10 Favorite Animal Books from 2015

Everyone loves lists, and I guess I’m no different! I read about thirty books in 2015, but there were ten that really stood out. Here they are, in chronological order, with easy links to the website. To read all of my reviews, go to the Blog on the website. 

1. A WOLF CALLED ROMEO, by Nick Janis

The true story of an enormous black wolf who befriended domestic dogs in Alaska, raising concerns, questions, and alarms among residents. Although you know any interaction between wildlife and mankind will likely end badly for the wildlife, this is still a compelling and, in some ways, uplifting account and not to be missed.

2. LAST CHAIN ON BILLIE by Carol Bradley

I believe this book, as well as social media outcry over the use of elephants for entertainment, was instrumental in Barnum & Bailey’s phasing out of elephant acts. The animals are still being slaughtered and abused throughout the world, and work must continue to ward off extinction, but learning about individuals who have devoted their lives to making a difference in the world of animals is always an inspiration. Long live Billie!

3. H IS FOR HAWK by Helen Macdonald

Of the memoirs I read and reviewed in 2015, this one definitely ranks at the top. Macdonald is an extraordinary nature writer, as well as a poet—a combination of talents that will take a reader’s breath away at times. We can feel the chill English air and feel the prickles of nettles and the grip of talons from her goshawk. We also understand the author’s intense grief and slow, almost reluctant, crawl out of melancholy. Paper edition available March 2016.

 4. LAST CHANCE MUSTANG by Mitchell Bornstein

When Mitch Bornstein first meets Samson, the wild mustang, every alarm in my body went off. “Don’t go near him!” I wanted to yell, knowing, however, that he would go near the horse, and of course he would succeed in gaining his trust. Just look at the cover photograph, and you know the outcome. But still, it’s hard to read the opening without heart-pounding fear. This is a vitally important book about what’s happening to our wild horses. It’s a counter argument to those proponents of decreasing the wild horse population “for their own good,” and to the belief that horses, not cattle, are damaging the last remaining wilderness in this country through overgrazing. Read Mitchell Bornstein’s account of Samson’s slow rehabilitation, and then check out the Bureau of Land Management’s persistent denials concerning the tactics in dealing with the last remaining wild horses in this country. It is
eye-opening, to say the least.

5. THE DOG MASTER by W. Bruce Cameron

Cameron’s latest novel touches on some current theories about early mankind’s domestication of wild animals—particularly wolves. But what makes this book so compelling is the excellent writing and well-rounded characters. The various tribes are intertwined in an altogether believable fashion, with wolves at the center.  His expert storytelling will enthrall and delight.

6. LET THE TORNADO COME by Rita Zoey Chin

This memoir was published in 2014, but I hadn’t known about it until last year. More than just the story of a troubled horse and troubled woman, this is a portrait of an underside in our country that we too often ignore. Chin’s story is riveting, heartbreaking, and ultimately victorious. Whether or not you are a horse person, this is a book that will engross you and move you as few books can do.

7. RESCUE ROAD by Peter Zheutlin

One of the great things about social media is that it has allowed easy access to authors or author’s subjects. In this case, thanks to Zheutlin’s account of riding shotgun with Greg Mahle of Rescue Road Trips, I was able to then follow Mahle on Facebook and see him, virtually, in action. His work is harrowing and difficult, but the joy is obvious, too. Here, in his story, as told by a journalist whose own pup had traveled the road, is another reason not to abandon hope, but keep on truckin’. There are so many to rescue, but they are finding homes.

8. SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY by Spencer Quinn

Any of you who have come by my booth at an event asking for gift ideas or fun books to read on a trip knows that I always recommend the Chet and Bernie Series by Spencer Quinn. Beginning with DOG ON IT, and proceeding to this, the eighth book in the series, this outstanding detective series narrated by a particularly talented dog never fails to hold the reader by the collar and not let go.I guarantee it!

9. THE HORSE: THE EPIC HISTORY OF OUR NOBLE COMPANION by Wendy Williams

You don’t need to be a paleontologist to find this book fascinating. You don’t even really need to be a horse lover. But of course, it’s a huge bonus if you are, because then you will look at your horse with even more respect and admiration after learning about his origins and his connection to human evolution, and his intelligence. Journalist Wendy Williams poses the questions, Why is there such an intense bond between humans and horses? When did it form? Her search for answers takes her all over the world, and leads her to some startling conclusions.

10. THE SECRET LIVES OF BATS by Merlin Tuttle

OK, all you bat haters out there, I dare you to read this book and proclaim yourself still a bat blaster! The passion Tuttle has for his subject is contagious. I marveled at his stamina, apparent boundless energy, and overall kindness when dealing with stupid people who are determined to destroy the creature he finds so lovable. And his photographs are truly breathtaking. Do not discount a bat book out of childhood fears or myths. This will entertain and educate you. I promise you’ll never look at a bat the same way again!

Review of THE MARE, by Mary Gaitskill

THE MARE

Mary Gaitskill

Hardcover, $26.95. Our price $21.56

Mary Gaitskill is known for her previous novel, VERONICA, which garnered her a nomination for National Book Award, and for her variety of short stories. Her subject matter is best described as edgy, unflinching, and THE MARE is no exception.

Velveteen Vargas is an eleven-year-old Dominican girl living with her reticent, angry and, at times, abusive mother and her over-protected little brother in a rough section of Brooklyn. She is accepted into the Fresh Air Fund, and sent to spend a few weeks one summer with a white couple, Ginger and Paul, in the Hudson Valley. Ginger, longing for a child, but past the age of childbearing, sees the taking in of an older child as a way to test the waters for possibly adopting. She also has bought into the philosophy of “making a difference” in the life of an underprivileged child. Paul agrees, at least initially.

Ginger becomes ever more embroiled in Velvet’s life, inserting herself out of a desperate need to make sure the girl receives all that a child of the privileged classes would receive. Whether or not Velvet wants or needs Ginger’s obsessive attention is a tricky question. But in any event, the one advantage she does take to is the introduction to horses in a stable nearby. There she meets the mare of the title, an animal with whom she communicates openly and honestly. Known derisively by the girls at the stable as “Fugly Girl,” because of her marked face and “difficult” personality, the horse likewise bonds with Velvet. The two share their common scars, both physical and psychical.

Velvet’s presence in their home soon picks away at the cushion Ginger and Paul have relied upon to keep their marriage comfortable. Their history of despair has been packed away, only to be let loose with the introduction of Velvet’s adolescent passions. Being white and upper-middle class does not inure one to pain. The struggles are different, but still present, regardless of class or race.

Velvet’s love of Fugly Girl, whom she renames Fiery Girl because of her spirit, is as intense as the rest of her emotions. It is her loyalty to “her mare” that drives her north more frequently, becoming a regular weekend presence at the stable, and eventually a more accomplished eventer in the ring. Her mother fights her daughter every step, but the mare—her other mother—calls to her, and Velvet must answer that call, no matter the danger. The two of them, Velvet and Fiery Girl, become a team in a competition that ultimately forces all parties together.

Gaitskill’s characters grapple and grope with questions of fidelity, honesty, and cultural differences, wrapped into a deceptively simple story of a girl and her horse. THE MARE is so much more, both as a book and idea. It is thought-provoking and, as with Fiery Girl herself, overflowing with hopeful exuberance.

Bat Time: review of THE SECRET LIVES OF BATS, by Merlin Tuttle

The Secret Lives of Bats
Merlin Tuttle
$26.00, hardcover; our price $20.80
Click Here to Purchase

As Rogers & Hammerstein wrote in South Pacific, “You’ve got to be taught/to hate and fear….” Apparently, too many humans have been taught to hate and fear bats. The result of ignorance is often irrational hatred; the result of hatred is violence. Bats have suffered human violence for centuries, in spite of their vastly beneficial role in nature as insect eaters and fruit and flower pollinators.

 Starting in the 1970s, there was a definite movement towards not only tolerating but protecting these much maligned creatures. That movement is largely the result of the work of Dr. Merlin Tuttle. His passionate research led to the founding of Bat Conservation International that has succeeded in protecting and reinvigorating threatened bat populations worldwide.

His passion for bats began as a teenager in Tennessee when he discovered the behavior of gray myotis bats was decidedly different from what he’d read in books. The fact that he, at age seventeen, had possibly made a significant observation compelled him to further his scientific studies. In so doing, he also became a skilled photographer who would not let danger or any discomfort dissuade him from the perfect shot.

In working with National Geographic Dr. Tuttle’s expeditions have taken him all over the world, and subjected him to almost inhuman amounts of physical and emotional hardship, all of which he recalls with extraordinary good humor. He seems to possess not only Herculean strength and resilience, but a diplomatic personality that never condemns or judges those who have perpetrated harm on bats. Upon visiting Bracken Cave in Texas to witness firsthand the world’s largest bat colony, Tuttle is nearly overcome by the heat and carbon dioxide, even with his respirator. Beetles crawl up his legs, biting him, and he feels the first indications of losing consciousness. Fainting would be deadly, so reluctantly he retreats.

Upon leaving the cave, he encounters three men sitting in the shade, talking:

They were speculating on how much fun it would be to sometime throw a stick of dynamite into the cave and see how many bats would come out all at once. Of course, the answer was none. They’d all be dead. These men weren’t maliciously inclined. They were simply ignorant and were quite apologetic when I explained the consequences of such an act….

The appalling spectacle of how easily the world’s largest remaining bat colony could be destroyed by simple ignorance provided a strong reminder of just how important public education could be.

Bats are fragile creatures, easily taken down in the hundreds, thousands, millions, by human intervention. Many species are already extinct because of human action and loss of habitat. Now the notorious white-nose syndrome is killing many colonies in this country. Thanks to Dr. Tuttle and others who have fought for their protection, there are some species who are making a comeback, but there is still a long way to go.

Whatever your feelings about bats, this is a highly entertaining and mind-altering plunge into their world. The color photographs are particularly awe-inspiring. Bats can be cute! They can also have faces only a mother bat would love. But they will never be evil, blood-sucking, hair-entangling creatures we’ve somehow cursed them to be. Next time you see a bat, thank him for the insects he’s eating or the fruits and flowers he’s pollinating. And leave him alone.

Dawn of the horse: review of THE HORSE: THE EPIC HISTORY OF OUR NOBLE COMPANION

THE HORSE: THE EPIC HISTORY OF OUR NOBLE COMPANION
Wendy Williams
$26; our price: $20.80, hardcover, with photos

Long before they were useful to us for work, war, or entertainment, horses have fascinated humankind. The famous Vogelherd horse was sculpted by admiring hands thirty-five thousand years ago. Horses seem to fill a niche in our lives. But when did this bond first form, and why? Those are the central questions journalist Wendy Williams strives to answer in her outstanding and ground-breaking book The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companions. She writes:

“We must have horses and dogs and cats and other animals in our lives in order for our psyches to function as they should, just as we have to have bacteria in our guts in order to digest food.”

Other domesticated animals have changed biologically because of the process of being domesticated. Horses, for the most part, have not. The horse has evolved according to the world he inhabits, adapting as the climate changed, grasses proliferated, water ebbed and flowed. The horse we know now in North America originated 56 million years ago as the dawn horse, gradually losing his toes, developing a concave back and flat teeth. In fact, the evolution of the horse’s teeth determined his very survival, and the evolution of grass determined his teeth. Beginning as a browser, he developed into a grazer. Beginning as a scampering little creature, he became a galloping athlete. His intelligence, along with his physical prowess, also grew.

Because of horses’ unique intelligence (dawn horses had advanced brains, according to paleontologists), as well as social and emotional commonalities with humans, behaviorists are able to conduct tests to determine horse perception. It’s been revealed that horses can interpret two-dimensional images, much as humans can. And although they are far-sighted and partially color blind, they recognize different human faces, even being able to tell twins apart, and, more important perhaps, perceive emotions. When we gaze at a horse’s eye, we also read his feelings. Could the Pleistocene cave artists have felt that connection as well? And perhaps in finding this bond, did a mutual trust develop even in prehistoric times? (Humans have famously abused the trust of our animal companions on too many occasions, but horses seem to have unending faith in us anyway, which just proves that they must know something we don’t.)

In searching for a deeper understanding of horses, Williams explores some of the mysteries in their evolution, including one fascinating riddle: the disappearance of the horse in the Western hemisphere, and specifically North America, around 14,000 years ago. The reasons for this vanishing are debated vehemently by scientists, and no consensus has been reached. (The fact that horses were no longer here when Europeans arrived has been used as the rationale for the government’s removing the wild mustangs in the West as a non-native species.) Darwin himself had struggled to find an answer to this phenomenon. Why, after millennia of adapting to the changing conditions, would the horse population dwindle and die out in this region? Was it the result of human activity?

Williams’ investigation of this disappearance takes her all over the world, tracking the horse’s progress and decline, along with the planet’s shifts, and coinciding human development. One particularly illuminating incident occurred in 2013 in Britain’s New Forest National Park where dozens of free-roaming New Forest ponies perished as a result of the boomer crop of acorns. Horses love acorns to death. Literally. Oak trees proliferated relatively recently, after the ice receded, so equine tolerance has not had a chance to evolve, and probably will not. Perhaps that offers one clue to the North American extinction. The controversy, however, continues to rage in the scientific community, and may never be fully resolved.

What we do know is that the horse’s extraordinary evolution occurred not to benefit mankind, or as a result of our intervention, but in spite of it. We are fortunate to have found common ground that enables a mutually beneficial relationship, and that the horse is forgiving of our many trespasses. There is still much to learn as we humans evolve into wiser, more compassionate companions.

The Horse begins and ends with the author observing wild mustangs in Wyoming. Her quest for understanding the true nature of the horse, and the origins of the bond between horse and human, provides us with a joyous ride through equine history. Williams gives us a cohesive, comprehensive, yet comprehensible study of this magnificent animal. Her Epilogue is truly an “ahhh!” moment of personal evolution.

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Heroes and Angels: review of RESCUE ROAD: ONE MAN, THIRTY THOUSAND DOGS, AND A MILLIION MILES ON THE LAST HOPE HIGHWAY

Rescue Road

Peter Zheutlin

$14.99, paperback. Our price: $12

 

There are true angels among us. They are not supernatural, superhuman, or super wealthy. Instead, these angels are people who see a problem that is without ultimate solution, but they soldier on regardless, trying to solve it. If one life is saved, they tell themselves, that’s reward enough. One such angel is the subject of Peter Zheutlin’s new book, RESCUE ROAD: ONE MAN, THIRTY THOUSAND DOGS AND A MILLION MILES ON THE LAST HOPE HIGHWAY. Zheutlin writes,

The lows in rescue, I realize are matched by the incredible highs, and without one, there isn’t the other. I’ve met so many selfless, good-hearted people from all walks of life and different parts of the country, all connected by their love of dogs and willingness to go the extra miles—or a few thousand—to shepherd them along on their arduous journeys to love and safety.

The impetus for the writing of this book is, fittingly, a dog. Peter Zheutlin and his family adopted Albie from a high-kill shelter in Louisiana via labs4rescue. He learned that Albie was to be transported north via an organization called Rescue Road Trips, run by Greg Mahle (pronounced “May-lee”). Zheutlin, a journalist, decided to explore the amazing amalgamation of events leading to his own dog’s rescue. He reached out to Mahle and asked if he could ride with him over the course of a year and see for himself how rescue really works, and particularly, the place where his beloved Albie had come so close to death. He would not just be a passenger, but would help as needed. The experience was more than eye-opening. In fact, it was exhausting, exhilarating, and ultimately awe-inspiring.

Greg Mahle grew up in the restaurant business in Ohio, so he is inured to hard work, rough hours, and low pay. His wife Adella handles the back office duties to help with the ever-changing scheduling and myriad problems arising while Greg is on the road. It’s tough on the family to have him gone so much (he makes the 1000-mile trip south every two weeks), but the results are worth it. “Gotcha Day” is what Greg calls the happy end of the transport when he can hoist a previously unwanted and doomed pup into the arms of a happy adopter. Gotcha Day is what keeps him going through horrible weather, mechanical breakdowns, and personal crises. It makes it all worthwhile.

Zheutlin sees firsthand the poverty of the Deep South, particularly the Fifth Ward in Houston, and the disregard of human as well as animal life. The so-called shelters are often nothing more than brief holding cells for euthanasia. Some of the facilities have a 90% kill rate, usually targeting puppies first rather than have to fund vaccinations. Compared to shelters in the north, that seems unbelievable, but it’s a reality that rescuers know well.

The reasons for so many high-kill facilities in the south, and for the general poor treatment of domestic animals there, are complicated. There are cultural issues concerning how animals have been traditionally regarded, especially in the rural areas. There are, of course, financial issues. A family stuck in severe poverty is not likely to take measures to care for their pets. In fact, “pet” is not really a term to apply to the creatures who are forced to live their short lives outside, with no medical care or socialization. This mindset is changing slowly, thanks to educational initiatives that many rescue organizations and southern shelters are taking, but the tidal wave of unwanted, neglected, abused, and forgotten dogs still seems endless. In spite of the odds, however, rescuers such as Greg Mahle, and his colleagues in the south, push on, never taking a breath, it seems.

Now so many of those unsung heroes and angels out there have a moment in the spotlight, thanks to Zheutlin’s book. And anyone who thinks rescuing dogs means playing with puppies all day long will be humbled by the physicality and emotional strain rescuers endure.

Take this book as a call to action to not only support legitimate rescue organizations through donations and adopting, but to address the importance of education in slowly building empathy towards all living things. We can all be angels if we want to be.

To order your copy at 20% off and FREE shipping, click here!

Invisible Dogs: review of THE BLACK DOGS PROJECT, by Fred Levy

The Black Dogs Project

Extraordinary black dogs and why we can’t forget them

Photography by Fred Levy

Hardcover, $25. Our price: $20

The fickleness of humans never ceases to amaze. For some reason, black dogs are more likely to be overlooked in shelters by potential adopters, and thus more likely to be euthanized. The explanations for this phenomenon, known as “Black Dog Syndrome,” range anywhere from superstition to a sort of blind eye; black dogs simply don’t stand out as prominently as other dogs, and are thereby rendered invisible.

Fred Levy had been taking a series of photos of black dogs for the Black Dogs Project in order to help display their worth in a better light, perhaps rectifying their invisibility. Now he has encased the collection of over 50 portraits in this beautifully produced volume.

Each photo is accompanied by the dog’s bio as told by his or her human companion. All found their homes because their person was drawn to a distinctive personality, a look in the eye, or that strange, inexplicable connection we sometimes discover with another creature. One pup helped soothe fraught nerves of fire fighters after the Boston Marathon bombings. Another helped raise his human, staying with her through young adulthood and beyond as a steadfast supporter of all she did.

No dog deserves to be abandoned, abused, or neglected. If some are simply overlooked because their true beauty is hidden under a dark bushel, then Fred Levy’s wonderful work will certainly provide their much-deserved day in the sun! And if you are looking for a dog to join your household, be sure to judge by the temperament and not by the color, or absence thereof.

 

Dog Detective: review of SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY, by Spencer Quinn

Scents and Sensibility

Spencer Quinn

$25; our price $20

In this latest installment in the Chet and Bernie Mystery series “Chet the Jet” supplies us with more fast-moving intrigue as he himself struggles to understand the humans around him, especially his favorite human of all, Bernie Little, owner of the Little Detective Agency.

Returning home from their last case (see Paw and Order), Bernie and Chet are dismayed to find their safe missing, and Chet's nose confusingly picks up the scent of his best pal Iggy who lives with the Parsons across the street. What could old man Parsons have to do with this apparent theft? Bernie and Chet find out soon enough when an illegally transplanted saguaro leads to murder.

When I introduce those deprived folks who have not yet had the pleasure of reading any of the books in this delightful series, I explain the concept the way Spencer Quinn himself does: Chet the dog serves as narrator of the mysteries, and never once seems any less doglike. He is easily distracted by edibles, often finds that his tail has a mind of its own, and relies on his superior nose to help his pal Bernie do what they do best. Although a K-9 School failure (“I’d somehow flunked the leaping test on my very last day. Was a cat involved?”), Chet is Bernie’s right hand, uh, dog, and loves Bernie with an unwavering devotion.

Chet is also somewhat philosophical in his observance of human foibles and fumbles. For instance in trying to understand the meaning of skin color, he muses:

The truth is there’s not much color variety when it comes to humans, not compared to how we roll in the nation within. Take me, for example: mostly black but with one white ear, which I know on account of how many people mention it in my presence. Ever seen a human colored like me? The point is humans go on and on about skin colors when it isn’t even one of their strengths. And they have so many strengths: cars, tennis balls, bacon, and that’s just without even thinking, which is how my mind works best.

Quinn masterfully moves the story along by use of dialogue, which Chet overhears, and generally misinterprets, and with Chet’s own observations. His senses are keen, but deductive powers are, as he puts it, Bernie’s terrain. He is unable to count past two, and his knowledge of colors, especially red, is, he says, not to be trusted. But what a nose, far superior to Bernie’s, even though he admires his friend’s bountiful feature:

"One thing for sure," Bernie said. "I smell a rat."

All at once Bernie had my full attention. He had never smelled a rat before, not in any back alley, Dumpster, or landfill we’d ever investigated, almost all of them as ratty as you could wish for. Once we’d even worked our way into a sewer system. Rats out the yingyang down there, my friends. Invisible, yes, on account of the darkness, but they’d smelled the place up in a way that couldn’t be missed. But that was the point: Bernie had missed it. That was when I’d first been certain that his nose—really good-sized in human terms—was mostly for decoration. And now he was smelling a rat, when—trust me—there was no rat to smell?”

Humor aside, the action is intense. Bad guys abound and Chet is pushed almost to the brink, as is Bernie, leaving us with a cliffhanger at the end of the book. Now we shall have to wait another year for the next installment. Unlike Chet, this human finds waiting terribly difficult. With no bone to chew or tail to admire, I’m left to wonder and worry about what awaits the Little Detective Agency.