and her tail wags so hard that it carries her entire body with it. People are flattered to meet her, but she nearly knocks them down with her massive feet. When she gets older she'll make a wonderful therapy dog, but for now it's obvious why Baxter is such a master.
   
   "Moments with Baxter" is a book that anyone with a dog should have. Even if your dog isn't one for therapy, it proves that some dogs, like people, are bred to make a difference in the world. All of the proceeds through purchase of the book go to Therapy Dogs International, so if you think your dog is up to becoming a therapy dog the first thing that you can do to help is buy the book. Check out [...] for more information on therapy dogs, and put this book on in your home. Your dog will love it.



4. THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK. I BOUGHT ONE FOR MY FRIEND AND SHE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. I READ ABOUT BAXTER BEFORE I PURCHASED THE BOOK AND I AM GRATEFUL THAT I PURCHASED IT.



5. This is a great book with a wonderful story about a wonderful dog. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple times and he was an amazing pup.

5 comments about Dog Years: A Memoir (P.S.).

1. As an owner of two dachshunds, Dog Years struck a deep chord within me. Doty touches deeply on the uniqueness of each beloved animal, and does so with grace and sensitivity. To me, the book was largely a metaphor for life, which is surrounded by both love and pain, both of which are amplified as we grow older. In this sense, Dog Years was very much a memoir about Doty's life following the death of his partner, Wally. Dog Years is more poetic than his earlier memoirs, possibly because the challenges of advancing years are not as concrete as surviving a difficult childhood (Firebird) or the death of a spouse (Heaven's Coast). But this format works well for me, and it seemed to work well for Doty. Thank you, Mark, for sharing this new phase of your life with us.



2. Although he talks about his dogs, this is more about his views on life and his lame attempt to turn his poetry into prose. He should stick to writing poetry so that I won't be tricked into reading his verbose and idiosyncratic perceptions of reality. If you're looking for insight into dog-human relationships, look elsewhere.



3. Dog Years is a warm, insightful tale of the lives and the love between two people and their two dogs. There are not many books I would read more than once, but this one I will. Simple and heartwarming.



4. My wife purchased this book originally and put it down after one chapter. Since we own two Goldens, and are rabid fans of the breed and their unique, wonderful attributes, I picked it up and after two chapters also lost interest in spite of it's original promise.
   
   First, the author begins the memoir where the author of "Marlee and Me" ends the story. However, Mark Doty fails to build a relationship between his pet and the reader before launching into his own maudlin sentiments regarding his lost relationship and pet.
   
   Second, Doty struggles trying to over intellectualize the obvious. Somewhat inane ideas, that dogs don't ruin their lives with written words or verbalization, are both obvious and irrelevant and certainly not conscious decisions on your dog's part. Chapter One could be better summarized with a simple statement, "Words can't capture the truths that a story or a picture convey." But instead of weaving a story, the reader is subjected to sentence after sentence trying but failing to express this elemental idea.
   
   The author is gay and weaves his lifestyle and interest into the story as well. While I was interested in this aspect, I found that, again as with his pets, relationships with partners lacked development, substance or depth.
   
   Oh well, the library will get a donation for either placement or the annual book sale.



5. I thought this book was beautifully written and a heartfelt tribute to the dogs who change our lives. Mark Doty writes exceptionally well about love, loss and the ways in which pets can both shape the key moments in our lives (good or bad) and help us cope with them.
   
   The book doesn't follow a chronological format and seems to be organized more around ideas than a sequence of events, in other words it isn't a single story like a novel would be. I liked this for the most part but felt occasionally that the author got a little bit convoluted in his own thoughts. It wasn't that there was anything I didn't enjoy, but sometimes I thought the author got sidetracked down roads that didn't serve the book overall. Hence the four stars.
   
   However I definitely recommend this book for people who loved dogs, people who love good writing and people who are fans of Mark Doty in his other writings. You will enjoy this book!

5 comments about Golden Retrievers For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. For someone don't know anything about dog or how to take care of a dog. It helps.



2. I don't know what I was thinking ordering this book online. I recently purchased a golden puppy and I was hoping to learn more about the breed and training. It has a lot of useful information for people who are deciding whether or not to buy a golden. However, I already purchaced my baby and the book what not all that helpful. It seems like the book can erase and insert any other breed name into it. Very general puppy training info. I was able to read the book in 2 days. I was expecting more from a women who has owned goldens herself for many years. This just reaffirmed my reasons for not buying online. You really have no idea what you are getting. I won't do it again.
   Good Luck to others with Goldens. They are the best breed ever.



3. I have not had a dog for a long time and was attracted to the Golden breed partly because of a recent major "rescue" effort in our area. I thought it would be nice to have an older dog as companion since I am now retired. Reading this book showed me how impractical it would be for me since I don't want to spend 12 hours a day caring for a dog. If all the suggestions in the book were followed - daily walks, daily brushing, visits to dog parks, cleaning teeth, constant presence, significant costs for frequent vet trips it would be like having a baby to care for. Plus, the descriptions of possible parasites and maladies were frightening and gross - it was an interesting book but too much reality and convinced me that I could not take on all that responsibility. What ever happened to just having a dog?



4. This is a good, informative book. Fun to read. Lots of easy to read information. Never boring.



5. This book provides comprehensive information what you need to know to raise this lovely man best friend. It is a quick guide where you do not have to start from the first page. You can jump to any section you need to know about it. So I found it quite useful and worth my money.

5 comments about Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story.

1. Wills is a bright child with autism. This is his story, and it's filled with small, revealing and inspiring victories -- Wills trick-or-treating, Wills finally saying, "I love you," and my favorite, Wills laughing during a bubblebath! All these triumphs can be traced back to Cowboy, a golden retriever. Cowboy didn't live a long life (that's a warning to grab the tissues), but the impact she had was incalculable.
   
   
   As one who has been lucky enough to only love healthy children, I never really thought about how crushing a diagnosis like autism must be. I realize it's not insurmountable, and recognize that many autistic children are high-functioning, but the unrelenting fact of autism and the challenges it presents must be so daunting. So I thank Monica Holloway for waking me up to that.
   
   I only wish that, from now on, Monica Holloway considers shelter dogs for Wills. Their hearts are as filled with love as a purebreds, and they need families more.



2. I really liked this book, but admittedly had to work around the author's style to get there (I'm still wrestling with the description of a bale of hay that came apart in her yard like a pan of Jiffy pop. Huh?) I didn't think she was a terrible writer, but I didn't think she was an especially good one, either.
   
   It seemed lopsided that she evinced so much insight into Wills' behavior and so little into her own. Also, it was frankly irritating to read her constant complaints about how financially drained she was, while we also heard about her being able to devote herself to Wills full-time without outside employment, taking care of her big house and swimming pool, sending Wills to private therapists and schools, making countless trips to pet stores, spending thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, and conveniently having another untapped credit card pop up in her wallet every time she maxed one out. She also bewails her husband working so much, as if it's never occurred to her that someone has to finance this lifestyle.
   
   Nevertheless, I liked "Cowboy and Wills." There were good lessons about what happens when people ignore the tragedy of puppy mills because of their greediness to get a dog right now. Although I disliked the author's constant acquisition of seemingly interchangeable pets, I admired her commitment to knowing and taking good care of each one. And I loved the way Cowboy rescued Wills; I couldn't help but think how much more fun and social interaction I have whenever my dog is along. Yep, I'm a sucker for a good boy and his dog story, and "Cowboy and Wills" delivers.
   
   I'm also a sucker for good writing, and although I liked the author, herself, as I got to know her in the story, I often wished she'd used that bottomless credit card to hire a ghost writer.



3. This is a love story, about a child and a dog. The writing is competent, but not inspired. The story is a good one, a story that keeps the reader interested, but not quite glued to the page. I felt that the author could have done so much more with this, but for some reason did not. There were no obvious mistakes or glaring defects, just a creditable effort that failed to reach for greatness. I think most people will enjoy the book without being profoundly moved.



4. How can any of us know the pain of finding out your child has autism unless you have been there. This author successfully brings us into that world, into the heartbreak that followed the diagnosis of her precious son. She brings us into that world of sensory overload that autistic children feel. The bond between her precious boy and his dog is the cornerstone of this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how a family feels when it is stuck by autism and anyone who wants to read a truly meaningful story.



5. 
   To set the parameters of my review: I know next to nothing about autism. My knowledge of this disorder is limited to the anecdotal, the various news items and studies that pass across our daily consciousness, this and that about autism being over diagnosed, that it may be caused by something in our food, or by various childhood vaccinations, and other such. I won't claim to hold strong opinions on any of this, as it has not been an area of research or particular interest to me. I have a couple of casual acquaintances with autistic children, both highly functional, and that's it--that's all I've got.
   
   For this very reason--because I know so little about this diagnosis which children today alarmingly often seem to have attached to them--I took on reading Monica Holloway's Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story with particular interest. I wondered if autism might be something like ADHD, another diagnosis that seems difficult to make. Indeed, my own son was diagnosed with it at one point in his childhood and early teen years, only to have the next doctor cry "balderdash!" and the next one reverse that and the next one reverse that again. I eventually agreed with the balderdash opinion. He does not, never did, have ADHD. Nor did he have any other number of diagnoses that various doctors with an alphabet soup of credentials behind their names make. He was a teenager growing up without a father in a single-parent home, and so he acted out his anger and confusion and fear of abandonment. He grew up, gained maturity and understanding, and stopped acting out. End of story. So is this epidemic of autism anything like that? I don't know, don't claim to know, but my curiosity was piqued.
   
   I was quickly drawn into Monica Holloway's story about her young son, Wills.
   
   "Wills Price is exceptional.
   
   "If you happen to meet him walking down our street, you'd see a lanky boy in red baggy sweatpants. His thick black eyelashes frame enormous, cornflower blue eyes and he has freckles that march across the top of his tiny turned-up nose. When he lets loose with a belly laugh, his dimples deepen and he throws his head back while twisting the front of his shirt. He prefers wearing stripes--T-shirts, and turtlenecks mostly. He's very particular about this. There have to be stripes."
   
   As a mother, I was already smiling. My son is a big man now, with great heart and great shoulders, carrying his own world upon them, but how well I remember that sweet little face then, those moments of shining brightness, the up-turned nose and freckles, the childish chortle that would remind me, in my adult world, how to laugh.
   
   So Monica Holloway quickly became my friend. My distant alter ego, struggling with parenting and its myriad challenges. The particulars didn't matter. What mattered to me as a reader was that I recognized a mother who loves her child with every fiber of her being, and would do anything but anything for him, even the toughest task of all--step back and let him occasionally take a fall on his own. I won't say that all her parenting skills were perfect. Who am I to know? There is no manual, only heart required, lots of it and always open. Holloway has that. And in her self-effacing style of telling the story of Wills and his golden retriever pup, Cowboy, she was touchingly willing to put her own shortcomings out there for public scrutiny. Her writing style reminded me a little of the popular author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love and Committed), juxtaposing serious medical concerns (in Gilbert's case, the seriousness of the pain of a marriage breaking up) with delicious moments of humor. After all, sometimes life hurts so much all you can do is laugh and get on with it.
   
   Using animals as therapy may not have initially been Holloway's intent, but as most mothers do, she operates by instinct. When Wills has a particularly bad day--sobbing when his classroom of peers are too loud, too fast, too bustling with a confusion of activity, for instance--Holloway makes a detour to the pet store. She brings home guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, rabbits, hermit crabs, turtles, in short, a menagerie of critters to soothe and amuse her son. And it works. Any pet owner will tell you, and the medical profession, too, that our pets can relax rattled nerves, lower blood pressure, and alleviate a sense of isolation. It is not unusual to hear about animals opening up humans to functionality when other humans fail to do so. Buying the boy a puppy seems a natural progression on the animal chain of pets.
   
   While I may question Holloway's decision to be very close-mouthed with others about her son's autism, and by doing so isolating herself and her family from social support and no doubt other avenues of help and advice, I will not judge her for it. I have not raised her son; she has not raised mine. Every individual is different, and if I have learned to trust anything, it is a mother's loving instinct on raising her son. I trust that instinct even over medical professionals. I have had reason to do so. Perhaps she does, too. Wills, after all, is highly functioning, and really quite bright. The words that come out of this babe's mouth gave me quite a few occasions for my own belly laugh in reading about his young life. There is no quibble with the boy's high level of intelligence and wit!
   
   So there is Cowboy, the other great personality in this story, the furry charmer. Cowboy is actually a girl dog, and she arrives with a medical issue of her own--canine lupus. Another thing I did not know: dogs, too, can get lupus. When Holloway first brought the puppy home from a pet store, even as she knew that buying dogs from pet stores isn't always a good idea (puppy mill sources), she did not know about the lupus, only that the pup seemed infected with something. Cowboy did live about two and a half years, and charmed years they were. The Holloway family falls in love with her and she with them, but no one more so than Wills. The photographs alone in the book are enough to make one's heart toasty warm: the boy and the dog curled up together in deep sleep. Where humans have fallen short in easing the boy's discomfort in adjusting to the world around him, the dog nudges him beyond his comfort zone and inspires him to go beyond his earlier limits.
   
   The Holloways spend a great deal of time and money on their son, and it is a blessing that they apparently are able to do so--maxing out credit cards, dipping into and emptying accounts, while taking Wills to a laundry list of specialists and therapists, even hiring someone to "shadow" him in school while he adjusts. Not all parents have such means, but lucky are those who have them to use. We all do whatever we can for our children, and then some. Nothing can carry us through like the unconditional love of a good mother.
   
   Even when we have to deal with a very painful loss: Cowboy eventually succumbs to his lupus. Still a young dog, she dies, and having gone through that, too--the loss of a much loved pet that stayed true when not all humans would or do--I understand the grief the entire Holloway family feels. Yet the wonders Cowboy was able to accomplish for Wills live on. He is much more social, much more comfortable in his daily routine, because of those two plus years with Cowboy as constant companion.
   
   This is a tender love story--between mother and son, between boy and dog. It tugs at the heart in all the right ways and by all the right strings, with laughter and tears, surprise and delight, frustration and grief. Whatever the particulars of how any one family chooses to deal with their problems, one thing rings true. Everyone needs a safe place in life in order to thrive. A place where we know ourselves loved for who we are, and are always encouraged to be more.
   
   ~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet, Spring 2010 Issue

5 comments about A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog.

1. Liked it so much I bought a few more & gave as gifts to my animal-lover friends!



2. Those of us who are "blessed" to share our lives with animals truly know how honest this book is. Dean Koontz has given us a glimpse into his & his wife's soul and heart and especially TRIXIE's. Yes animals do have both and we humans are the richer for this. Thank God The Creator! And yes, thank the Koontzes. I am the richer and better for having read this candid and honest book. In fact, the first book I have read by this amazingly gifted and skilled author. I have already ordered two more to try from his fiction (Odd Thomas & From The Corner...).
   I am blessed with four dogs and four horses. Though a professional church musician I own a small farm. These eight animals are always teaching me something new to be in a state of wonder and amazement over. Yes, they do think and do their best to communicate with us humans. AND!, one of the dogs tries to form words at times. The part about Trixie saying "ball" resonated with my spirit. My heart at times ached and my tears welled up. This is an excellent lesson for all us humans in HUMILITY and TRUTH. Do not pass up this excellent book of KNOWLEDGE & INSIGHT into our wonderful relationships with animals and especially dogs as modeled by TRIXIE!!!



3. As a dog lover and Dean Koontz fan, I was doubly pleased with this offering. Koontz is clearly a man of heart or he wouldn't have his beloved goldens in nearly everything he writes, and I'm happy that his popularity permitted him to write this tribute to a wonderful dog. He understands them as only a true dog lover can.



4. Dean Koontz gives us a biography of Trixie, as well as a glimpse into his own life and thought processes. I was predisposed to like this book, because i like how Mr. Koontz uses the english language: There is grace and humor in his writing no matter the subject. Being animal lover helped too. When he talks of 'time and memory (Ch 16) 'dogs and death' (Ch 17) he is preaching to the choir: i have no doubt that animals have a consciousness and dare i say it? Souls.
   But if you prefer txtspk and are convinced of mankind's superiority in all aspects of life, this is not for you.



5. with the cutest, smartest, bestest dog in the whole world? Of course not, because all of our dogs are like that. I know he supports Canine Companions for Independence and the like (I do too), But his style is so wide-eyed Gee whiz that I couldn't read it. Didn't plan to read the ending anyhow. We have a handful of dogs waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge. All of you do, too, as does Mr. Koontz.

5 comments about Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever 2010 (Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever).

1. This book for its utility I think it is very important for whom study and research cinema and also for whom collect movies.



2. I purchased this book for my wife as a Christmas present because she is a movie nut. She name obscure movies and those actors and actresses that most have never heard of. She is truly enjoying the book because it has introduced her to lost treasures that she had forgotten about or never knew of.



3. I love this complete summary of videos. It's a constant reference for me. I bought copies for two friends because they are movie buffs and were unaware of this complete summary.



4. Everything is in here. I like to collect soundtracks so the "composer" section lets me look to see what my favortie composers have written for movies lately like Hans Zimmer, James Horner, John Barry, John Williams,Preisner and many others.
   I also use it to help me finish crossword puzzles. I have bought one every year for the past 10 years and still think it's the most complete.Also It has a whimsical attitude and makes reading it fun, as in the "categories"



5. I've been buying the Videohound Golden Movie Retriever book for many years now. I eagerly await the arrival of each new year's edition, and then pass on my (very well used) old edition to whichever family member asks for it first. While very occasionally it doesn't list a movie I am watching, for the most part not only is it a complete listing, but the reviews are usually dead on. The Extras are invaluable. I cannot imagine not having this reference at my fingertips!