Montana Books

Phil Callaway's book is a fascinating blend of mystery, inspiration and a coming of age story. I so enjoyed all of the different levels, particularly Terry's situation, as he struggles with his own faith while trying to minister to a boy who is ready to come to his own. The author paints a poignant picture of Terry's mother as she faces her illness and the family that has to come to terms with losing her inches at a time. The narrative was realistic and moving without being overly sentimental. Wonders Never Cease was a beautiful story that I couldn't put down.

I loved Phil's first saga of the little town of Grace, but found this one to be a more grown-up version in keeping with the fact that the lead character has aged 6 years since his last adventure. What rang especially true was the story of the bonds of legalism and how one brought up in it (as I was) tends to look at everyone else as the problem and not themselves. The story revolves around Terry uncovering another secret (it had to do with money in Edge of the World, this time it has to do with a body. In keeping with his character, he keeps mum about it and watches his best laid plans head south. His loss of faith is thoroughly believable as teenage rebellion in this environment is almost the norm. The book could have been funnier, coming from a humorist, but as it is, I laughed out loud numerous times. Much of the humor is dry and will have you grinning more than laughing. All in all this lives up to what Ellen Vaughn says about Phil Callaway, "Reading him is one of life's purest pleasures."

Mr. Stiller has completed a formidable task in combining the corporate, regulatory, and environmental viewpoints of Montana's mining history. This book provides a solid technical understanding of hard-rock mining (and its environmental aftermath) in Western Montana, yet it covers the historical development, operation, and degradation of the area in human terms as well. If you like the style of John McPhee, you'll appreciate this read. Just about anyone with a general interest in Western U.S. history, economic geology, or environmental policy as it applies to federal mining law, state regulation, or environmental remediation should appreciate Stiller's prose. I imagine that many similar texts could be written about numerous localities in Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, etc. But, as a geologist myself, I also hope that this book will bring home some of the reality of mining's impacts in a country that so voraciously demands (and wastes) the finite resources of our earth.

Author Dave Stiller's book about hard-rock mining in Montana is a story full of the history of men's migration to the west to find their fortune in the elusive mountains and hills of mineral ores. At the same time it is well tempered to lead us through the often colorful federal and state political scene that played such an important part in mining development. It is also about mining's true risks, rewards, frustrations, and as well about good old-fashioned work ethic. It is one fine read.

Stiller's description is clear, easy to understand and most educational for the uninitiated in mining terminology. Those looking for a human story will not be disappointed. His character analysis of George and "Rosie" Kornec penetrates deeply into our desires and emotions to see them gain an upper hand in their struggle. Stiller's delivery stays fair and impartial as he explores the drives and motivations of the environmentalists versus the major mining corporations. His style touches on that of John McPhee with a little Colin Fletcher thrown in from time to time. In the end, after all the ups and downs at the Mike Horse Mine, after the clean-up appears to be in order, the reader realizes just how well Stiller has brought us through this complex subject and how well he stayed focused. Certainly we leave this book with our own hope that considerably more attention will be paid on a continuous basis to the other 500,000 neglected mines in the west needing similar action.

very, very depressing; i too felt violated.....esp since it was written by a man!!! read it for book club read..only 2 people liked the book; one person checked her book out from the local library and i gave her my new copy(since i wasted my money on it) to replace the old copy.....would never, ever recommend this read;

I don't think it's worthy of Oprah's book club, but it wasn't terrible. It's depressing is what it is. One of my friends who read it said she cried at the end, but when I got there I totally didn't get it. You keep thinking things have to improve for the main character, but they don't really. What it has going for it is it's an easy read and engaging.

I agree with what another reviewer said about this book being simply depressing and the character crude. Her life is so bleak and her personality isn't in the slightest bit feminine - which makes me wonder why others are impressed that this is written by a man. Her speech, thoughts, approach and lack of (unfortunately true in this society) a more typical oppressed persona makes it clear right away that this is not written from the mind, heart and knowledge of a female. I was unable to identify or sympathize with her because she didn't think like a girl. Aside from that distraction, the character was just so unlikable! Most of her actions made no sense in the context of this story and I didn't believe this writer knew anything about being overweight either. Unhappy overweight girls do not bring up their weight constantly! They hide from it. This man was doing the same thing men always do - making a joke of it.

The painful story of Dolores Price, a coming-of-age odyssey. Dolores is cynical and sarcastic and imminently lovable. We cheer for her at the same time that we are embarassed by her. An extremely quick read despite the 465 pages.

For the most part, if I can't write a favorable review I don't write any, but this time I must go against my own rule.
What is with Oprah and her book club choices? I can honestly say that almost every book that I read (listened to) suggested by her has been a big disappointment to me.
Maybe I just don't get it, or maybe I just don't want to wallow in a continual barrel of sadness and tragedy.

The heroine (so to speak) in SHE'S COME UNDONE, is not only depressing and crude, in my opinion, she is right up there in the WHO CARE'S category. This was written as though it was supposed to bring some sort of enlightenment and it never did.

The only part I can see happening is the fact that she stole her college roommate's boyfriend's letters, then met and eventually married him. (Even though he was a total loser,). I can see this because I had it happen to me in high school. The gravy is, I know they weren't happy either.

I never could understand as I listened to this book when and where she found herself-other than losing the insurmountable weight she'd gained. She stayed with man who cheated on her and abused her so emotionally I wondered why she put up with it.
Her small alternative relationship seemed an after thought and brought nothing to the storyline.
In my opinion, I'm sorry to say this was not a good read for me.

Nicholas Sparks is one of the few writers that make you stop and savour his words, his sentences....He is an amazing writer that grabs you from the very beginning. The Notebook is one of those books that you can read over and over again...It is a classic and a must have in your book shelf. JUST AMAZING!!!

I read the book before seeing the movie. My daughter had advised me not to attend the movie in the theater, but to wait til it was on DVD because she felt it would be too emotional for me. Though the story is a bit thin at places and the characters are sometimes a bit cliche, I still loved the book and the movie. I cried through both of them because my mother died with Alzheimer's Disease. My father was a devoted caregiver to her throughout her illness. For someone trying to cope with the effects of this disease on the family, this movie can be very moving. It reminds you of what you have lost, but it also stirs up those happy memories from the past.

The book The Notebook was very good. it had a very good message to it which was to listen to your heart. When you are stuck in a situation that needs solving, you listen to your heart and do what you think is best. When Allie went and visited Noah, and became close to him, she didn't know what to say to her husband, Lon, about it.

What was Nicholas Sparks thinking when he wrote this book?

*Let me tap into the minds of lonely heartbroken women all over the world.

*Let me add a new age man who reads poetry and pours out his feelings in letters.

*Let me re-create the classic lovestory with a dose of Bridges of Madison county (which should have been shorter, as in should never have been written in the first place)

I loved the movie and was dying to read the book. It is AWFUL. Sugary sweet with no real story or depth.

How can any one read this shallow garbage and cry?

I am shocked that the author signed a $1 million publishing deal and then went on to write more sugary sweet garbage. His only half decent book is 'Message in a bottle' but there is only so many times you can write a boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, boy or girl die love story before its gets ridiculous.
Sparks wants the 'pulitizer prize' now. How?
He writes nothing more than trashy chicklit.

I think the 'Horse Whisperer' by Nicholas Evans is so much more classy, now there's a male author who can write a love story.
Not everyone would agree with me.

Sparks seems like a great guy but he is a terrible author.

This book was so beautiful, I couldn't put it down. If only we all could find a love like this once in a lifetime, and hang onto it!

This is a great book, and Kings most underrated stories. It was easy to read through, but still gave just enough detail to paint a picture. The story bittersweet, one of both tragedy and triumph. The characters seemed real, vivid, and people you could actually feel for.

This is the only book in my whole life that I've actually read all the way through, which should tell you something. I'm not going to give to much of the storyline, but it is about a guy approaching middle age, and lonely because his wife died, but he does find new love in the new town he moves to. The rest is a dark but colorful and emotional roller coaster ride.

I really wish this was made into a movie, as long as it stays true to the book. If you like love, mystery, and ghost, I would suggest picking this one up.

Through quintessential characters who practice unbridled evil, author Stephen King combines his wry sense of humor with steely commentary on pop culture, authors and politics and a supernatural underworld of murder, suicide and death for a macabre classic.

An author devoid of novel ideas, along with a young mother and her child, wear scarlet letters from a town's past where layers of lies have hidden a hideous crime. And in a vicious game of payback played for nearly a century, it is the children who are the pawns on this cruel landscape of nightmares.

The twists and turns in this page-turner of 700-plus pages ultimately lead to one of the finest novels in King's distinguished career.

I've always known that King had the writing chops and even a literary streak with such knock-outs as "The Dead Zone", "Pet Sematary", and "Misery", but "Bag of Bones" is by far the pinnacle of his achievements. He has alot to say about grieving, marriage, and the secret act of writing. I've always thought King was at his best when his main characters were writers, not only because he knows what he's talking about, but they each seem to reveal to the reader bits and pieces of Stephen King himself.
"Bag of Bones", to me , is better than the much acclaimed "Lisey's Story" but they both ring true because of these reasons I've already stated.
We could make comparisons to "The Shining" because of the main characters being haunted by something, the sense of isolation and place, and the thin line between reality and the spirit world. "BOB" will ultimately stand alone as classic King thrills and chills, but it is so much more.
I could go on with this review, but seeing how this book has been summed up very well by many others..."I prefer not to."

This is the second of two King novels I've ever read - the first being "The Stand", which I still consider one of the best, most haunting books I've ever read. Truly, it affected me for weeks after I'd finished it.

This book grabbed from the very first page, and kept my attention to the very last. It also scared the living pi** out of me, but then again, I'm a big wuss when it comes to anything dealing with the supernatural.

Overall, this is a big, excellent read. Don't miss it.

A serious contender to The Stand as King's best work. Moreover, hearing the author read the story, with the emphasis and such where he intended for it to be, was a real treat. You will not be disappointed with this purchase.

The book was a little more used than I anticipated, but I still enjoyed reading it again.

I'm a huge fan of the movie. When I finally decided to read the book, boy was I sorry I waited so long!! I love this book, it is so clever, and totally satisfying for those of us who love all the unnecessary cheesiness and romance that a love story can provide. It starts out slow, but once you get going, you wont' want to go to sleep!!

This was a GREAT book. It was maybe the most fun book I have read. If you want a good laugh, then read this book. I actually laughed out loud and thought I was going to wake the house up! It was so much better than I thought it would be. I can't say enough about it!

The book is waaay better than the movie. You could see the entire thing being played out. The movie tried to capture the humor but there are elements that Fielding writes about that just can't be portrayed on screen. Excellent book. It gets 4 out or 5 supermommie stars!

Having read this 'must-read' when it first was published, I was an immediate Bridget Jones fan. Now, years later, I've re-read it, and have to wonder why in modern society, it is still considered imperative for a woman to find a man? Helen Fielding herself has admitted that Bridget Jones Diary is based on Pride and Prejudice. In fact, she wrote it whilst watching BBC's version of the Jane Austen classic. Nothing wrong with that. Except - it was more important for Elizabeth Bennet to find a husband (or else risk not surviving, literally) than it is for Bridget Jones, a modern girl in a developed world.

Having gotten that bit of feminism off my back, I must say that the book is good. It has become the epitome of the chik lit, with many laugh-out-loud moments.

I read the Kindle version of this, but the text is the same, so that probably doesn't matter.

White Oleander the story of a young girl named Astrid Magnussen with a mother who is...unique. If I'm being kind. A terribly sociopathic pretentious abuser would be a more accurate description. Her mother is a poet, or fancies herself as one, and lives life on a level that her skill, fame and money cannot support. None of that matters, and neither does her daughter. If her daughter can be a prop in the great play of Ingrid Magnussen's life, then Astrid will be used that way. If not? Just ignore the child.

Mom does something serious and goes to jail. Astrid becomes a ward of the state and travels from home to home, growing up and trying to figure out how she sees the world, how she wants the world to see her and with every day that passes, seeing through her mother's cloud of lies, pretense and verbal abuse. What happens is not as important as how and why it happens, and Janet Fitch spends a lot of time making sure the reader understands the thoughts that run screaming through Astrid's head. We learn a great deal about how each home and family and friend she makes or doesn't affects how she develops.

There's a bit of Nabokov in Fitch's writing, and not just because there is a Lolita-like passage. The writing - all first-person from Astrid herself - starts out clunky, awkward, like someone who wants to write like a classic master but can't. Over time, as Astrid grows up, is exposed to other people and gets distance from her overbearing, pretentious mother, the writing changes. It becomes more utilitarian and less poetic, yet just as vivid. The writing transforms into (sometimes complex) sentences made up of simple, descriptive elements instead of overly-long poorly done purple prose. You can see these people, her drawings, the houses...Fitch does a good job painting the mental picture you need to truly connect with this material.

If there is a negative to be said, it's that the first chapter is hard to get through. I think that is intentional. There are cliched metaphors, contradictory elements, badly written sentences...I think all of these things are designed to teach you what constant exposure to her mother has done to Astrid's young mind, how it shaped the way she thinks.

One other aspect that could be seen as negative is that it's pretty depressing. Ultimately you can see it as uplifting in that Astrid survives some pretty horrible things and comes out the other side stronger and smarter. Although she is (rightfully) wary of most people and still unsure of her place in the world, you get the feeling she's starting to find it.

Very interesting book. Well crafted, with strong characters and a real sense of the places and things Astrid sees and feels. If you read "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" when you were younger and you want a more sophisticated, modern version of that story? White Oleander is the book for you. If you ever spent any time in the care of the state, you will recognize the people and the situations in which Astrid finds herself.

You'll also very much identify with Astrid if you spent your youth under the thumb of a domineering, overbearing parent.

From what my wife told me about the movie, I don't know if I ever want to see it, good though it may be. I really enjoyed the experience of this book and some the things that were changed in order to make the film are things of which I could not let go. I would never give the movie a fair shake, not any time soon anyway.

A moving story about a daughter thrust into "the world" as her mother is thrust into prison. A story about finding yourself, finding help, finding your way, and finding your will.

Well thought out character scenarios and character personalities. Incredibly well written. Highly intelligent narration by Astrid. Although naive in some instances, she's incredibly intelligent for her age and situation.

Makes you wonder about your own situation, who shaped you 'whether loving or cruel' (as quoted in the book) and how one incident can change your life forever.

I re-read it at least twice a year. I love revisiting the characters, looking at the reading list Ingrid gives to Astrid, trying to see the importance of each book. She's a facinating character to explore and try to get inside. Although I see the story from Astrid's point of view (the daughter), I relate to her more. But Ingrid has an edge that is intriguing.

Interesting story, intriging characters, a must read if you haven't yet.

I loved this book. I've read it at least four times already and love it more every time I read it. It's hard to imgaine having a mother like Ingrid but even harder to imagine the life Astrid had once she was gone. I was glued to every page from beginning to end. Can't wait to see what Janet Fitch comes up with next.

I read this novel a decade ago and this well-written story and all the myriad real-life issues it canvasses stays with me still fresh. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I've read this book several times. I read it at least once a year. It is so beautifully written. It's an amazing story and Janet Fitch tells it so well. No matter how many times I've read it before, I just can't put the book down.

Was able to find a used copy claimed to be in like new condition. It was just as advertised. Enjoyed the book immensely

Reading this novel is akin to being reborn- as a snake eases out of its present coil and strips down to a more essential skin, so too will this violated madonna of lyricism attune you to the fundamentals of what it is to be human. This book strips away the veneer of polite society and illumes the central questions of humanity: why do we hate, love who we love and live as we do? At the end of this pulsating, haunting and all-seeing unveiling, I asked myself the overarching question that is central to each of our daily existence: why do I breathe?

This book has been mischaracterized as magic realism in the notes below. While people are entitled to call it whatever they want, if you want to revert to widely accepted definitions of the style, it isn't, not at all. And therein lies its power: there is no supernatural realm, no genius ghost, no divine intervention. This is us. Really, this is what we are. How can we address that which we carry within ourselves, escaping even our utterest exhaled breath? No matter how deep the sugared sighs of humankind, there is something so appalling that lurks in the human psyche that generally goes unacknowledged, and most people live it on a daily basis. This is one of the few works that can even hope to awake the quixotic part of us, that laments what we are, and gives hope that the reader's empathy will incite something better. This book turns the staid precepts of our world upside down: violation becomes salvation and successfully brings us to the searing understanding where the sickening is natural and right, because time honoured social convention fosters the blinding nightmare.

Only three writers have severely affected my ability to see the page in my life. I cried for Estha and Rahel, for two people who no one could ever understand except each other. I cried because to my knowledge this is the best book ever written on the caste system, and what it says about every single one of us. This is not just a book about India. It is a vast commentary on humanity, and most of all on love- that over-invoked, roughly used, oft bedraggled, and disregarded commodity.

The God of Small Things runs fingers of of feeling over your spine with its rivers of lyricism. It is fresh, insightful and sparkling- one of the great books of our time. There is no other work like it out there. Read it and see.

I read this book as a literature student in college and it is still one of my favorite books of all time. Her words read like poetry. It literally took my breath away in its beauty and message. Highly recommended for those who enjoy reading about the effects of globalization on so-called Third World countries, as well as those who appreciate a good romantic novel in the magical realist tradition.

I had high hopes for this book when I picked it up. Halfway through this book and I find that I have to force myself to turn the next page. If you love reading interesting and in depth books that you can understand, this is not the book for you. The author's words are a spiral of mumbo jumbo that drags on and on. I often found myself re-reading the same sentence 3 or 4 times in order to grasp the meaning but it never comes. If I had to compare this book to something, I would compare it to a long a strange dream... it doesn't make sense and it's not something you would remember after 5 minutes!

Unfortunately, I have yet to receive this item. I remain anxious, as I look forward to receiving and reading it. I am familiar with the writings of this author and expect that I will continue to respect her logic and writing abilities.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was Mr. Guterson's facility with descriptive language. I just loved the snow storm--though I also thought he had his characters moving around in it entirely too much--and I liked his casually elegant way of getting into his characters' heads and hearts to explain their histories.

So why only 3 stars? Because I was ultimately unconvinced by the book. By that, I mean that he wasn't as successful as he should have been in intertwining the book's themes of war, family, and racism (especially the latter). By the time the book ended, I didn't much care about the outcome. That's why I wasn't bothered by its truncated, too easy ending. The event that facilitates the ending was extremely contrived, and even drawn out too much.

Mr. Guterson has some serious talent, though. This book just didn't awe me as much as I thought (based on other reviews) that it would.

The clearest thing I'll take away from my reading experience of "Snow Falling on Cedars" is simply how fast it took me to race through it. I like to take my time reading books - especially if I find them enjoyable - but I found myself speeding through the chapters of David Guterson's debut novel at an alarming rate. It was nearly impossible to put down thanks to the clear yet sophisticated prose, the intriguing and well-paced "whodunit" aspect of the story and the slow unraveling of both the minds and motivations of the characters, which is exceptionally well done. So yes, I definitely recommend this book!

When the novel first opens, we are introduced to a range of people living on San Piedro, an isolated island in the Pacific South-West. All somewhat enigmatic at first - to the reader, as well as each other - we are gradually drawn into their lives, childhoods, relationships and personalities, as the community is drawn together over a particularly controversial murder case. Kabuo Miyamoto is on trial for the murder of the well-respected fisherman and war veteran Carl Heine, due to bad-blood between the two men, and the fact that Miyamoto was (by his own admission) the last man to see Heine alive, out on his fishing boat.

But it soon becomes clear that there is more to this trial than first appears: it is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, and there is an unspoken assumption that Miyamoto's Japanese heritage jeopardizes his chances of being acquitted. A large pile of evidence speaks out against Miyamoto, and his stoic demeanor does not help matters either, despite fighting on the side of the Allies in the War. From this starting point, Guterson draws in a wide range of characters related to the case: wives and family members of both the accused and the deceased, lawyers, witnesses, community members and figures from the past. Most prominently is the character of Ismael Chambers, a journalist investigating the case, who has his own particular link to Miyamoto - or rather, Miyamoto's wife Hatsue, a young woman who in her teenage years chose duty to her people and culture over a love affair with Ishmael. Embittered by her rejection and his experiences in the war, Ishmael cuts himself off from the people around him. Yet Ishmael discovers certain facts pertaining to the case that have a tremendous bearing on its outcome - should he choose to share them.

Guterson draws on the racial hysteria against Japanese-Americans during World War II, and the American government's decision to force Japanese citizens into interment camps for the duration of the War as the historical background for this novel. All over the island of San Pierdro runs distrust and suspicion, as well as bitterness in many Japanese families for the lack of support shown by their neighbours during their deportation to the mainland, and the fact that when they returned home, their lands and jobs had been lost. The main irony of the piece is of course that Carl Heine himself is of German descent, and therefore just as worthy (or rather, unworthy) of suspicion and prejudice as any Japanese citizen on the island.

It seems a shame to give away too much of the tapestry of relationships, prejudices and intrigues that go on in the small island community, as most of the enjoyment derived from this novel is discovering and sorting them out by yourself. There's always more than meets the eye to every single character, and no one is entirely faultless, nor entirely innocent during their lifetimes. Most poignantly of all is the theme of `chance versus choice' that runs throughout the story. Whether it be the war, a particularly nasty snow-storm or other impersonal forces, all of the characters are seemingly thrown to the winds of fate. When entities like prejudice and racism become so large that they cloud judgment and become a way of life, what hope do individuals have to overcome them? Guterson attempts to answer this question through the use of the courtroom drama and the personal lives of his protagonists, and manages to make the answer both optimistic and bittersweet, particularly in his final paragraph.

There are only two more things I need to note: first that San Piedro itself is brought to life through Guterson's poetic-prose, which is as beautiful as you'd expect from a book titled "Snow Falling on Cedars." The island becomes a character in its own right, in all its natural beauty: the scent of the cedar trees, the vast strawberry fields, the markets and enclosed houses - it's all there. Second is the characterization of Hatsue Miyamoto, who is potentially the most intriguing and important figure in the entire book. Guterson has no trouble characterizing a member of the opposite sex, and Hatsue holds a fascinating place within the novel, as a young woman caught between her regard for the white Ishmael and her loyalty to her own culture and upbringing. As a young girl she struggles with her appearance and her restlessness, and even though she manages to find a sense of serenity in her adulthood, we get the sense that she will always be striving between her desire to be an individual, and to take what is deemed her rightful place in her culture's society. Even though she does breaks Ishmael's heart during the course of the story (disrupting what many would consider a classic "star-crossed" romance), yet we are never led to despise her for this - in fact, we sympathize with her decision and understand it. In short: she's wonderfully complex and layered - much like the rest of this novel.

A very powerful book, the kind you remember. A fascinating study of the tragedy that is racism. Brilliant.

What amazed me about this book was the way the story was told. It's kind of a courtroom drama, kind of a romance, and very much a commentary on the state of a torn and divided nation after World War II. On the North end of Puget Sound there was a murder and the accused, Kabuo Miyamoto is a friend turned enemy of Carl Heine, now deceased.

The way it's told is the magic, as I alluded to earlier. It's like peeling layers on the silent man, Miyamoto and the entire island of San Piedro. Each person involved in the trial reveals their history and their secrets as uncovered by the narrator, newspaperman Ishmael Chambers. At first these secrets are far from the murder and the accused, but they throw a wide net and it tightens masterfully as David Guterson weaves a beautiful story. The two families go back, way back. Their stories are difficult and run through Japanese interment camps and bloody battlefields to end up on fishing boats and in strawberry fields.

Besides a tight, intricate plot, the setting is described perfectly - the smells, the tastes, the sounds of the Washington Coast. It's hard to believe that this is a first novel, it's that good.

- CV Rick, March 2008

Compelling and hard to summarize, this book struck me most for its amazing organization and its beautiful prose. Set on a fictitious Island, this book examines post WWII prejudice against Japanese Americans, covers a murder trial, and examines love and passion. The only fault I had with it is that at some times the descriptions of the things going on in the book struck me as a bit perverse.

Carefully read the book, and then read it again. With lots of exercise and work we turned our "wild" biting and attacking 8 month old rescued Lab-dalmation "Layla" into a sweet dog that is actually quite bright and can fetch and hike for hours, and sit and stay. We even have her getting along with the cat. We almost took her back to the SD Humane society, she was attacking our 12 yr old German shepherd and any other dog or person she saw during a walk. But with Cesar's help we didn't fail our dog, "Layla". She still needs work out on the trail, but what a difference.

Forget what you think you know about dogs and let Caesar teach you the proper way to interact with your canine friends. In almost all cases of bag dog behavior, Rule #1 "It's the owner, not the dog that's the problem." Even the kindest gentlest of humans are making mistakes that can lead to problem dogs. Caesar sets us straight with Dog Psychology.

This book is wonderful! His book teaches you how to "think" like a dog and how to train your doog with methods that WORK! I highly recommend this book:)

Good auto-biography and concepts but I would have liked a little more "how to". Learned a few tips for my new puppy and I see where I made mistakes with my dog but would have liked more direction on how to correct bad behavior.

I absolutely love watching Mr. Millan's show, and think that the way he understands and interacts with dogs is magical, so when our family got a chihuahua puppy, we also bought this book, assuming we'd learn how to raise Sam. While the book is full of interesting advice and understanding of dog psychology, I find it lacking in techniques to actually help you deal with common dog problems. For example: no advice on housebreaking, chewing, etc. The book is an interesting read, but I'm still searching for the one that will give me more detailed exercises to work on with my chi (I'll still watch Dog Whisperer on tv, though!).