Looking for a reliable and helpful reference in caring for my pets, I have looked at and rejected many, many books published for the general public on dog and cat care. Most of them are so general in approach as to be next to useless.

Dr. McGinnis' "Well Dog Book" and "Well Cat Book" are just fabulous. Every line contains meaty, solid, specific information that lets us do our best for our loving, trusting animals. Dr. McGinnis demonstrates respect not only for animals but for their guardians, too.

I have bought many copies of both books and given them to friends, family, and animal shelters. These books went out of print but now apparently they are in a new printing! I'm not surprised -- they are really worthwhile. If you can find a copy anywhere at almost any price, it's worth it!!

This book has been helpful so many times... I'd like to share the most dramatic. Our diabetic cat stopped eating (he usually has a great appetite), began vomiting, and stopped using the litter box. Of course, especially with a diabetic, these symptoms can mean serious problems.

I looked in the "Well Cat Book," and found several very helpful listings in the index (when was the last time you actually found something in an index, and easily?), one of which was that it might be a hair ball.

I took the cat immediately to the veterinarian, who mentioned several diabetes-related possible causes, such as kidney or liver problem, etc. When, thanks to what I'd read in the "Well Cat Book," I wondered aloud whether it might be a hairball, he immediately asked his assistant to x-ray the cat, and sure enough! -- that's what it was. It had entered the intestines and caused a blockage. They expelled the hair ball and the cat was fine.

If it hadn't been for Dr. McGinnis' "Well Cat Book," the poor cat would have gone through many unnecessary procedures, and would have been given unnecessary medications, with unnecessary effects on his body and doubtless getting his diabetes out of control (and the stress on his body of that).

Thank you so much, Dr. McGinnis!

still use my original 1975 edition that was bought that year, but have seen this re-issue and am glad it is back in print... it is a *must have*. over 21 years, 'the well cat book' has been the saving grace for more cats than i can remember; housepets who needed general care on up to rescuing farm cats that were involved in serious accidents (if you're not the squeamish sort)... most people don't end up in such situations, but the needed information is there.

for the average housecat owner, you will be pleasantly suprised about how much time and $$$ will be saved at the vet on tests/ diagnostics because of the clear, common-sense and descriptive information dr. mcginnis provides.

the really *big* bonus is a *healthy and long life* for your purry companion thanks to all the information about diet and general daily home care!

I have ordered a new copy to make sure that cat design has not changed. People stuff has. We went from putting butter on burns to putting ice on burns. I want to know if I can still put my cat in ice water for heat stroke. So far the occasion has not come up. However I am starting to suspect that cats can read. Every time I pick up the book, the cats run under the bead. My copy does not say much about thyroid disorders. However I find that this is right up there with urinary disorders except more deadly. When I get rich I will irradiate my cat. However for now she is getting daily doses of metimazole. The book did tell me how to chose the vet that detected the problem just in time.

I am thoroughly impressed with the author's ability to show us a detailed picture of everyday life in the Russian hinterlands. I never imagined people could still live that way in this day and age. We (Americans) are very much spoiled by what we consider "our necessities" in life. The emotions and visuals this book brought to me were so clear and real. I thought the last chapter written by the author's husband was a very nice touch. We have the story from both sides of this very adventurous couple! I was a little nervous about having to read about the Russian government/politial issues in this book, but was quite surprised and pleased to see it wasn't like any other book I've read about Russia. It is about the daily life of the everyday common person (or Americanski)in Pavlovo, Russia. Thank you for sharing your story, Missy Moore!

What a wonderful narrative of a present day adventure! Students often need material on Russia but are put off by lengthy books that are heavy on history and very short on interesting daily life. This book is perfect. It is like listening to a favorite relative tell about the trials of the depression and how it influenced all that came after.....

This is an invaluable book for those who complain about living in the USA, those interested in human nature, Russian travel or culture, or book lovers in general.

The most insightful comments about human nature: property that is owned by everyone is not kept up by anyone and its corollary, property that is owned by everyone is free for the taking by anyone. Her examples are poignant, especially her attempt to set an example.

Missy's love and concern for the ordinary people of the Russian hinterland overcame the deprivations and primitive conditions where they lived for 15 months. The isolation was intense, but expressed only in the context of overcoming it. The Russians responded to Missy with warmth that was in stark contrast to the very cold climate.

Not only did I greatly enjoy the book, but since I was away when it arrived, I had to wait for my husband and a friend (who is going to Russia) to finish the book first. Our friend immediately bought a copy for his wife.

Many people don't know it, but a stuffed animal's personality is formed when he or she is made in the factory. And when a teddy bear is sewn with slightly crooked eyes and a tight mouth, it can make that bear a bit of a snob. So how can that bear stand the indignity when he's taken home by Mrs. Broom, treated as a doll by her youngest daughter, threatened by George the pyromaniac, and carted away by the rag and bone man? And that's just the beginning of our teddy's adventures! A very clever book, full of warmth, with and wordplay, and one that adults will enjoy right along with their children. An excellent book!

This is my favorite book of all time. It's sad but sweet. A teddy bear is made in a factory with a proud looking face, and is very vain. No one seems to want him, and he goes through many and many owners, all which treat him with no love or care. Over the years, he gets very worn and old looking, and as all of his experiences have taught him, he becomes not so selfidh anymore and thinks about others. In the end he finally finds his place, which makes it a happy ending.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. IT HAS AN IMAGINATIVE STORYLINE BUT A REALISTIC GROUNDING. THE READER ITSELF TAKES THE ROCKY JOURNEY WITH THIS TEDDY BEAR INTO ADVENTURE AND FEELS EACH EMOTION WITH THE CHARACTER. NOT ONLY WILL THIS BOOK LEAVE THE READER REFRESHED BUT IT WILL MAKE A SOFT SPOT IN EACH OF YOUR HEART'S FOR ALL THAT IS AROUND YOU. IF NOT MY WORD TAKE THE WORD OF THE OTHER REVIEWERS FOR THIS BOOK MOST DEFINITLY BELONGS IN THE BEST OF THE BEST SELECTION OF OUR TIME!

This was one of my favorite books as a child. It left such an impact, that I checked it out from the library dozens of times. I remembered it as simply "Sarah's Story," and initially had difficulty finding it in our local library. This is among our favorite family books, one that I look forward to sharing with future generations. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is told engagingly. Be sure to share this wonderful TRUE story with any child that you hold dear.

My 6-year old daughter brought this book home from the library last year. She and her 4-year old brother were entranced by the book, as was I. The fact that it is true makes it even better. My kids loved the fact that the little girl thought the bear that protected her was a dog. I plan to buy it this year for a birthday or Christmas gift, and not just for my children.

This tale of a wild animal caring for a human child is very touching. It is beautifully written and illustrated. I read this to my class last year and again this year. They hang on every word.

Though I have only been exposed to the gay sub-culture, know as BEARS, for almost 4 years, it was fascinating to read the history of how this wide spread community began. Ron Suresha seems to have opened a whole new realm in the way I look at this group of masculine, "regular Joe"group of men.
The interviews in this book really get to the heart of what makes up the psychy of a BEAR man. And suprisingly, we are not much different than any other man..gay or straight!
These are very candid interviews and even give some insight into the author's 1st encounters with the BEAR sub-culture, back in its infancy!
GRRRRRRRReat job Ron & I am anticipatorily waiting for your next book!

the best of the 'bear' books so far. some of the interviews are quite thought-provoking. though there are plenty of critical things said throughout the book, it's the affirming comments that i remember. bear culture has been in the past a path for some gay men to grow and learn more about themselves and others. the book suggests that this phenomenon has not completely passed....

I was given "Bears on Bears" as a gift, and read it from cover to cover with interest and excitement. As a self-described bear who has been in a relationship with another self-described bear for 23 years, I thought "I had seen or knew it all." I was wrong. Ron's book opened my eyes to a much wider world, filled with diversity, a sense of history, and evolution. His interviews with a wide spectrum of men (and even a couple of women!) gave me comfort in knowing that my own experiences were not as unique as I once thought, and allowed me to learn more about the people and events that enable me to live the life I currently enjoy (as well as better understand myself). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is part of or interested in the "bear scene" not only in the United States but also around the world. It's a great read and a great learning experience.

This book is a humorous way of explaining the eeks, creaks, squeaks, taps, raps, snaps, bumps, thumps, and clumps you here in the night. The three bears in this story are frightened by sounds of mice, spiders, and bugs getting ready for bed. Little do they know however that the noises they make frighten the little mice, spiders, and bugs just as much.

I've had this book since I was 4 years old and from that age, up until I was around 8, my mother read me this book every night before going to bed. I enjoyed it so much because it was such an amusing book and I loved the way the author emphasized the noises. Being 14 years old now, I treasure this book. I strongly suggest buying this for the young children in your life. They'll love it! I don't know of any kid who wouldn't.

After first being introduced to this book by Captain Kangaroo, this story became a favorite bedtime read for our children. Puts a new and delightful spin on "things that go bump in the night!" Have been trying to locate a copy for years and years to read to a new generation! Thanks, Amazon.com!

I am eight years old. My teacher read us this book when I was in first grade. I like the end when they are all in the bed. My teacher sings it to us like a lullabye. We like that.

The soft, simple city and country illustrations and the gentle rhythms and add-on patterns of the reassuring text make this warm and loving bedtime story a good choice for early readers and pre-readers alike. Since my toddler was 18 months old, this has been one of our favorites. We have fun adding our own animal sounds to the chain of events, and, of course our own nighttime snuggles and stuffed-animal cuddles at the end.

Not only is this book fun to read for children, but enjoyable for an adult reader -- adding a little rhythm track to the text, and a pat-clap from the children, produced a wonderful lesson for my music students. They learned the text quickly and enjoyed the ending which reminded them of similar "toys come to life when you're not looking" stories.

Amazon Magic by Jaya Bear is the astonishing biography of Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez, an ayahuasquero, or shaman who is skilled in visionary and healing plant medicines. From his childhood in a small jungle town beside the Amazon river; to his spending a year living with an Indian tribe; to visionary encounters with plant, water, and jungle spirits; Amazon Magic presents to the reader an evocative and amazing story of one man's journey to magic, enlightenment, healing, and wisdom. Amazon Magic is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Shamanism, Metaphysics, and indigenous life of Peruvian Amazon indians.

This reviewer delights in learning, especially about people and cultures who can and did make an impact...and natural medicines that have their roots in a period thousands of years ago. So, when author Jaya Bear sent me her book, Amazon Magic, I discovered a wonderful opportunity and biography, as well as a narrative filled with mystery about a totally different reality.

Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez (1933-) was born in Tamshiyacu, Peru, a small jungle town along the Amazon River. What is was to grow up in this totally different (from us) environment...learn to be a shaman...and acquire the skills to use healing plant medicines such as ayahuasca, are the subjects of this fascinating new book.

Amazon Magic enables the reader to walk in the shoes of a shaman and understand his experiences and adventures...and his training and discipline to achieve his widely-regarded status as a profound healer. This reviewer was fascinated by not only plant medicines, but the spirits that reside in the jungle. And how ayahuasca, for instance, can help one see the spirits, and the demons. "Each of us has our demons, and ayahuasca shows them to us so we can face them and heal. Ayahuasca teaches us truth about ourselves".

Author, world traveler, artist and student of many spiritual cultures, Jaya Bear, felt drawn to travel to Peru after her husband died. She met Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez, and has continued to work closely with him since that time.

The result is Amazon Magic, a fascinating look at a culture and individual that have made an impact. Jaya Bear presents this revelation in an easily- read- and- understood fashion that captures Don Agustin's words, love and compassion!

Many years on from THE WIZARD OF THE UPPER AMAZON this book is an engaging adventure story of the same time. Endearing frankness ... from multiple sexual adventures to cannibalism ... combine with a fearsome determination to excel in his shamanic world, years of undergoing plant diets (ayahuasca the principle plant medicine but there are many more discussed here) ... all make this man seem oddly trustworthy. The directness of style is nicely free of many literary conventions ... these are Don Agustin's most striking memories, told in a clear way, worked into a book by Jaya Bear. I enjoyed it as a fine adventure story, a great jungle yarn.

This is a cute and funny story of Amy, the dreamer and her patient and loving mommy. Margot Datz's illustrations created a pretty and colorful display of the landscape surrounding a gingerbread cottage on the Vineyard. Complete with mauvey wisterias and the detailed picture of flower seeds just sprouting in egg cartons on the window sills in Amy's bear's house. The whole book looks great. Elegant and a timeless story for children and their mothers.

I received this book when I was 3 years old. I am now 16 and to this day, I love this book. I always loved Carly Simon and if you like her music, you will love her wonderful book. I am buying it for my niece Victoria, and hope she will love this book as much as I do. It shows the love between a mother and daughter while also using your imagination. I love it!

As a parent, I found that I got as much enjoyment out of reading this book to my daughter as she enjoyed being read to. The illustrations are a delight, and, just like the text, reveal something new with each reading.

Danny's mother's birthday is approaching and he has no idea what to get her. He wants to give her something special, but just can't think of the right present. Not coming up with any ideas, he asks a hen. Not finding help there he goes to a cow. The cow tells him to ask the bear. It is here that the bear offers the gift Danny has been searching for.

"Ask Mr. Bear" has been a classic children's story for a long time, and will surely delight future generations of children. The only thing bothering me, now that I am an adult, and can look upon the story in a different light is - what would have happened if Danny had asked his father first?

This is a childrens classic as far as I am concerned. The pictures are a bit dated, however that only adds to the charm of this book. Danny travels from animal to animal looking for the best present for his mother and everything that is offered by the animals his mother already has. Finally it is suggested he goes and asks Mr. Bear. What a wonderful present Mr. Bear suggests. Wonderful.

My mom loved this book as a child. I loved this book, too. I was so excited to see that this book was still available that I am buying it for my 5 month old son and a new copy for his grandma. The illustrations haven't been changed I couldn't be more pleased.