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The monks of New Skete have been breeding and training dogs at their New York monastery for more than 20 years. Their philosophy of raising dogs accentuates the essential human-canine bond, whereby owners must learn to understand a dog's instincts, needs, and behavior. Understanding a dog, the monks say, is the key to successfully training him. They first published this philosophy in their 1978 classic guide How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend. Now the monks concentrate on the first three months of a puppy's life in The Art of Raising a Puppy.
The book observes a litter of monastery puppies from birth to 12 weeks. Tender photographs and dialogue reflect these precious first few weeks of life. Even at this time, the human-canine link is vital; the monks stress the importance of gentle touch to help forge this connection. Basic puppy training techniques are explored and executed, all of which puppy owners should find easy to implement. Virtually all types of dog problems and dog training are examined in the book, always in compassionate and easily comprehensible language. The monks also look well beyond surface training techniques to analyze the roots of dogs' problems and explain how training can help. Owners are taught how to gently assert dominance over their dog, which will make for a long-lasting and fulfilling relationship. Beautiful black-and-white photographs of monastery puppies will pull at every heartstring.
Customer Reviews:
Must read for any pet owner.......2007-09-21
Even if someone does not have a dog, I'd recommend this book to any pet owner. The "Big Idea" of this book is that "obedience" actually translates into "to listen" and "discipline" actually means to teach.
The Monks emphasize that their is a relationship (they would say a divine relationship) between a dog and his owner...but that relationship is based upon mutuality...a mutuality of respect and responsiveness. (Kind of a nice way to look at human relationships as well.)
Flowing from this is that the owner has a responsibility to be a thoughtful, kind teacher and to attentively "listen" to their dog...not to "correct", not "punish", but to understand their dog and to teach their dog with respect and kindness.
If you have an opportunity to view the Monks DVD or VHS on this topic you can see the love and understanding these men have for their dogs...they aren't simply "training", they have a deep and profound relationship with their dogs.
This is not only a "dog training" book, this is a great book on how to relate to all living creatures.
A "Must Have" for anyone with a puppy.......2007-08-29
This is the best book I've found on raising a puppy, by far. It's easy to read, the instructions are clear, the approach is humane, and the monks add a touch of philosophy that fills the book out nicely. As we've followed the monk's approach our puppy has learned and behaved exactly as
the monks said he would. It's made for a happier puppy and a happy family all around. We've found several dog trainers who use the monk's approach with great success. Excellent puppy traininng book!
A must own.......2007-08-29
No one should get a puppy before reading this book.
Best no-nonsense approach to raising a puppy. I have had many dogs in my life and I still learned stuff from this book.
Puppy raising DOGma from the Monks..........2007-08-26
Let me begin by saying that I am not an expert on this topic, but I love my puppy... and feel I need to be.
The merits of this book is that it documents the THINKING, experience and methodology of a group of monks who've dedicated their lives to raising German Shephards... the downside is that it ONLY discusses their method, and does not take into account any others - - of course, this is not a fault of the book - - they are simply describing their approach (which they feel happens to be right, and all others wrong), but while their method is not "radical", I'm wondering if the method is really for everybody and all dogs... (The method, incidentally is somewhat orthodox leash training - - and does not use treats as rewards... I worry that some people might get out of hand with the POP-no's, and it may not be for PEOPLE who might confuse the corrective associations with acts of utter dominance and intimidation! Unfortunately, in reading a book, how can a person's leash technique be corrected. In the end, at one extreme of the scale the monks warn against coddling and spoiling the dog... but on the other hand, we don't want to traumatize it either!)
another point: their writing style is easy to understand, but at the same time a bit dry (no warm and funny anecdotes, or as another reviewer elsewhere said "psychobabble") - - again, a plus or minus depending upon how you look at it.
In the end, the fact that this book does DOCUMENT in detail the process of how they raise their pups makes it GREAT reading... however I think the key caveat is that it should be supplemented with other reading...
Outstanding guide to understanding and training your puppy.......2007-08-25
The monks of the New Skete Monastary in upstate New York have produced an excellent guide for puppy owners of all experience levels. Their training philosophy is based on using the dog's pack instincts to establish the owner as the "pack leader" who must be obeyed and looked to for leadership. I saw two main areas where the monk's recommendations differ from the other training techniques commonly advocated today. First, they advocate using praise and affection as a reward for behaviors (rather than food treats). Second, while they advocate positive reinforcement of desired behaviors, they differ from other common contemporary training methods when it comes to dealing with unwanted behaviors. The monks advocate humane correction rather than the ignoring of undesired behavior. We found this to be absolutely essential with our 12 week old German Shepherd puppy when the "ignore" method advocated by other trainers failed utterly.
The book is laced with many helpful photos to illustrate the training points and contains an excellent chart of of dog facial expressions for various states of mental condition (thus helping you understand your dog's state of mind: very important in effective training).
Overall this book is a must-read for anyone who has a puppy or is considering acquiring one.
Customer Reviews:
Was a great book in its time........2007-09-20
There is no question that the author was a world class dog trainer. It is just as obvious that the book was written decades ago when beating the dog was an acceptable form of discipline. We are a little more sophisticated than that today.
The training techniques and protocols are timeless and I highly recommend them. I used them to train my Lab and the results have been great. But I don't beat him!
Great Book.......2007-07-16
This book is awesome, although it was writen a long time ago it is a great guide on how to go about training a retriever for waterfowling. I read this book after reading "Game Dog" by the same author and they are great complements to one another. Game Dog is more structured by the pups age, but "Water Dog" gives more detail on some of the instruction and also talks alittle more about disipline and what to do if the dog refuses your commands.
Old but still correct.......2007-06-08
Mr. Wolters was really the first to strongly urge that puppies should start being trained at a very early age. What stands out about this old book is the emphasis on common sense. Short training lessons for puppies and consistency in how the owner trains and what he/she expects from the dog. I've used this book several times in the past and think it's just as good now as it was in the early '60's.
waterdog book.......2007-02-12
had this book along time ago lost it just got my three boys a white lab from santa it is only 12 weeks old already doing commands on a whistle
classic dog training.......2007-01-03
This book is easy to read and contains a ton of great information about dog training. Be forewarned, that if you plan on using a training collar you should get a book that covers those basics as well since this book was written before that training tool became available.
This is one of his later books and as such contains improvements in technique and his writing style. This is _the book_ if you're training a retriever. His methods for teaching a dog to do blind retrieves are a little logistically difficult and I'd suggest not using them unless you have the resources nearby.
Book Description
Top Working Dogs : A Training Manual covers procedures, problems, solutions for tracking, obedience and protection. It is the most comprehensive, most useful, most practical, most detailed Schutzhund training guide available. It presents in detail the secret training methods used by experts, and chapters on training psychology, puppy training, selecting the right instructor, etc., benefit novice, experienced and professional trainers alike. The book is easy to understand and virtually guarantees results. (Don't lend it to anyone, they won't return it!)
Customer Reviews:
All-inclusive working dog reveiw.......2006-08-18
This book covers many different possible 'occupations' of a working dog, and is written clearly. Not many pictures, it is full of information. If you are considering raising a working dog, this book outlines the various levels and certifications you (the handler) and the dog will need to complete. If you are interested in learning about a particular aspect more, this book will provide a description of that occupation and what that occupation entails.
Top Working Dogs.......2006-03-09
Found the font size small, not that easy to read. However, the content is superb, if there is an updated version (training methods etc. change)I would be first in line.
It is so good to get a book from a pro, someone who's been there, done that, got the T shirt at the very highest level.
For Serious Schutzhund Enthusiasts.......2005-07-27
After purchasing many dog training manuals and finding them not quite up to snuff, I was very pleased to finally find a book which was comprehensive and authoritative. It breaks each area of the sport down and is easy to follow. The book is intelligently written.
Great information IF you can read it!.......2004-06-24
The 3rd edition (1994) of this book is VERY HARD TO READ. The font set is about 5 or 6 points, single spaced, very tightly packed. You need great eyesight and still must be ready for eyestrain. I can read anything up close, but this is the worst book, PHYSICALLY, I've ever had to read. Still, you can't fault the quantity of information and the first (brief) perusal makes me want to read more. I was dismayed when I opened the book so I'm giving you a heads up. I'm going to buy a magnifying glass.
A great all-rounder.......2000-06-24
I have owned this book since shortly after it was published, except for the short period of time when a local police dog-man "borrowed" it. I ended up repurchasing it! This book is solid and sound in content, and has information that will appeal to beginners and experts alike in the fields of tracking, obedience and man-work. I review it as a resource book whenever I need a fresh training idea for a dog or a group of trainers. I no longer loan it - I recommend you buy your own.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
"Kitty Burns Florey seems to write from a great wellspring of inner calm that derives from a gleeful appreciation of life's smallest details."-Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Empire Falls
Once wildly popular and used by grammar teachers across America, sentence diagramming is now a lost art to most people. But from the moment she encountered it in the sixth-grade classroom of Sister Bernadette, Kitty Burns Florey was fascinated by the bizarre method of mapping the words in a sentence.
Now a novelist and veteran copyeditor, Florey studies the practice in a charming and funny look back at its odd history, its elegant method, and its rich, ongoing possibilities. From a discussion of its birth at the Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn, to a consideration of how it works, to a revealing look at some of literature's most famous sentences in diagram, it is a charming and often inspiring tale.
Along the way, Florey explores the importance of good grammar and answers language lovers' most pressing questions: Was Mark Twain or James Fenimore Cooper a better grammarian? Can knowing how to diagram a sentence make your life better? And what's Gertrude Stein got to do with any of it?
Customer Reviews:
A Fond Tribute to the Fun, Floundering Art of Diagramming Sentences........2007-08-27
"Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog" is not a primer on sentence diagramming but a fond tribute to this outmoded exercise by Kitty Burns Florey, who learned to civilize sentences from Sister Bernadette in the 6th grade. A good-humored history of diagramming, a critique, a showcase, and a rumination on the value of correct grammar and usage, "Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog" delights and informs -if you're the sort of person who thinks diagramming sentences is marvelous fun and who cringes at muddy, muddled language. If you don't know how to diagram a sentence, this book is not the best place to learn. You could glean the basics if you have a solid background in English grammar, but the author has not included any real instruction for diagramming.
Ms. Florey guides us through the history of sentence diagramming, born in 1877 of the 19th century compulsion to classify, to its eventual tumble into obscurity in the 1960s. Along the way, she examines diagramming's strengths and weaknesses -namely that you can't always reconstruct a sentence from its diagram due to the uncertain word order. Her quest for undiagrammable sentences leads to Gertrude Stein, who was passionate about grammar, eschewed punctuation, and wrote many undiagrammable sentences -if you can call them sentences. Florey diagrams long, complex sentences by Henry James and the straightforward prose of Ernest Hemingway, among others. Would Proust or James have been fettered by the regimental logic of sentence diagramming? I doubt it. Stein sure wasn't.
Ms. Florey doubts that diagramming sentences produced better writers and believes its greatest benefit may have been to make grammar fun. I give it more credit than that. I learned diagramming in the 8th grade from Mr. Long, a fuddy-duddy who insisted on teaching diagramming decades after it had gone out of fashion. The English grammar books that most students studied in the 5th-10th grades were incomprehensible. The result was that even bright 17-year-olds in AP classes had no clue where to place a comma or why, could not recognize a split infinitive or misplaced modifier, etc. Diagramming teaches people the purpose of each word in a sentence, which enables writers to express themselves more clearly -and avoid punctuation errors. And it's fun. What could be better?
Delightful.......2007-08-06
This is a delightful book about a topic which is perhaps not a delightful memory for some readers. Years ago, many pupils struggled with the graphic particularities and linguistic categorization demanded in classrooms where diagramming was taught. However, Florey loved sentence diagramming and has written a book which is part memoir of her years learning and displaying it in a Catholic elementary school; part history of the development of diagramming by dedicated teachers in the nineteenth century (initially, balloons, not lines were used); part reflection on another devotee of diagramming, Gertrude Stein; and part Florey's observations about English. Florey is an excellent writer, but she is not an evangelist. She does not attribute good writing to sentence diagramming, but following one of her dicta for writers, Florey "communicates elegantly" about a topic of historic interest and current controversy.
a little misleading, but maybe just plain mysterious.......2007-06-30
I bought this book after hearing an interview with Kitty Burns Florey on NPR. Though diagramming always seemed to me a limited pedagogical form, I was interested to find out more about the methodology and rationale behind the system. The first two chapters of this book provide a lot of that, though in essence the research seems weak, with Burns Florey doing little more than finding the original books where diagramming methods were developed, from the original balloon designs of S.W. Clark (A practical grammar: In which words, phrases, and sentences are classified according to their offices, and their various relations to one another : illustrated by a complete system of diagrams) to her formal focus, Reed and Kellogg's (Higher Lessons in English A work on english grammar and composition). Her overview takes more of a memoir-like bend, relating these ideas to how they affected her in grammar school rather than addressing their applications to writing and language. Her insight into these books feels very thin, and I felt that I could get more about this topic from reading the original source material, since Burns Florey couldn't really offer any insight into the rationales behind these systems.
The later chapters start looking at the styles of other writers and the shortcomings of sentence diagramming. In fact, after a long treatise on Gertrude Stein, who praised diagramming highly yet wrote utterly undiagrammable sentences, Burns Florey concludes by saying, "For many of the world's great literary writers, diagramming would seem to be seriously beside the point." Now, I was mystified as to what the point of the book was anymore. If diagramming was already a lost art, as the author had already brought up from the beginning, then why go into the shortcomings of diagramming? Her point about the fact that a sentence can be utterly nonsensical but diagram well was interesting but does not seem to be taken towards any further insightful conclusions (and this point was not even the author's). If this was a book ultimately about language and its nebulous nature that is naturally resistant to the geometry of diagramming, then Burns Florey doesn't really offer much insight into the nature of language and how it can resist structure. Overall, this reads like a flat overview of diagramming with a little bit of research, but not enough to provide much insight into the schools of controllable vs. uncontrollable language and whether effective language fits this geometry or not (the answer to which being obviously mixed, but Burns Florey does not offer any ideas as to why).
By the end of this book, I felt as though I had been dragged into a conversation (fairer to say monologue) with Kitty Burns Florey and lectured to for a time about a subject she has great interest in. However, by the end of the lecture, I have learned little more than what I knew from the start--that she is greatly interested in diagramming, though I still have no palpable reason why (or, fairer to say, why I should be interested as well). An interesting topic for a book, but Kitty Burns Florey in the end has little to say about it.
I hated diagramming, but I liked this........2007-04-13
Kitty Burns Florey, Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences (Melville House, 2006)
When I was in eighth grade, I feared English class. Odd for someone whose life's goal was to be a writer, eh? But walking into that room clutching Warriner's English Grammar and Composition like a buckler and a No. 2 pencil as a sword was like entering the Circus Maximus. Why? Eighth grade was the year we were introduced to diagramming sentences. It's the English teacher's equivalent of geometry, and for someone who's not math-minded, it's a terrifying experience. This feeling was unanimous in my classmates, and whenever I've brought up the subject of diagramming sentences in the (far too) many years since then, it's always been greeted with facial expressions ranging from disgust to post-traumatic stress disorder. I had rather thought the hatred and fear of diagramming was universal.
Not so. Kitty Burns Florey loved it, when she was in school. After reading Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog, I have to say that if I'd had an English teacher who approached diagramming as Sister Bernadette did, I'd probably have gotten out of eighth grade with far less mental anguish than I actually did. Florey traces the (quirky, natch) history of diagramming whilst giving us a picture of how it was used when she was in school-- as a game, a way to break up the monotony of learning one's spelling words and parts of speech. Good stuff, that, and certainly more fun than opening one's Warriner's and finding that one's assignment for the night was to diagram an entire page of Henry James. (Okay, I exaggerate. But still. Florey diagrams a single sentence of James at one point in the book, and it's about as complex as the complete Tudor family tree.)
I've always been a fan of history books that illuminate some odd little forgotten corner of history, and so I'd have been predisposed to like this even if Florey hadn't approached her subject in such an accessible manner. But the book is short, readable, and (dare I say it?) fun. Even if you hated diagramming sentences (and I'm still not convinced anyone but Kitty Burns Florey ever actually liked it), this is a good'un. ****
Book | is \ frustrating.......2007-03-28
I consider myself quite the word nerd and started to read this book with great interest, but I found this book very frustrating. It started off well, suggesting a memoir of a life diagramming sentences (a craft I learned in the fifth grade) but soon turned to a mind-dulling treatise on the arcana of diagramming--without even any instructions for the uninitiated or out of practice.
So besides that headache, readers looking for Catholic humor or sepia-toned trips back in time to a pre-Vatican II era will be greatly disappointed. However, SISTER BERNADETTE'S BARKING DOG would make a fine gift for your favorite English teacher now living in the retirement wing of the convent's mother house--but for no one else.
Book Description
One spring morning in 1957, veteran photojournalist David Douglas Duncan paid a visit to his friend and frequent photographic subject Pablo Picasso, at the artists villa near Cannes. Traveling with Duncan was his pet dachshund, Lump. The photographers nomadic lifestyle and his other doga giant Afghan houndhad never suited the jealous and temperamental Lump. So when they arrived at Picassos Villa La Californie that spring day, Lump decided that he had found his paradise on earth, and that he would take up permanent residence with Picasso. Lump was soon immortalized in a Picasso portrait painted on a plate, but this was just the beginning. In a suite of 45 paintings reinterpreting Velsquezs masterpiece Las Meninas, Picasso replaced the impressive hound in the foreground with jaunty renderings of Lump. Fifteen of the paintings are reproduced here, bringing full circle the odyssey of a fortunate dachshund who found his way from reluctant road warrior to furry and elongated icon of modern art.
Customer Reviews:
The Ultimate Wiener Dog Art.......2007-09-02
This book is an unmitigated delight. The photographs are enchanting and the story they tell completely wonderful. I was sad to learn that Picasso "dumped" Lump when his back was injured, but he gave him to David Douglas Duncan (who originally brought him) and I must think that Lump lived out his days in great happiness. In any event, this is a real charmer and a great one to keep on the coffee table to look through again and again.
Great book.......2007-08-14
Art is one of my passions, and until getting this book Picasso was just an inivative man to me with a weird style I didn't appreciate. This book changed my mind, especially after reading this part of the book,"Picasso's welcome of Lump into his family happened so fast Jacqueline was stunned--speechless. There had always been dogs around Picasso's studios and seen in some of his paintings but never in his arms--where Lump was now at home." It was really a touching book.
You must own this if you are a dachshund lover. And you really must own it if you are an art lover.
Picasso and Lump.......2007-07-13
An enjoyable photographic essay featuring one of my favorite artists and my favorite type of dog, a dachshund.
An Artist and His Four Legged Soulmate.......2007-05-15
This wonderful book was a big hit with me for two reasons. I've had dachshunds all of my life, with two in residence now, and I majored in art history in college. The minute the book arrived I read it cover to cover. Lump's antics tickled me to death and I laughed out loud causing my own dachshunds to stare and look at me in the way that only dachsies can do. I've even begun calling my most mischievious one "Lumpita" ! After reading the book I went back and examined every detail in each picture, fascinated with the very intimate look into the private life of the artist. The story of Picasso and Lump exposes a vulnerable side of an artistic genius. You don't have to love dachshunds to love this book!
Not what I expected.......2007-05-13
I didn't realize when I ordered this book that it was primarily a photographic essay. The pictures are delightful but, as a dachshund "owner," I had hoped for more of a written history of the adventures of Lump. 'Owner' in quotes since anyone who has lived with a dachsie knows who owns whom.
Average customer rating:
- The gift of Nothing
- Another must have ''CLASSIC" for both children and adults
- So so so so cute
- What could be more perfect?
- A book about nothing....who knew?
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The Gift of Nothing
Patrick McDonnell
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
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Binding: Hardcover
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Just Like Heaven: A Mutts Children's Book
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Art
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The Three Questions
ASIN: 031611488X |
Book Description
Mooch the cat desperately wants to find a gift for his friend Earl the dog, but Earl already has everything. What do you give a guy who has everything? Mooch wonders. The answer, of course, is nothing! This simple story features characters from Patrick McDonnells popular comic strip, Mutts, and has the same depth, charm, and heart that he gives to his daily readers. With delightfully spare illustrations and text, this book has all the makings of a longtime classic, perfect for gift-giving all year round.
Customer Reviews:
The gift of Nothing.......2007-06-27
Nice short story commenting on consumerism and the often taken-for-granted value of connectedness with others.
Another must have ''CLASSIC" for both children and adults.......2007-04-10
The author may have gotten some tips from those classic MasterCard commercials which illustrate that money can buy some things, but certain moments and life experiences are "priceless."
Through the beautifully and simply illustrated tale of friendship between a cat and a dog (the interspecies metaphor alludes to openness and acceptance of differing points of view and experiences), we learn that material possessions and tangible items are sometimes not as meaningful as the space between two individuals, people, living beings, etc. It is the unspoken, uncategorizable, sublime moments of life that are most fulfilling and rewarding, and the hardest to capture or describe. Therefore, when trying to convey the depth of meaning of these moments, we cannot, and therefore, should not even bother trying (to encapsulate them, try as we may through photographs, video, blogging, etc.). The best gift is one that one already has the power to give oneself--the gift of friendship, self-awareness/mindfulness and the ability to honor and nurture the two.
So so so so cute.......2007-02-13
I bought this for the only little man I know (my sister's son.) Since everyone else in the family buys him gifts pretty much all year long... like most kids he has more toys than he needs. So, I thought a non-traditional b-day present would be great this year.
This would even be a great gift for parents of new little ones - it's an excellent, sweet bedtime story!
What could be more perfect?.......2007-01-09
This book is very cute but also to the point. Although it seems that the book is for those you can't seem to find the perfect gift for, it's also a good gift for those whom you'd like to just let them know how much they mean to you. Because, truly, in the long run, it's not the gifts, but the memories and times we share with one another that sums up all the love we can give. I like to add my own personal message in the back of the book for the special person who receives it. It truly touches everyone who receives it!
A book about nothing....who knew?.......2007-01-03
I found this book at my daughters' book fair this year and immediately purchased it. A wonderful view of what we really (really) need at the holiday times. I have since sent copies to other (grown-up) friends for them to share.
Average customer rating:
- The perfect gift for one who has lost a dog
- Great Book any time!
- Wonderful book for dog lovers
- A perfect gift!
- The Dog Chapel
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The Dog Chapel: Welcome All Creeds, All Breeds. No Dogmas Allowed
Stephen Huneck
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Sally Goes to the Vet
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For Every Dog an Angel
ASIN: 0810934884 |
Amazon.com
In gloriously exuberant woodcuts and sweetly charming text, artist and author Stephen Huneck tells the story of The Dog Chapel, the real-life, complete-with-a-steeple chapel he built on a hill in Vermont to celebrate the love and friendship we enjoy from our canine friends. After an introduction in which he explains how he came to build the dog chapel, Huneck provides photos of its serene, doggy-friendly interior--including pews carved with dog images for the humans, and comfy mats and doggy doors for four-legged visitors. The heart of the book offers witty illustrations and touching "bites" of wisdom for dog lovers of all ages: "To bring your dog joy, put on your jacket and grab a leash!" and "You can trust a dog with your life... but not with your lunch." At the back of the book a tear-out frame is included, and readers are invited to send their dog photo and messages to the chapel for inclusion in its Remembrance Wall. Huneck dedicates the book to his beloved, now departed black Lab Sally, the "star" of three previous books in which she ventured to the beach, to the mountains, and to a farm. --Judy Fireman
Book Description
I wanted to build a chapel, a place that celebrated the spiritual bond we have with our dogs, a place that would be open to all dogs and to people of any faith or belief system.-Stephen Huneck
With The Dog Chapel, Stephen Huneck, author and artist of Abrams' beloved children's books about Sally, the black Lab, presents a warm and heartfelt offering to adult dog lovers everywhere. In joyful celebration of the bond between humans and their canine companions, The Dog Chapel gives readers a touching introduction to Huneck, his renowned woodcuts and sculpture, and his greatest artistic achievement: the chapel he built for dogs in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Magical and transforming, Huneck's book, like the chapel itself, is testimonial to the love, humor, loyalty, and solace dogs bring to our lives every day.
Featured in The New York Times and USA Today, on Oprah and the Today show, the Dog Chapel draws visitors, with their dogs, from all over the world. The Dog Chapel includes a preface by Huneck, many color photographs of the chapel, and more than 30 woodcuts. It also includes a pull-out frame that can be sent to the chapel-along with a photo of a beloved dog-where it will take an honored place on the "Remembrance Wall."
Customer Reviews:
The perfect gift for one who has lost a dog.......2007-09-15
This is a beautiful book, well written, and full of wonderful pictures. The authors account of how the book came to be is touching. For anyone who has had to put their dog to sleep, a gift of this book would be of great comfort. There is even a memorial picture frame in the back of the book in which you can send a photo of your dog up to the chapel.
Great Book any time!.......2007-09-14
This is a great book anytime, but when you lose a pet, it is the BEST!
We gift it to all our friends that are grieving.
You should do the same.
Wonderful book for dog lovers.......2007-03-24
I enjoyed this book and hope to one day travel to the dog chapel and put my dog's picture there. It sounds like such a lovely place where dogs as well as people are welcome.
A perfect gift!.......2007-03-17
This is a warm and wonderful book and a perfect gift to give to anyone who has lost a beloved dog. After receiving my first copy, I immediately orderd 4 more for close friends.
The Dog Chapel.......2007-02-22
I found this to be a very touching book, especially if you want to give it to someone who has recently lost a pet.
Amazon.com
An invaluable language manual for people who need to communicate with dogs, How to Speak Dog is far more than a simple training guide. Author Stanley Coren discusses at length the evolution of language in many species, and focuses as much on body language as he does on verbal communication. This is a man with his own theories on language development--when disagreeing with Chomsky or Darwin, he backs up his arguments with plenty of thorough, firsthand experience.
Separate chapters devoted exclusively to interpreting the movement of tails, ears, and bodies are fascinating, and can often provide surprisingly quick insight into canine behavior. There's a tremendous difference between showing affection and showing dominance, and humans have a strong tendency to misread our dogs' behavior and reward them in exactly the right way to ensure the continuation of frustrating behavior. Coren maintains that dogs can often learn far more words than we give them credit for--certainly, we've all seen pooches go bananas at the words walk and cookie, but he also suggests we watch for learned behaviors from certain words. Perhaps office gets your spaniel waiting by the door, or baby results in your terrier checking in on your child's location--you may just think it's cute, but actually, it's a sign of your dog's linguistic ability.
Whether you own a dog or two or work in the field of animal care, this manual will be a most informative read and is sure to have a positive effect on the relationship between you and man's best friend. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Parlez-vous Doggish?
At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality.
Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands.
How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and move-ments with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
Customer Reviews:
Love this book!.......2007-08-09
I love the fact that I can begin to understand what my dogs are saying! It's like learning sign language...only it's dog language. I have been able to apply a lot of what I've learned in this book to convey what I want from my dogs. They really do seem to understand me better, as well as me understanding them. Wonderful book. Every dog owner needs to read this book. It would make a great gift for a dog owner.
How to Speak Dog.......2007-03-30
Really like this book. I found this book a great read and it gave me a greater understanding and real incite into the canine's mind. For all those things your dog does and you don't know why or maybe you think you do, but you were wrong. This is definetely a MUST READ for any dog owner!
Worthwhile.......2007-03-09
With so many dog training books out there, it is refreshing to find one that discusses meaningfully how to communicate with your pet. If you're looking to dive deeper into this issue, check out "Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name," by Vicki Hearne. Combining animal training with philosophy and literary criticism, it offers excellent insight into how animals communicate and respond to humans. The Atlantic Monthly called it "A fascinating and often surprising discussion of animal-human encounters." If you are an animal trainer-- or even just an animal lover--it's definitely worth reading.
Buy this book for the appendix.......2006-12-27
From my reading, I understood Conlan's mission not to convince any of us that dog's have a language per se, but rather to cultivate our understanding regarding how dogs communicate through vocalization and body language--as well as their perspicacity in reading our own body language. I agree with one reviewer that this book might be beyond the average dog owner--I'm an average dog owner. But Conlan's descriptions of facial expressions (wrinkles, ear position, muzzle positions), vocalizations (growls, barks, yips) and body language (tail position, body position etc) could very well save your life; and I found this information alone more than recommends the book. It is packaged in the appendix for ready reference.
I was particularly glad to understand how to spot a dog that was confidently aggressive v. scared aggressive. Both are dangerous, but how you react to each is different. Every dog owner should understand this--for he/she needs to understand it for his/her own dog(s)as well as with any confrontations other dogs.
For purely practical information regarding dogs and the top issues that dog owners must wrangle with, I recommend Leader of the Pack. But with Conlan, you'll get specific understanding regarding dog body language as well as vocalizations to ensure success in reading the animal's state of mind. These two books together will give every dog owner the confidence and knowledge they need to be confident, responsible dog owners.
Great Read.......2006-07-01
I had my doubts about this book. I am a professional dog trainer, and a animal behaviorist. I would not recommened this book for your average reader. However it covers the basics of canine behavior very well and I would recommend it to anyone who trains dogs, or works with groups of dogs and wants a deeper understanding of their social interactions.
Reads a bit on the scientific side, so if your reading for entertainment you will probably be bored. If your reading to learn and increase your knowledge, you will probably enjoy.
Amazon.com
Alan Alda's autobiography travels a path less taken. Instead of a sensationalist, name-dropping page-turner, Alda writes about his life as a memory play, an exercise in recollecting his childhood, his parents (dad Robert was a veteran on stage, film, and vaudeville), and his career. You want to know about Alda's most famous work, the eleven years on M*A*S*H? You have exactly 16 pages to do so, and guess what: It's one of the least entertaining parts of the book. But should fans of the award-winning actor-writer-director avoid this slim memoir? Not in the slightest. Slyly humorous and open-hearted, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is a breezy, most enjoyable read. Alda's ability to recall his childhood (including backstage at raunchy vaudeville shows), school years, stage struggles and successes is as entertaining as one of his Emmy-winning teleplays. Alda is inordinately attune recalling life's crystallizing moments: when religion no longer worked for him, how something in his pocket made him forever a better actor, or his mother's painful descent into dementia. Alda's ever present humor is a great asset whether telling a charming love story on meeting his wife Arlene or a life-threatening illness in a remote part of Chile ("I am in and out of consciences, but I never take a break from the screaming. The show must go on."). Like Alda's persona, his book is more human and less flash. What would be filler in most books is often the mot entertaining and revealing here; especially Alda's dynamic relationship with his parents. Really, who else would name his memoir after an unfortunate trip to the taxidermist? The year the book was published during a revival for the 69-year-old; he was nominated for an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in the same year. --Doug Thomas
Book Description
He’s one of America’s most recognizable and acclaimed actors–a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and the only person to ever win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing, during his eleven years on M*A*S*H. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances.
“My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six,” begins Alda’s irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but mentally ill mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.
Yet
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show-business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow.
It is the story of turning points in Alda’s life, events that would make him what he is–if only he could survive them.
From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist’s shop with a hideous expression on his face, and he learns that death can’t be undone, to the decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and true happiness is found in embracing them.
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with curiosity about nature, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director, but surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
Alan Alda played Hawkeye Pierce for eleven years in the television series M*A*S*H and has acted in, written, and directed many feature films. He has starred often on Broadway, and his avid interest in science has led to his hosting PBS’s Scientific American Frontiers for eleven years. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 and has been nominated for thirty Emmy awards. He is married to the children’s book author/photographer Arlene Alda. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Funny.......2007-09-12
I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed watching Alan Alda on M.A.S.H. and he is just as funny when it comes to his writing. I'm passing this book to all my friends.
Too quick! I want more........2007-06-28
Ok, the title caught my attention. That and the info that Alda was able to view every child's dream behind the scenes of a vaudeville act. This book did offer quite a few surprises about how rough Alda's childhood was. He flew through many parts of his life that I wish he would have described more in-depth. Yet, Alda is very frank about his failings along with his success. He only mentions West Wing near the end of the book. I would have loved to hear a little more about his experiences on the show. I am looking forward to the next addition to his life's story.
Love Alan Alda!!.......2007-06-05
I really enjoyed this book. I first became interested in Alan Alda after I started watching reruns of M*A*S*H, just like many other people. However, I know there is more to him than Hawkeye Pierce and it was nice that this book proved that. There is a short section about the show, but nothing more substantial than any other part of the book. It was very interesting to read about his childhood, his struggle with his mom's mental illness and the bizarre things that happened to him throughout his life. I liked the writing style and it flowed very easily.
The only reason I'm not giving this book 5 stars is because I was left wanting more. It was a very short book, especially for someone as accomplished and interesting as he is. I wish it were much longer and much more in depth. Other than that, it was a very good read.
An enjoyable and quick read.......2007-04-17
I'll admit I didn't know what to expect from this book. Certainly I knew it would include his M*A*S*H and Scientific American Frontiers work, but what I did not expect was how much more there was besides those two time periods. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for the window it gave into the life of a very facinating individual. I was able to picture him watching his father act, I winced when he was headed for a learning moment as an actor or in life in general, and marveled at how fortunate he was in Chile.
This book is a light read, but well worth it. There is much more than you expect, and is written in a style that you can't help but be drawn in to.
great book...........2007-04-01
Alan Alda is really a masterful storyteller, and this book showcases his talent for recounting memories of his (at times) turbulent childhood and adverse adolescence. Alda was the son of a well-established actor and a schizophrenic/psychotic mother. He endured her emotional outbursts, verbal abuse and psychotic murderous episodes, all the while standing by her as a son and loyal child, even when she, herself, was more of the child in the relationship than he was. We get a great sense of Alda's eccentric and difficult formative years, his struggles to find work in the theatre, and how he applied the intensity of his experiences into his craft as an actor.
There were times in this book where Alan Alda's descriptions were so vivid, humorous and (at times) rawly poignant that I heard his voice (literally) as I read this piece. I really hope he considers bringing this to the stage or adapting it for the screen. What a brilliant and talented man. All of these years, some of us best knew him as Hawkeye, on M.A.S.H, but he was so much more than that. You will find out all about all that was left unsaid and unknown about him, as a person, until now. Read this book and take the voyage. You won't be sorry.
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