A firm response to currently accepted dog-training methods.
A convincing guide for dog owners as well as a memoir of instructive adventures set in nature.
As the title of this debut work suggests, the central figure here is the wolf. Bailey insists that the tendency to anthropomorphize pets doesn’t serve them well: “The dog is a modified wolf, not a human.” The author bases his arguments on decades of experience as a licensed dog trainer, police canine officer, and dog sled racer. Several passages, taken out of context, may strike some readers as harsh. In actuality, Bailey goes to great lengths to explain the economic and psychological influences that cause dog owners to make regrettable decisions, whether due to the machinations of the massively profitable pet industry or the very real human need for affection and companionship. Nevertheless, this book represents much more than a simple training guide. There is an undeniable power and beauty to the author’s musings as he weaves into the text vital lessons learned from his mentor during intense survival training in the Alaskan wilderness. His rugged prose effectively conveys the physically and emotionally grueling nature of these exercises from his youth, to say the least. At one point, he literally stares into the eyes of the alpha male of the wolf pack. He also embraces spiritual elements, carefully constructing each chapter to begin with an appropriate epigraph, often quoting indigenous leaders or peoples. (He throws Jack London, John M. Campbell, and Henry David Thoreau into the mix, too.) As Bailey summarizes, “We are not adequately educated in regard to wolves and their behavior, and what little we do know, we are afraid of.” He successfully rectifies this situation in a bold and refreshing manner. For instance, such knowledge can help consumers choose which portable kennels are most appropriate for puppies based on animal behavior in the wild. Throughout the text, he repeats a mantra derived from the social relations displayed in wolf packs: “ ‘Obey today, eat today, live today’ is the reality. Obedience is required.”
A firm response to currently accepted dog-training methods.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61-933471-7
Page Count: 174
Publisher: FastPencil, Incorporated
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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