Roger A. CarasReseñas

I love Roger Caras because he always has something good to say about Greyhounds! This is a well written book, with sly humor and many thought provoking chapters about man's best friend. Great addition to a dog lover's library.

Not at all what I was looking for. I was hoping that I would get an insider's view on what goes on behind the scenes at dog shows. Instead, I got brief explanations here and there of what judges look for in the show ring, and lots and lots of explanations of why people breed show quality dogs.
I get it! I have champions at home, so I don't need to be convinced why mixed breed dogs should not be bred. What I thought I was going to be reading were stories on how dogs got to be champions, how people cheat to get their dogs looking good, the politics and backstabbing that goes on in the show world...basically the low down dirty stuff. This book was very bland, containing nothing like that. A summary would be:
choose a breeder wisely; hope your dog has the personality for the ring; here are a few sentences on what they look for in the ring; don't breed mixed breed dogs; all dogs need love whether they are champions or not.

One thing I'm glad about is that I borrowed it from the library. If I had spent money on this book I would have been livid. Not that it was badly written, but it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Overall decent field guide to have while camping, researching or just to store in your library for reference. The information is a little imbalanced, almost showing favoritism to certain animals over the rest. For example- there are almost 30 pages on snakes (including NON-venomous ones?) and a meager 16 pages on invertebrates, including only 1 scorpion. There are over 70 species of scorpions in the United States alone. I think this can serve as a handy first guide to someone looking for this kind of information to consult. A heavy handed amount of text and some decent textbook style BW illustrations to compliment the color photos.

people watching cats watching people

Illustrated in various styles with line drawings, sketches and black and white photographs, A Cat I s Watching by Roger A. Caras offers a smooth blend of anecdote, analysis and personal opinion. The author invites readers to ponder how a six foot man might appear to a tiny kitten, why a pride of lions might view safari humans in their car the same way we view zoo animals, and just what that cat staring solemnly over the fence might have in mind.

The cat’s mind is different from the human’s of course, and the author does an excellent and truly intriguing job of suggesting how the senses (not necessarily five) interact, how instincts are formed and informed, and how, in fact, cats aren’t half as independent as they appear.

I have to confess, I’m more of a dog person myself. But A Cat Is Watching could easily hook me on cats. If only one were watching me so I could give it a home.

Disclosure: A friend loaned me this after a visit to a cat cafe.

One of the best little books I have ever read. The Kodiak bear mesmerizes you and one can almost feel the emotions the bear is having. My words cannot do it justice.

From the Introduction: "The fact is out, there is no denying it, most of the world's wildlife is in grave danger. It is going so fast we can't keep score. Over 1,000 species or or subspecies are in danger at this moment (as is 10 percent of the world's flowering plants). Each year sees more and more wildife approach extinction while man, for the most part, remains oblivious to what is not only the fate of wild animals but what must eventually be his fate, too."

The author presents an almost comprehensive assault on ignorance. Too few people seem to understand. We do not appreciate or solve the issues about "wild life". For some reason, there are people that would like us to believe wild life is dangerous, but it seldom is. We are a major threat to wild life. All of it.

The author addresses all the absurd claims against other creatures. He specifically takes on the absurd claims of "hunters". Roger Caras has dug into the facts and statistics -- most of which are difficult to find and confirm. He interviewed the last of the true hunters and folks who have actual experience with actual wild life. Virtuall all such people are now either dead or fighting for the lives of the last wild life.

Part I. The Mammals - Great Cats, Wolves, Bears, Leopard Seal and Walrus, Killer Whale, Elephants, Venomous Mammals, Others.

I loved learning about the "forty distinct kinds of wild cats" -- and that there were forty! Siberian Tiger is 12 feet long, The smaller Felidae are the most efficient land predators left on earth. Man-eaters are not "rare", but cats generally avoid man whenever possible.

Leopard and panther are different words/ interchangeable, for the same creature in the Old World, in both spotted and melanin dominant forms. In the New World, the "mountain lion" / puma is distinct and "the Florida panther" is actually a misnomer. The South American jaguar also has both melanism and albinism. Tigers tend to Albinism. Lions to neither. Tiger grow to lengths of ten feet --begger than the largest of lions. Immense strength, swim well, have excellent hearing, but not the best eyesight. Unless it moves. Curiously, lions and tigers are anatomically very close, and they readily interbreed -- Ligers and Tiglons, and numerous subspecies of lions. Lions are cooperative hunters, and almost all kills are done by females.

Wolves - relatives of the jackals, fox and dog. Once ranged all over the world except Austrialia and the Pacific region. Hunts in packs, from mice to moose. Larger brain than a dog of comparable size. Dismayed by the "nonsense" directed against this animal.

"Almost certainly, wolves have attacked men; probably provoked for the most part by the rigors of thie environment or by rabies. But, it is equally certain that such attacks were exceptional at best. Wolves are shy and retiring animals unless sorely pressed." [41]

Pt II. The Birds. None are dangerous. But the casuarries will attack man. They reach 5 feet in height, A hysteric Ostrich in a confined space may deliver a terrible kick. The Mute Swan will attack if their nests are approached.

Pt III. Reptiles.

Pt IV. Amphibians and Fish.

Pt. V Invertebrates - insects, spiders, scoprions, venomous cones, giant clam, octopus and squid, jellyfish.

Jellyfish stings can be fatal. Phylum Coelenterata, include hydroids, corals and anemones. Vary from microscopic to Gyanea capillata, ranging in Arctic waters, with diameter of over 7 feet and 100 foot tentacles. By 1962 about 24 species were known to have some medical effect, and the number was growing. The Box Jelly (sea wasp, or Chironex fleckeri, not the Portugese Man-o-war), is the most deadly [317].

Pt. VI. Potential Dangers. The author shows that the most dangerous creature to man is man. [321] Platyhelminthine (flatworm) can "slime" you but not hurt you. Corals can cause discomfort, but not death. Leeches, the same. Sea Urchins can cause serious wounds if a venomous spine is stepped upon [323]. Marine bristle worms (Annelids) can cause serious rashes.

Appendices - include treatment for injuries, rabies, rattlesnakes, reptile Hall of Infamy", snakebite histories, 'Ciguatura" - fish poisoning.

The Custer Wolf, also called Lobo, became legendary for how much livestock he supposedly killed and for his ability to escape all attempts by man to kill him. The first part of this book describes the wolf's early life, patterned after wolf behavior the author observed first-hand when he spent time with a captive pack and also viewed films made of young wolves being born and raised by their parents. This part was enjoyable reading and reminded me a lot of how White Fang commences, with the unfolding of the young wolf's awareness, its learning through instinct guided by the parents, its experiences encountering other wildlife and exploring the world. The white wolf soon meets with mankind and witnesses the death of both its littermates and parents until it remains a solitary animal and eventually becomes known as a killer of livestock and hunted down.

The firsthand accounts of people actually witnessing this wolf destroying livestock were nil, a few people glimpsed the animal briefly, and stories of its size and ferocity were greatly exaggerated. It mostly gained fame from being able to avoid traps that took hundreds of wolves and other wild animals in the vicinity. When the Custer Wolf was at last shot, men were surprised at its relatively small size. The author was careful in his account to point out which stories were probably fabricated and which had shreds of the truth. He also includes a lot of native american folklore that praises the wolf, as well as recounting ancient cultural fear and loathing of wolves that people brought with them from Europe when they came to America.

It was interesting reading for me, and reminded me of why I enjoy reading these kinds of books.

from the Dogear Diary

An unbelievable little book. One can almost feel the emotions the bear is having. One of the best little books I have ever read. A must read (and a quick one).

I have a friend who shows dogs, more in obedience trials than for best of breed, so I was interested in this book. There is plenty of fascinating material to write about but somehow the author misses it and has written a simplistic book that barely skims the surface of this world that so consumes the time and interest of afficionados. Cut it down by half and it would make a good children's book for 8-12 year olds.

great illustrations, color plates, descriptions.

This book covers the life span of an elephant by following one through its life journey. This would be a great book for a 10 year old (or anyone interested in elephants) except for the natural violence of African wildlife. A little hard on the sensitive types. Easy to read and informative. Like his other books, this one carries messages about protecting animal welfare and the environment.½

A book for any cat lover - and perhaps for some who aren't sure. Cats a mysterious creatures and the author thinks that because they have only been "domesticated" for four thousand years may be the reason. We just haven't been around them long enough to really know them well. This book goes along way though to give us a good insight, or this author's sometimes humorous take on the beast.

An examination of what we know, what we don't know, and what we surmise about the way cats think. The writing is serious without being boring or heavy-handed. The author uses cats of his own acquaintance to illustrate his points. The science may be just a bit dated, but his ideas about a cat's sensor array, and senses beyond human ken are fascinating, and - as far as I can tell from my own cats - spot on.

Insight into my own dog's mind. My favorite story is of dog as learning organism: a bloodhound pup is bigger than the lab. When the lab fetches the ball, he interrupts his path to his master and takes the ball, thus receiving the treat. One day the lab urinates on the way back, causing the bloodhound to re-mark that territory and abandon his post. The lab gets the treat. From then on, the lab fills up on water when his master picks up the ball...

Exhaustive.

One of the first animal Books I owned, and still a good reference volume.

The most famous wolf in American History!

As with all collections, a mixed bag. Still, definitely some entertaining tales. I like the ones where the cats were smart and loyal!