Customer Reviews:
THEY REALLY DO TEACH YOU..........2006-10-25
I connected with this book. She describes her own feelings and emotional bonding that I too have felt. I was raised on a ranch with two grandparents whose ideas about animals conflicted so I saw both sides and can understand more than many about animal "energy" Their Energy is everywhere and we all feel it all of the time, most not paying attention to it because it is so common a feeling.
I grew up around more animals than humans and the encounter with kids that I went to school with made me withdraw from them. I was badly pigeon-toed from having my hips dislocated when I was born and the teasing was never ending so I avoided my classmates as much as possible, and I could not wait to get home each day to hug my dog who was always there for me. Even in the bitter cold of winter he was waiting at the school bus stop....
I am not telling this story to get sympathy, I do not need it. I just want you to understand why I am passionate about this book... This Is On The Cover:
" We can find in the eyes of an animal a whole new world. In their liquid depths lies the capacity to trust, be strong, to face fear, to heal and to find love. They see us at our best, without pretense or propriety. And in return for our love and Respect, they give us the gift of ourselves-the true reflection of our Souls..."
.... Each of my animals has taught me something that has stayed with me even after they had to move forward to another realm....
They have taught me that I can give love and it is returned without question. I have learned to be calm because anger hurts and causes fear. They have taught me deformities are something you can live with by my watching them and seeing that their lives go on.
...I have learned compassion does NOT come with a price. I have learned to accept myself as I am and not worry about it. I have learned about a love that goes deep and is non-judging.....
I HAVE SEEN SELF-sacrifice first hand when my little Rat Terrier stood between me and an aggressive much larger dog. He would have died to protect me if he had no other choice.
My Soul belongs to the Animal world.
This book made me realize that I am just an animal........1999-03-11
This book was wonderful and inspirational, a true example of how to live your life as a member of the animal kingdom!
Full of enlightening stories.......1998-08-10
Margot Lasher is a wonderful story teller and and like most good story tellers, she takes us from considering the personal and mundane to glimpsing a better understanding of the universal. This book reinforces the deep, enriching and enlightening connection we humans have - if we allow it - with all living creatures. It encourages us to recognize key experiences where animals have entered our lives to reach us, to heal us, maybe to ask for help from us. It is a very moving book which can send us into the world with heightened awareness of our fellow creatures.
Book Description
"In their innocence and wisdom, in their connection to the earth and its most ancient rhythms, animals show us a way back to a home they have never left."
So says
Susan Chernak McElroy, a cancer survivor who credits much of her triumph over terminal illness to the love of the animals in her life. From the courage of her dog, Keesha, who taught McElroy how to face challenges with grace and acceptance, to the uncanny victory over leukemia she witnessed in a foundling kitten, McElroy offers a unique and compelling chronicle of her healing journey. In
Animals as Teachers and Healers, McElroy shares her story along with other true testaments from many other souls who have been touched, for a moment or for a lifetime, by the loving energies of animals.
Customer Reviews:
not very informative.......2006-09-14
I thought this book would have information and some facts about how animals help humans, but it doesn't. It is just about her life. Only buy if you are interested in learning about this woman's life.
Beautiful........2005-11-11
This a truly special book. Beautifully written. I highly recommend it to anyone that has ever had a special bond with an animal, or wishes to try to understand the beneficial presence of animals in our lives.
An Uplifting Tribute to our Animal Friends.......2005-03-14
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a good animal story. If it's happy, I cry; if it's sad, I cry harder. Animal abuse distresses me almost more than anything else.
One of my pleasures is to pick up every book I can on animals and the psychic realm. The books that focus on our intimate connections to the animal kingdom and how we may communicate with them through our intuitive thoughts and feelings are books to not only to learn from, but to savor.
I remember that pioneer in the field, Beatrice Lydecker, whose book was revolutionary when it came out years ago. It was "What the Animals Tell Me", and I was thrilled this work was available to us. The fact that there are so many books about this subject on the market now testifies to the fact that as a people we are really ready to hear the wisdom and love that animals offer. They are not just a food source or slave labor to us any longer.
Ms. McElroy does a beautiful job of bringing forth her message of healing the relationship between people and animals. She comes from a most compassionate, wise place in her understanding of why animals are with us as our companions.
If you want an example of unconditional love, be in the presence of a beloved pet. Never have I, in my life, ever received even close to that level of unconditional love and acceptance that my animal companions have shown me. [Particularly my recently deceased, Francis, who was a very evolved being inhabiting a humble life form. I am planning a future book on this soul.]
Animals are helping us evolve to the realization of our Oneness universe. We are taught by them that there is no separation between us and them. They feel what we feel. They see the spiral of life and death as part of the Wholeness of life.
The author goes into several different topics: animals as guides or guardians, healers, in the dream state or shamanic state, and through the death process. There is no dead weight in this book---all is riveting, and should be read more than once through.
Most highly recommended.
Animals as Teachers and Healers.......2005-02-18
This is the Best book that I have read and I have read quite a few books. I purchased this book in a train station in Washington, DC because I had a long time between trains returning to Pittsburgh from North Carolina. After I started reading this book, I could not stop. I read most of it in the train station and finished it when I arrived home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the various stories about the animals. When I read some stories, I cried because of what happened to the animals. In some of the stories, animals risked their own lives to save a human life. I love animals very much and for anyone who loves animals, this is the book to read. The author, Susan Chernak McElroy is an exceptional writer and I would purchase any book she writes.
A beautiful tribute to animals.......2004-01-18
Susan McElroy has put together a most memorable book. It expresses the beautiful relationships and experiences people have had with animals in a way that deeply touches the heart. I could not read this book with a dry eye. Having grown up with many animals, I have long been an animal lover. Reading about the moving experiences that others have had with animals confirmed the feeling that I have often had that we are connected with them on a deeper than conscious level. This book accords animals the honor they deserve.
Book Description
Pets play a greater role in our emotional and physical health than ever before, says the Purdue University professor who is co-author of his revised edition of Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship. The book by Alan M. Beck of Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine and Aaron H. Katcher, psychiatrist and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the emotional and physical benefits of owning a pet and analyzes the complex relationship between people and pets. "The study of the importance of the relationship between people and animals is a growing field and has the potential to be part of the whole human-health field," says Beck, director of Purdue's Center for Applied Ethology and Human-Animal Interaction. "The social milieu on where animals fit into society has really changed in the last 13 years. We've gone from recognizing the potential of animals being a significant positive contribution to certain populations, such as the elderly, to actual documentation." Beck and Katcher note a 1992 study by an Australian cardiologist of 5,000 people who visited a clinic to find ways to reduce heart disease. The study found that people with pets had lower blood pressure and lower blood fat levels than those without pets, even though the two groups were alike in diet and exercise. The authors also point to the trend by nursing homes to incorporate animals into the routine and environment for patients. For example, in the early 1980s nursing homes typically did not allow pets to visit patients, while today nearly half of the homes have an organized program for animal therapy, Beck says. In addition to exploring physical benefits, the book covers such topics as pets as family members, pets as therapists, talking to pets, and how pets can teach us to become better companions to friends and family. The book also has a list of Web sites by such organizations as Canine Companions for Independence and the American Kennel Club. While pets provide health benefits, they can create problems, Beck and Katcher say. "There is no medicine that doesn't have some side effects," Beck says. For example, more pet ownership has public-health implications such as more dog bites, he notes. And some people whose pets die grieve to the point of illness, he says. But grief over the loss of an animal is not new, Beck says. Ancient Egyptians shaved their eyebrows after their cats died, and the Roman emperor Caligula had his horse entombed.
Customer Reviews:
For Responsible Pet Owners Only . . ........1999-12-25
I would like to revise my original book review on this book.
This book is outstanding and I would highly recommend it for EVERY dog owner and POTENTIAL dog owner.
In addition to discussing the reasons why people choose pets, as well as discussing traits of pets themselves, the authors address other very important topics. Some of the topics discussed are: euthanasia; dog bites -- causes, statistics, solutions; strays -- how to identify them from wandering but owned dogs, and the health problems strays pose; dog packs -- how they operate and the dangers of packs. The authors included a table, The Urban Stray Dog, which is helpful in identifying the difference between an 'Owned Dog' and an 'Unowned Dog.' Also addressed are the diseases that dogs and pets can pass on to humans, their occurrence, and solutions to these disease threats. Not left out are issues such as dealing with people who have too many pets -- and how this type of multiple ownership causes problem for other urban dwellers; the traits of these multiple pet owners are also discussed. Dog laws are also discussed as are poop scoop laws.
The back of the book lists books and articles that the reader might find helpful under various topics discussed in the book; also listed are resource to be found on the internet on topics such as Pets in Therapy, Pet Information, Animal Behavior, Animal Care, Pet Loss, and Veterinary Education and Professional Services.
The book discussed other companion animals as well, but as a dog owner, I tended to focus my review on those issues relevant to me. I do not mean to bias you against the book by excluding mention of other companion animals addressed in the book. This book is probably one of the most comprehensive books I have read about companion animals and the issues surrounding them.
This book covers issues not dealt with in any other book I have read -- yet knowledge of these issues is necessary for being a responsible pet owner. No matter what your pet, you ought to give this book a read. It is a very easy and interesting read, the balance between active and passive voice tends to draw you into the context and makes it hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
For Serious Pet Owners Only . . ........1999-12-23
This book is a "must read" for those who consider their pet a close friend or family member.
The book is an easy read, and I found myself 3/4 of the way through it the first night. Not only is the topic interesting, but the writing skill is commendable -- it is written with a nice balance of active/passive voice.
It explained to me, in easy layman terms, the physiological benefits of pet companionship. It also explains why we psycologically find pet 'ownership' so satisfying.
Other books have explored this human-pet relationship through pictures -- "Guys and Dogs", "Woman's Best Friend", "New York Dogs" and they have done a fine job with the pictures.
The authors of "Between Pets and People" have now given us the words and facts to explain our feelings for our pets, And through the facts and explanations emerges a legitimacy for the pet-people relationship that didn't exist before. As you read the book you discover as much about yourself as you do about animal companionship.
This book belongs on your bookshelf!
Average customer rating:
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Pets and Mental Health
Odean Cusack
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
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Similar Items:
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Pet Assisted Therapy: A Loving Intervention and an Emerging Profession--Leading to a Friendlier, Healthier, and More Peaceful World
ASIN: 0866568018 |
Book Description
Those of us who share our lives with animals whose time on earth is shorter than ours must at sometime cope with the pain of losing these friends to death.
From her own experience and from the accounts of other animal owners, Alexandra Day has come to feel that animals who have departed this world want to send a message of reassurance and comfort to their beloved human friends.
Alexandra Day, the author and artist of the Good Dog, Carl series has paired her message of love and remembrance with an array of images featuring animals and their human companions.
Customer Reviews:
consolation.......2007-03-13
This book written by Alexandra Day touches your heart and soul. I believe, as she believes, that our animals are always with us in spirit. Great love like that lives on forever. And yes, we will all be together someday again. When it is our time to pass over, our animals will be with us. I have given "Not Forgotten" to many friends who have lost their precious companions. Every person who received it loved this book. All I can say is, thank you Alexandra, for your heart full of love.
Beautifully Written and Illustrated Comfort, in a Time of Deep Loss.......2006-03-30
Somewhat overwhelmed by the intensity of the pain I was experiencing, I happened across "Not Forgotten" in a local book store the day after I had to have my 14 year old "puppy" put to sleep, and with it's wonderful, comforting sentiment the book was the perfect random find I desperately needed on that very dark day.
Much like a children's book and only 24 pages long, the warmly done water color illustrations we're perfectly matched to the elegant, simple text, the combination of which gave me hope when I felt hopeless, and release when I couldn't fathom the depth of my sadness, much less that it might ever be eased. The book should be a great comfort for pet owners of all kinds who are suffering, confused and possibly alone with the feelings of loss only we as pet owners can fully understand.
"Not Forgotten" was so beautifully done that I bought this copy as a gift for a close friend who had just suffered a similar loss, and they, too, were deeply touched by it, deriving as much comfort as is possible from a book at such a broken hearted time. In the future I won't hesitate to give it to others similarly wounded and in need of hope.
I had known for almost a year that the eventual and inevitable death of my long time best friend and "girly girl" would be difficult, but even I was surprised at just how difficult it was. Thanks to it's message of hope at just the right time "Not Forgotten" now sits on our shelf as part of the family memorial to our "dog of a lifetime", next to her picture, her collar and her ashes.
Thank you, Alexandra Day.
Book Description
Here is the perfect "pocket companion" that can lead you to new levels of nature appreciation. This pocket-sized book is a response to the enthusiatic reception Cornell has received over the years to one of his nature-awareness activities. Through meditative-type thoughts and activities, and space for personal journaling, With Beauty Before Me encourages a sense of communion, serenity and loving interaction with the world of nature.
Amazon.com
Prepare to have any illusions about your canine companion totally shattered. In writing The Truth About Dogs, author Stephen Budiansky (The Nature of Horses) is determined to uncover the true nature of our beloved beasts, and it's not always a pretty picture. The introduction presents a basic question: why on earth have we allowed these disease-carrying, biting, destructive, and expensive animals into our lives? We know why--it's because we love them, warts and all. So does Budiansky, and once you read past his inflammatory introduction, you'll find a book that presents a new way of looking at old behaviors.
His insistence on the recent evolution of separate breeds, even those generally considered to have originated centuries ago like the Mexican hairless, is sure to be controversial. His interpretation of recent behavioral research may raise some hackles as well, and begins with an examination of pack behavior in wolves. While wild packs have only one dominant male and female, we often expect our dogs to behave submissively to an extended family of dominants--not only can that be difficult, but some of their natural "submissive" behavior can be extremely frustrating. Face-licking is an easy example of this poor conduct; Rover thinks he's showing submission, but Grandma's not thrilled with having an 80-pound shepherd jumping on her. In discussions of more general behaviors, Budiansky's examinations of the motivation levels present in different breeds seems to explain much about the success or failure of obedience training. While you may raise your eyebrows and frown through a few of his assertions, this fresh look at old assumptions makes a fascinating read for anyone who's ever loved a dog. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Dogs: Man's best friends-or canine con artists? For centuries dogs have stolen our hearts, our homes, and our wallets. Just how do dogs get otherwise reasonable adults to feed them sirloin, let them occupy easy chairs, and generally allow them to regulate our every waking hour? In this provocative, entertaining, and wholly admiring reappraisal of our canine companions, Stephen Budiansky calls upon the latest research on dog behavior, genes, and evolution to explain why dogs do what they do, think what they think, and feel what they feel-and how they have come to occupy such a remarkable place in our lives and affections. Challenging many of our accepted ideas about canine intelligence and emotions, Budiansky shows how the very strange things that dogs so often do-fiercely guarding pairs of shoes, barking incessantly at the UPS man, rolling in really foul-smelling things-are the product of a rich blending of their ancient wolf ancestry, their subsequent dramatic evolutionary changes in the company of man, and their ever-so-peculiar modern social environment, neither wolf nor human. This original and insightful reexamination of an animal at once so familiar and so mysterious tells us, for the first time ever, what it truly is to be a dog.
Customer Reviews:
The Whole Truth About Dogs? Not Quite..........2007-02-13
Partial kudos to Stephen Budiansky for this look at the supposedly true nature of man's best friend. On the one hand he easily dispels many of the common myths that most (if not all) of the famous so-called dog experts out there still cling to. On the other hand he should take a harder look at the real causes of aggression (it's always based on fear). And he should especially re-examine the alpha theory, which he's totally in love with.
Don't get me wrong. It's great that he's put the Bar Harbor experiments into perspective. Too many breeders are now sending puppies home way to early. And far too many puppies and dog owners are still suffering from the myth of the "critical socialization window" by putting their dogs into training before the pups are emotionally developed enough for learning. Even though the idea that there are "critical windows" has been thoroughly de-bunked (as Budiansky rightly reports they're now called "sensitive periods"), puppy classes continue to be a bustling business, and the trainers who run them either don't see the disservice and potential harm they're doing to these lovely little animals, or they just don't care because such classes make for a good, steady flow of revenue.
For the most part Budiansky does a first-rate job of whittling down canine intelligence to its actual level, particularly when it comes to the kinds of "signals" dogs deliver through vocalizations and body language (Budiansky, who's careful not to mistake these signals as use of actual language, calls them hints, which I think is still too anthropomorphic). It's very helpful for dog owners to know that the so-called signals their dogs make aren't about what the dog MEANS, they're about what the dog wants to ACCOMPLISH. In other words, your dog isn't trying to TELL you anything, he's trying to get you to DO something.
On the other hand, he's way off-base when he says: "A great many of the touchy-feely therapeutic types declare that physical punishment is never `appropriate' or that `aggression only creates aggressiveness.' The fact is dogs who are given one swift whack the first time they try to assert themselves in a menacing manner will often never try it again."
First of all, "touchy-feely?" Is that a scientific term I'm unaware of? And secondly, while it's true that dogs who received such an aggressive form of punishment may not "try it again" with the person who whacked them, it practically guarantees that they'll do it again with someone they perceive as weaker, such as a child. (Unfortunately the dogs may also feel less interested in playing again because there's a direct correlation between sociability and rough play, which is a means of reducing aggressive feelings.)
Budiansky makes matters worse when he goes on to say: "Dogs respond to aggressiveness from someone they perceive as dominant not by becoming more aggressive, not by becoming fearful, but rather by immediately and lavishly demonstrating their submissiveness."
The fact is what he's describing isn't submission at all; it's a sublimated form of aggression. (See Rudolf Schenkel's commentary below.) And since all aggression is based on fear, it's also a fearful response. So he's just contradicted himself. Whacking a dog actually does cause him to demonstrate both fear AND aggression.
It seems to me that the clue to the brutal mindset that Budiansky exhibits here is his complete, blind devotion to the now discredited alpha theory. He completely misses the boat on how and when and why this theory was misconceived. Nor does he give more than a passing thought to the kinds of intelligence this theory would require dogs and wolves to have. The simple, unathrompomorphic fact is that dogs with strong, assertive temperaments, who end up in a constant state of anxiety (generally due to mistreatement of some kind), will exhibit the same kinds of stress-related behaviors that captive wolves did in the initial studies (done in the 1930s and 40s) that gave us the alpha theory. A lot has changed since then. Just read the studies of wild wolves done by L. David Mech and others. Read Alexandra Semyonova's study on the self-emergent nature of a dog's social instincts. Budiansky gives one paragraph to Mech (in which wild wolf packs are seen to be more of a cooperative system than a linear hierarchy), but spends half of this book glorifying the old mythology.
Another mythology-based quote: "Dogs are easily trained to sit, lie down, and stay because those are precisely the sorts of postures or actions that subordinate wolves display toward dominant individuals."
The "down" used in obedience isn't remotely similar to the so-called submissive posture exhibited by dogs and wolves. And even that posture has been mis-labeled as submissive. Rudolf Schenkel, a contemporary of Konrad Lorenz who disagreed with the alpha theory from its inception, made a very important observation: "It is always the inferior wolf," Schenkel wrote, "who has his jaws near the throat of his opponent." So the apparent posture of submission is actually one of readiness to attack. Schenkel and others go on to point out that submission is actually a way of winning such confrontations without violence, and of controlling the other wolf's behavior. If so, then who's really in charge of things? The dominant loser or the submissive winner?
Finally, when Budiansky asserts that the sit, and stay, and down are reflective of submissive behaviors observed in captive wolves he's dead wrong. They're actually based on the predatory motor patterns of wild wolves: The down and the stay are part of the eye-stalk. The heel mimics the way wolves travel together when searching for prey. Even coming when called mimics a part of the hunt. Nearly everything a dog does is related to his inherited version of the wolf's prey drive. And when dogs aren't given a proper outlet for that drive, yes, they exhibit the same kinds of stress-related behaviors seen in those captive wolves. But these are abnormal, unnatural social behaviors that have been misperceived as dominance, submission, and hierarchy for the last 60 years. It's time to move on, away from the old era, and get to the real truth about dogs.
I'm afraid Stephen Budiansky's own instincts for getting at the truth have let him down. Two stars.
Very superficial.......2007-01-04
I thought this book was very shallow, though somewhat entertaining. Budiansky summarizes the gist of a lot of research on dogs, but you might as well go to the source--it will be a much more interesting read. Instead of this derivative and superficial book, read Raymond and Lorna Coppinger.
Best book on dogs ever.......2006-07-15
Although I love dogs, I read this book because I have been informally studying animal cognition and it was cited in another book. Most "dog books" are written by dog trainers and/or breeders. This is more of a scientific book on animal behaviorism, but it should be of great interest to anyone who loves dogs. Some people may be emotionally offended by the concept that dogs do not have the exact same emotions as humans or that they are not just like people in the way their thought processes operate. The author does refer to dogs as parasites. This is technically true in the sense that humans do not gain any evolutionary advantage from our association with dogs. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on it. The author obviously loves dogs and the parasite comment is not a big part of the book.
The book deals with how dogs evolved from wolves, why dogs are the way they are, what is happening inside a dog's mind, the effects of inbreeding among breeds, and other topics. I won't try to summarize the entire book, but I particularly liked the following two points. They were not major parts of the book. I refer to them only as examples to illustrate the general tone of the book.
Human psychologists can place blame for a person's faults on either the individual, society in general, or the parents. Dog trainers can similarly place the blame for a dog having problems upon the dog, the kennel, or the owner. Since dog trainers train dogs, it is in their self interest to blame the owner for everything. In truth, it is probably a little bit of all three. In particular, kennels are breeding dogs for their looks and not for their personalities.
For aggressive dogs, trainers typically break their behavior into categories such as dominance aggression, fear aggression, food aggression and so forth. If human psychologists did this for people, they would refer to "hate being stuck in traffic" aggression, "can't stand the boss at work" aggression, "hate waiting in line" aggression, and so forth.
This is a great book. People with a scientific interest will get a lot from it since I don't believe that dogs have been treated in such a way before, and people have such a ready knowledge of dog behavior. I think dog lovers who haven't been exposed to the science of animal behaviorism and animal cognition will really love the new perspective.
Are dogs just parasites?.......2005-11-20
This book reads like a hand picked set of scientific facts woven together to support the argument that dogs are not man's best friend at all. Although interesting and informative in some parts, this book is also repetitive, meandering and overly negative in others. The first half of the book runs through some interesting observations about the genetics of dogs and their behavioural links to wolves. This is interesting and you can read through it in one enjoyable sitting. However, as the book goes on you notice that Budiansky gets more and more negative about dogs, using a thinly veiled veneer of science to try and make his arguments look objective. He basically describes domestic dogs as being inferior mutations of wolves. He seems to be trying to tell us that we need to face up to the fact that our dogs don't love us, but that instead they are using us like parasites. Moreover, all their signs of affection, play and obedience are actually just instinctive behaviours that have evolved to help them in the wild. OK - if this corresponds to your experience with dogs then this is the book for you. For me, I haven't got time to read all the underlying scientific papers but this just doesn't square away with empirical evidence. Budinsky himself makes a point of the fact that comparatively little scientific research has been conducted on dogs. This doesn't seem to stop him from using what has been done to denigrate them. Overall this book doesn't give man's best friend any credit at all, and I suspect that many dog owners would find it quite disturbing. The fact that it tries to use science to back up its bias claims is even more troubling.
The Best Book on Canine Behavioral Ecology Yet..........2005-03-30
Having at one time fancied myslef an Evolutionary Biologist (until I had to make an actual, lucrative living) I thoroughly enjoyed this dispassionate treatise on canine behavior. I am a lifelong dog owner love them to pieces. This book does a great job of deconstructing the myths of dog behavior and rightly provides criticism of the eugenics of modern dog breeders. A little bit more in this regard would have been desirable to me, but I'm still thrilled that someone is bringing up many of these issues.
This book will piss a lot of people off.
Product Description
Tears and Tales is a collection of unforgettable short stories. The author, a successful attorney in New Jersey, retired to a farm in Kentucky and his experiences with rescued animals formed the basis of these stories.
"Git" - An abandoned dog searches for her puppies and a home
"The Ghost Beside Me" - A dog's spirit survives her death
"The Horse That Cried" - A horse grieves for his canine companion
"A God of All Creatures" - An abused dog finds love
"The Long-Shot Dog" - The final days of a beloved pet
"To Love a Crooked Horse" - A stoic, abused mare finds love
"The Cardinal" - A beloved dog returns as a cardinal to comfort a cancer survivor
"A Day Away" - Scheduled to be put down, will the dog be saved?
"The Return of Lucky" - A boy's love for his pony lasts for years
"Empty Nest" - A duck helps a young man to mature
Customer Reviews:
WONDERFUL BOOK.......2006-08-23
I bought Tears and Tales because it was recommended to me by a friend. I love the stories and I can't make up my mind which story is the best. They are all great. I really feel like I know the characters and didn't want the book to end
Healing Through Animal Love.......2006-07-28
Feeling down? Going through a rough period of life? Russell Vassallo, author of Tears and Tales has had more of those times than most people, but has been helped through all of them by loving and being loved by the many animals that have been a part of his life.
We share his journey of healing from a painful childhood through the dissolution of his first marriage, retirement, depression, and then the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Beginning with Crazy Duck, the whiskey drinking duckling, Russell shows us the way in which animals help him connect to his feelings.
Russell shares many stories of how animals guided him through an inner journey of self-reflection. He is fearless in allowing us to see parts of himself that many would be afraid to share. We learn of his doubts about his worthiness as a partner and parent; we see him become self-absorbed and misinterpret his wife's caring gestures. Throughout it all, we are privy to his willingness to learn about love and life from his dogs, horses, and even a cardinal that speaks to him of the possibility of a joyful life.
Reading this book will give you hope that you can cope with whatever challenges life gives you. And it will inspire you to share that life with an animal that needs you as much as you need it.
I can relate..........2006-07-26
As the tears came to my eyes as I read the stories of each special animal, I realized that our vulnerable friends make our lives rich. Having rescued and loved many animals, memories came to mind of the sad times and happy times throughout the years. This book will warm the hearts of so many people. Take the time to enjoy it!
Don't judge this book by the cover! You will be surprised at what you find inside.............2006-07-15
Mr. Vassallo beautifully expresses how animal "relationships" offer life lessons we can apply to our encounters with each other, as well as discover things we didn't recognize in ourselves. We may not always like what we see, but we are forever changed by the experiences and lessons these beloved creatures impart to our daily lives and those around us.
You will close this book with a sense of understanding your own "Tears and Tales" after reading and re-reading this honest recollection of love, loss, laughter and a sprinkling of magic even if you don't believe a Cardinal can save a man's life...in this case, Mr. Vassallo's!
I look forward to the next time Mr. Vassallo will entertain and enlighten us with his gift of telling it like it is when you have animals in your life....worth every joy and every tear, and what you lose if you don't.
This unique personal perspective of the human/animal bond will speak to anyone with a heart. The author's very candid and revealing insight into his personal space, and the the animals who entered is most reassuring to anyone who has ever felt like giving up or looking for strength to go on.
Thank you Russell,for sharing.
Tears and Tales.......2006-07-12
Tears and Tales is a beautifully, simply written book that will touch the hearts of all animal lovers. As my husband and I were driving to Michigan last summer, I was reading and he kept handing me tissues to wipe away the tears streaming down my face. At least once a chapter I read him an excerpt that was especially touching. I enjoyed the book so much that I purchased additional copies to give to friends for Christmas. They all loved it.Today the book has a place on my bedside table. I can't wait until his next book comes out.
Customer Reviews:
Kinship with others.......2004-05-05
Most people around me seem to be more polite than understanding when I talk about losing my dog, Lincoln. It doesn't matter anymore after reading this book. They don't understand the depth of our relationship, but the writers in this book do. I wish I had someone in person who knew, but going back to this book every once in a while gets me through. This book will be my rock as long as I need it.
Not Alone Anymore.......2001-12-02
Finally I don't feel so weird about my feelings toward my rabbit. People made fun of me, but now I know I am ok and I will be able to get through this. Thank you.
Not for me.......2001-11-27
I appreciate the other reviews I read and am glad these people found this book to their needs - but I did not. I just don't see how hearing about someone else's losses helps me - I am already bogged down in my own pain. Anyway - that's all I wanted to say.
Fantastic book.......2000-11-23
Being a man, it is hard to express emotions of pain. This book helped me understand my grief as perfectly acceptable and that there are other males who have faced this same kind of social misunderstanding and that it is normal and meaningful to mourn the loss of one of my best friends - my dog, Ranger. So many of us don't know until we lose our animal friends just how important they were in our lives. I will always be grateful to the friend who gave me this book as a gift - it helped me so much.
Some letters in this book are good for the soul, but..........2000-06-29
...as a responsible pet owner, I find it very difficult to empathize with those letter-writers whose pets died accidentally (left outside and hit by car while owner went inside and continued getting ready to go to work) or (missing/lost) the three-month-old kitten who never returned (owner and kitten moved into a strange house one day, and the very next day the owner put the kitten outside to "explore" while owner went to work all day). Both owners expressed their grief, but both losses could have been prevented if the owners had acted responsibly. Of course, both stories just broke my heart as I am an animal lover and caretaker of 4 pets. But animals like cats and dogs are often like children -- you can't just let them wander about on their own. They look to you, their owner, to look out for them because they can't. I expected a book of letters from responsible pet owners who really knew how to take care of their pets.
Average customer rating:
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Ethology and Nonverbal Communication in Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Biopsychosocial Exploration (International Series in Biopsychosocial Sciences)
Manufacturer: Pergamon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Psychoanalysis
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
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Psychotherapy, TA & NLP
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
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Nonverbal Communication
| By Topic
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General
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Internal Medicine
| Medicine
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| Cardiology
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| Gastroenterology
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ASIN: 0080237282 |
Books:
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- Así nace una mariposa (Starting Life Butterfly) (Asi Nace)
- Bangalore Tiger
- Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows
- Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows
- Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog
- Brittanys (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)
- Cinderella Man: James Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History
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