Showing posts with label interesting facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interesting facts. Show all posts

Early Book Review: The Cat Behavior Answer Book, 2nd Edition Understanding How Cats Think, Why They Do What They Do, and How to Strengthen Our Relationships with Them by Arden Moore

The Cat Behavior Answer Book, 2nd Edition Understanding How Cats Think, Why They Do What They Do, and How to Strengthen Our Relationships with Them by Arden Moore is currently scheduled for release on September 27 2022. 

Cats can be mysterious and can owners are eager to understand their behavior and learn how to strengthen the bond between cats and humans. In the revised 2nd edition of The Cat Behavior Answer Book (77,000 copies in print), pet expert Arden Moore answers the many questions cat owners have, from the practical aspects of training, feeding, and caring to the puzzling aspects of behavior and communication. Do cats dream? What's the purpose of a cat's whiskers? How do I catproof my house? Why does my elderly cat howl at night? How can I train my cats not to jump upon the kitchen counter? Can I keep my cat from climbing the curtains? What's the best way to train a kitten to use the litter box? How can I eliminate the smell of cat urine? What's the best way to trim a cat's nails? Is it okay for my cat to eat grass? Arden Moore provides insightful answers to all these questions and many more, along with reassuring guidance on addressing the problems that can get in the way of living happily with a cat. The 2nd edition has been completely updated to reflect the most recent research and recommendations and redesigned in a larger, more browsable format.

 The Cat Behavior Answer Book offers readers exactly what the title promises. I think this could be a valuable resources for first time cat parents, and for those facing new questions or challenges. I liked the facts about the history and physiology of cats, while some of it was familiar I did learn a few new things. I thought the book covered a wide range of topics, and was a very informative and interesting read. It covered a lot of ground and will be accessible to a wide range of readers. I think anyone looking to better understand cats, either to answer questions they have about particular cats or from basic curiosity will get a great deal from this book. I really like that there are additional resources included at the end of the book. I think it would be a great addition to public and school libraries as well as personal collections.  

Book Review: Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia

Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science behind Your Favorite Monsters by Carlyn Beccia is a children's non fiction book. Could Dr. Frankenstein's machine ever animate a body? Why should vampires drink from veins and not arteries? What body parts are best for zombies to eat? (It's not brains.) This fascinating encyclopedia of monsters delves into the history and science behind eight legendary creatures, from Bigfoot and the kraken to zombies and more. Find out each monster's origin story and the real-world history that informed it, and then explore the science of each creature in fun and surprising ways. Tips and infographics—including monster anatomy, how to survive a vampire attack, and real-life giant creatures of the deep sea—make this a highly visual and fun-to-browse book.

Monstrous is well organized and written. The book offers a historic and scientific background to some of the legends of monsters, magic, and more. The text is well written. It is very informative, with bits of humor throughout. Even when the subject gets a little dense or shares what I would consider fairly well known information, the text never feels unaccessible or condescending. I enjoyed that even while I knew a great deal of the information- as I am a fan or folklore and mythology- there were some new things to learn as well as some deep enjoyment in seeing some of my more esoteric knowledge confirmed or expanded on. I also greatly enjoyed the artwork in the illustrations and the the styles for the backgrounds and infographics. It was on point and helped reinforce the information, keep the reader's interest, and entertain. The combination of fact and fun was pretty much perfect. The author even took the time to mention when science has been wrong, I think this is important to remind all readers because it shows that there is always more to learn and more research that can be done. I was very happy to see a bibliography, glossary, and index in the endpages. Too often I see these things neglected or poorly done in children's non fiction- expecting them to ignore it or not notice. In this book the list of sources and citations was very well done and could result in interested readers doing further reading, investigating, and research on their own. This encouragement always makes me happy. 

Monstrous is a well written book that offers the tools of science, history, and a little humor to explain the truth about creatures like vampire, zombie, and more. Good for monster fans, and for giving fact based information that could ease the fears of some that are non so fond of monsters. I just pre ordered this to share with my kids.

Early Book Review: The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History by Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds, Patton Oswalt

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History by Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, with a forward by Patton Oswalt, is currently scheduled for release on May 9 2017. From the creators of the comedy/history podcast "The Dollop," this book presents short but informative stories of the most outlandish (but true) people, events, and more from United States history. Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds cover the weird stories you didn't learn in history class, such as 10-Cent Beer Night, the Jackson Cheese, and the Kentucky Meat Shower, each accompanied by a full-page illustration that brings these historical "milestones" to life in full-color. Each story is accompanied by tongue-in-cheek trivia and timelines that help place the stories in context with the more well-known historical events that occurred around them.

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History was a entertaining and informative read. While I had heard some of the stories before, such as the radium girls and Kentucky meat shower, some were new to me. Each story was short and offered some commentary on the intelligence (or lack there of) of those making decisions. Occasional the humorous commentary got a little profane, so those not interested in that style of humor might want to skip it. However, fans of the podcast or that have seen anything from the writers involved will not be surprised. It did catch me by surprise at first, but fit in with the stories and humor well so was not an issue once I got accustomed to it. Readers that will be too bothered by swearing, jokes about male anatomy, or intelligence levels in our country will want to skip it- but everyone else will laugh and learn at least a little. The short bits of history are organized by commonalities, and make for fun short reads.

The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History is a fun read for fans of The Dollop podcast, as well as those that enjoy learning about the more unusual bits of history. I normally get this tidbits from History's Mysteries, Mysteries at the Museum, and similar shows- but now I know I need to be listening to this podcast too. If history and humor tied together makes you happy, so will this unique look at American history.