Food Books

Theresa Willingham has done her homework. Compiling this extensive handbook of tips, information, and personal stories certainly took some serious time and effort. But before I get into the details of this guide and cookbook, I do want to point out that this is a gluten-free guide first and foremost.

I think the title of "Food Allergy" may be slightly misleading. It is true that the book is completely wheat-free (one of the top eight allergens), but gluten is the author's primary focus, which is typically a food intolerance and most problematic in autoimmune disorders such as Celiac Disease and Autism. This is not to say that she ignores all other common food allergies, dairy sits right along side gluten, firmly in the passenger seat, making this an excellent GFCF resource. Yet, other allergens are placed in the back seat, getting her attention and mention, but not focus. In fact, while peanut allergies are addressed, I didn't come across any tree nut references.

Theresa's gluten-free focus is understandable, since her son was born with wheat/gluten problem, most likely due to Celiac Disease.

I point this out, because while the recipes are all gluten-free and from what I could tell dairy/casein-free, you do need to read the guide of letters on each recipe to see if they also meet with your free-from needs. Some of the recipes do contain other allergens, and there are some errors in the allergen labeling of the recipes to add a bit more confusion.

There is one other reason I bring mention of the gluten-free nature - many who are concerned with multiple food allergies (or even simply a wheat allergy vs gluten intolerance) are not looking for gluten-free recipes. All of the baking recipes use specialty flours, xanthan gum and other ingredients that may render the recipes less useful (but not useless) for someone who is say dealing with a dairy, egg, and nut allergy combo.

With that commentary out of the way, I did find the reading entertaining. Theresa includes many personal stories, her own and those of other parents of children with allergies / intolerances. She also discusses coping with certain situations, and the basics, such as reading ingredient labels.

What I DO like about the recipes is that they are all relatively simple and appear to be very kid-friendly. Theresa has compiled several of her own recipes as well as recipes from other well-known authors, such as Carol Fenster. As mentioned though, this is a guidebook first, cookbook second ... it is an excellent starting point, with a nice little selection of recipes to inspire. Though you will likely want to seek out some additional cookbooks once you get going.

Overall, I do highly recommend the Food Allergy Field Guide for parents of gluten-free or gluten-free / dairy-free (GFCF) children, but would lean parents of children with multiple food allergies or life-threatening food allergies to the guide: How to Manage Your Child's Life Threatening Food Allergies.

I got this book along with another allergy book when my son was found to have several food allergies. It was helpful. I still look back to it for quick references and I have had it for almost 3 years.

I run a support group for parents of children with food allergies and continuously recommend this book. Resources, contacts, food family listings, nutritional requirements for age groups, recipes, substitutions, supportive stories....it's all in there. A very practical book. A must have!

Developed a sensitivity to dry, mealy food sensivity books? Thirsting for a full-bodied treatment with an effervescent twist? As a mom of three kids, all of whom have food sensitivities, I found Ms. Willingham's book filled us to a healthful brim. We're assimilating her informed, humane, pragmatic support!

I have just finished reading the "Food Allergy Field Guide," A lifestyle manual for families, by Theresa Willingham. I want to let everyone know that if they have a child that is not eating well, or that has growth symptoms that do not seem to be accurately diagnosed by their family pediatrican or doctor, that they should read this book. It will not only save many lives world-wide, but, more importantly, it will allow a great many of the worlds children grow to become healthy, productive young citizens of our country. Ms. Willingham has done an outstanding job of bringing Celiac Disease to our attention. I'd never heard of gluten sensitivity until I read this book, and I am so glad that I did. Congratulations to the author!!!

I gave a copy to my brother, bought one for a friend, I'm reading it myself for the second time, and I just bought 3 more to share.

I just finished reading Dr. Barnard's book and I'm reading it a second time! I found his book informative and explained in easy to understand terms. I think he makes a very good case for reasons not to continue eating a meat-based diet as the effects of a high fat animal diet lead to many of the popular illnesses and diseases we read about today (e.g., diabetes, stroke, heart attack, etc.)

I was not a vegan or vegetarian before reading this book and I know that some reviewers may think there is too much of a vegan agenda, but I would disagree. Plant based diets are a healthy and economical way to live your life. It can be particularly useful if you're trying to lose weight as well as if you are genetically predisposed to certain illnesses by incorporating the new four food groups into your life and possibly preventing or eliminating potential illnesses altogether.

This is an excellent book. It traces out the nutritional roots of many significant diseases. My wife found it in the library while looking for something else, and now we're on our way to becoming vegetarian.

At times it's a little slow reading and occasionally seems a bit repetitious. However, his work is very well documented and there are extensive footnotes to research done in this area.

For an even more significant piece of the puzzle with regard to the roots of disease check out Henry Wright's "A More Excellent Way". He deals with the spiritual roots of disease, which affect us even more pervasively than the nutritional roots. A wholistic view on life demands that we address each dimension.

This was a great book at exposing the dangers of eating meat and dairy. Dr. Barnard's more recent books like Foods That Fight Pain are also highly recommended. A less than 10% fat diet is great for those who want to lose weight and keep it off, but for those who just want to switch to a vegan diet without losing weight, you may want to include a little olive oil or nuts. A little more fat also may help if your skin gets dry. The research on dairy products is shocking, you may wonder why most doctors and nutritionists keep ignoring the negative research on dairy. I have been a vegan for a couple of years now and feel better than ever. Just think of all of the varieties of fresh fruits, vegetables, various whole grains, variety of different beans, and different types of nuts available. Soy products are not necessary(I can't remember the last time I ate soy), so don't hesitate to buy this book based on that. Read the book about info regarding vitamin B-12 and vitamin D. Highly recommended.

I have purchased over a dozen copies of this book for my family and friends, and finally browsed the reviews today and was shocked to see any negative feedback. So for those considering the book, remember the negative reviews were written by meat-lovers that in no way plan to give it up.

I've read at least twenty or so nutrition books and this is my favorite of them all. It's simple to read, easy to understand, and very complete. It encourages a vegeterian diet for the sole purpose of having a healthy life, rather than giving all the statisitics on animal cruelty.

It deconstructs all the myths (i.e. people need tons of protein, and vegetarians do not get enough iron) and gives tons of yummy recipes in addition to informing you of all the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet.

It reinforces the fact that doctors do not fix you until you are broken. My brother is in med school and I asked him how many nutrition classes he was required to take..... the answer was none. Why not learn how to prevent diseases rather than fix them afterwards? Why eat a meat-based diet, take your cholesterol pill and destroy your liver, when you can avoid eating cholesterol at all? Why eat excessive simple carbohydrates and sugars and rely on an insulin shot every day?

I've bought copies for nearly every member in my family over the past three years, but sadly they don't bother reading it until they are required to take insulin, or they find a lump in their breast, or they find their cholesterol is off the charts. I believe you have a duty to your loved ones to keep your body healthy so you can be here for them as long as possible, and this book can show you how. For more info, look into pcrm.org

Also, my sincerest thank you to Dr. Barnard for caring enough to spend time to teach interested people the proper way to eat.

This is great. Shows cheeses at different ages which is one of the most interesting points and makes this very unique as a reference book. If your in the business its a must have.

When I was a child and the milk soured, my ever-frugal mother would set it aside in a bowl and allow it to continue it's transformation into something wild and strange. When the curds and the whey separated, she would pour the contents into a cheese cloth stretched across a strainer and then gather and lift the cloth and squeeze the exess fluid from the curds. We ate the cheese as is...a form of "cottage" cheese I suppose. I was reminded of this when I read FRENCH CHEESES from Eyewitness Handbooks which contains a short history of cheese-making in the front section of the book.

I like this book, and since I am not a cheese expert, I cannot say whether it will make one an expert or not, but it has enlightened me a bit as I continue to experiment with the various kinds of cheeses available in the gourmet section of the grocery stores and the delicatesson in our neighborhood.

I have eaten various cheeses in Paris and other parts of Europe, and thought them better than anything I can buy in the States though I have eaten "fancy" cheeses in some upscale restaurants. I realize the French and others use unpasturized or raw milk in many of their cheeses and the U.S. frowns on the use of untreated milk so perhaps this is a factor. CHEESES identifies cooked versus raw versions.

However, many of the cheeses in this book are not found in U.S. stores because a limited supply exists and/or the product is consumed or sold locally. Generally these are artisanal cheeses (made by hand). CHEESES includes a map showing the farm areas of France and each cheese entry pinpoints the geographic location of the product. You can match the map with the cheese of interest to you and perhaps search for it on your next excursion to the French countryside. In the meantime, the list of producers in the appendix may prove helpful.

I collect field guides and what attracts me to some is the clever layout and design. This volume is in a class by itself and unlike some guides, the text was so informative that i could not put it dowm.
Should receive 6 stars out of 5.

As mentioned in previous reviews, this book does a great job of referencing hundreds of cheeses from France, providing photographs, descriptions, and wine recommendations. In these areas, it does a fantastic job. I've learned a lot reading it and I can't wait to take it with me on my next trip to France.

I wish the book gave more guidance on the tastes of the different cheeses and how you might select them. For example, if I like Brie and wanted to try a different nice mellow soft cheese, what might be recommended? This book isn't organized to help answer questions like that.

Overall, an important book for anybody serious about cheese.

Living in France, I am always making the acquaintance of cheeses I had never before known existed. I always scurry to find this book, and look up the tasty morcel I've just consumed. It's great for learning the basics about various cheeses -- and, as noted by other reviewers -- the photos are divine, but it's not the sort of book one takes into the bath to pore over for hours at a time. Put it on your shelf next to your dictionary and thesaurus; it's that useful!

I have truly enjoyed this cookbook! Since my husband decided to go vegan I was at a loss at to what to make for dinner every night; I mean, you can only eat so much pasta before you start packing on the pounds. The objective was to get healthy, not add more weight. So I went in search of a cookbook that could help me with protein supplements, variety, and more veggies. I made the best purchase in this cookbook.
Yes, many of the products used in the recipes are not things you find in all grocery stores but with access to a health food store you will be okay. And the dishes will be worth the extra trip.
I love the menu style in which this cookbook is written. Everything is laid out for you; it could not be easier. I find the recipe I want to make, photocopy the page and take it to the grocery store with me.
The book is also divided into the four seasons; spring, summer, fall and winter. This way you are more apt to find the fruits and veggie within the recipe most plentiful and at their peck of flavor.
Make the purchase, you won't regret it. Excellent photos as well!

The recipes my wife and I have made have been great. I like the organization by season. The "meal plans" are often too much for just the two of us. We usually just cook the entree. I'm also happy that these vegetarian meals don't rely too heavily on dairy products.

The only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars is because there isn't a photo for every dish. The photos in the book, however, are nice.

I love this cookbook!!!! The recipes are healthy, fast and always delicious. I have finally started going through the cookbook and making every dish because even when something sounds iffy,its great. I mean steamed cheese stuffed romaine leaves over a kidney bean tomato sauce...I don't know...but delicous and a crowd pleaser. I use the book often for entertaining and sometimes feel like I'm serving take out because the recipes take so little time, but taste and look like I spent hours slaving away.

This book has changed my life- seriously! My kids and husband are now convinced that I am a good cook, and we can all sit down to a delicious vegetarian dinner every night of the week! The recipes are easy to prepare, and once you start using them, you will have most of what you need on hand to create almost anything in the book for that season! Its really terrific; I can't recommend it highly enough!!

This is an amazing cookbook. Filled with delicious, fool-proof recipes and wholesome ingredients, "Fresh Food Fast" has become a regular part of our work-week routine. Though we try to do most of our cooking over the weekend (reheating meals during the week), there are invariably nights when we prefer to cook something fresh after a long day at work. This book gives us a wide array of options arranged by season, from black bean & zucchini quesadillas to bruschetta with goat cheese, olive, tomatoes and thyme. This past Friday we made Berley's 'Thai-Style Tofu & Vegetables in Spicy Coconut Broth with Jasmine Rice' - it was divine. We felt like we'd been transported to a gourmet, five star Thai restaurant, only we had the pleasure of enjoying such a satisfying meal in our comfy clothes. :) The only downside to this book is that most dishes require a hefty amount of produce, which, admittedly, can get expensive. Nevertheless dishes in this book are so delicious that careful planning can work around this, using leftover produce in other meals and reheating uneaten portions later in the week. Overall I love this book - how could I not appreciate the feat of satisfying, perfectly flavored meals that can be made in under an hour? (And yes, they really can be finished in under 1 hour, many in under 40 minutes.)

A great book!
The vegetarianism essay alone is worth the purchase price, but other parts of the book are just as engaging.

I've never met the author, but after reading this book I feel like she is an old friend.

Clever use of the 13 full moons in a year with interesting side notes from cultures all over the world. This book will help guide anyone trying to make healthy food choices, but the author also provides an explanation as to why these choices make sense nutritionally and several recipes at the end of each chapter. A must read for anyone interested in improving diet and overall health.

This book is written with heart, soul and spirit. A book to use and refer to as well as delight you along the way.

Jessica Prentice does a beautiful job with both her writing in each chapter and her recipes. I love learning about various cultures, the thirteen moons and the environment. Her recipes are also delicious and a real help to someone who's trying to eat based on the seasons and local produce. I first checked this book out from the local library but had to have it for the recipes. Definitely a good book!

This book is a personal re-examination of food--what we eat, and why we eat it. In this book, Prentice examines food customs and traditions, searching for their physiological and environmental rationale. Her primary observation about food traditions is that they are strictly tied to the seasons, and thus the continual year-round availability of our foodstuffs has resulted in loss of much traditional knowledge about what is good for us and what isn't. In recognition of the essential seasonality of foods, Prentice organizes this book into the thirteen moons that make up the year, from the famine moon, to the sap moon, from the egg moon to the corn moon, from the blood moon to the wolf moon.

Each chapter describes the ecology that led to the association between a particular food item and a specific time of the year. In the chapters, Prentice discusses the nutritional contributions of the featured food items, and how her relationship with that food has changed over the years. For example, she explains how she used to avoid milk and other dairy products, but now relishes them as a gift of love from Mother Earth. Each chapter also includes recipes of the season, ranging from exotic dishes of non-Western food cultures, like Cardamom and Jaggery pudding, to simple directions for lost arts, such as rendering pork, or making homemade yogurt and sauerkraut.

Prentice was once a strict vegan, who for health reasons, eventually found herself drawn to a diet which includes animal products, but not the products of industrial agriculture. There is much that vegetarians and vegans would not like in Prentice's essays, since she explains how her 10 years of vegetarianism were not healthy for her. Having had the same experience myself after being a vegetarian for 20 years, I can appreciate the wisdom in what she writes. While vegetarian diets work well for some, they are not appropriate for everybody. But at the same time, diets that include the consumption of industrially produced and processed animal products do nobody any good. We need to be willing to recognize our relation and responsibilities to the animals that we consume.

I first heard of this book when I attended a Vermont Localvore potluck at which Prentice was the invited guest chef. I was deeply offended then at her attitude, when she announced she was going to make a salad using a recipe from her book, but lamented the lack of local artichokes or olive oil. `How could such a person be associated with local cooking,' I wondered, `if she doesn't even have the sense to find out what the best local ingredients are and celebrate them, instead of parading the products of another region in front of us?' I figured that a seasonal local cookbook written by a national author would be a worthless concept. Fortunately, that's not what this book attempts--instead the book is much more about rediscovering our connection to food than about specific local recipes.

Although she has become famous for leading the concept of eating foods only from one's local region, what she urges here is really an appreciation for the products of small farms. Thus, instead of simply cheering on local food, Prentice argues in this book that our industrial agriculture system has torn us away from one of the most essential of human traits, our relationship to the food that nourishes us. Instead of following diets of avoidance, Prentice advocates recognizing the meaning that each item of food brings to our lives, and using food to re-establish our connection to the land. Indeed, the only foods that Prentice avoids are those heavily processed products of industrial agriculture: refined sugar, white flour, and pre-packaged extruded junk. Although the book contains a few recipes, it is not a cookbook, but rather a wake-up call: "Our poor diet is at least partly a physical manifestation of a spiritual decay," together with some suggestions of how we can begin the journey back to healthy eating.

I borrowed this book from my local library and looked through it and realized that I had to have a copy of my own. It is a book with very clever ideas on using kitchen equipment, fruits, veggies, you name it. It even has answers to questions that I've always wondered about like.....Why will potatoes and onions spoil more quickly if you store them together?

I like to cook more now because I'm more informed about foods, utensils and equipment. This would be a great wedding shower gift for any young woman starting her own family and who isn't very experienced in the kitchen. I don't know if it would be useful for more experienced cooks because I'm not one. Hopefully that helps.

I've been cooking for more years than I like to count, but this book gave me a lot of tips I never came across before, plus a handy color photographic section on de-shelling lobsters and shrimp and pitting various fruits. However, the tip on shelling hard boiled eggs, one of my cross-eyes bears, didn't work for me. For any home cook, though, this is wonderful recreational, as well as useful, reading.

I love to pick this book up and just read a few pages (I always learn something!) It has also helped me several times when I had a question about how to keep something fresh or how I can substitute ingredients. I gave it to one of my best friends for Christmas and she was thrilled. I have to admit that I am a great fan of Fine Cooking magazine and cookbooks.

This is a must have book for even a professional chef / cook. It is filled with all kinds of great tips that I doubt even a master chef knows.

This book is great. I've learned so many things just from this book. This book contains tips and things you'd learn from like your grandmother or mother, things I wasn't taught. It has helped me improve my skills in the kitchen and I've only had this book for a short while!

It gets parked in the kitchen nexts to my "culinary bible" The Food Lover's Companion, which is a special section in my house. Not many books have made it it there, so far theres only three total.

I love the way Miller presents his stories, pictures and foods on this book.
I do notice that Miller uses substitution. For example,he indicated green onion as garnish to 'Soto Ayam'. In most parts of Indonesia, the garnish is actually Chinese eelery, not green onion. Chinese celery is usually readily available in many Asian grocery stores in the West Coast.

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world and home to the largest Islamic population on earth. Indonesian Street Food Secrets: A Culinary Travel Odyssey is an impressive compilation of ethic family recipes that are prepared right on the sidewalk by Indonesian food vendors. Enhanced with 230 color photographs of the food and culture, Indonesian Street Food Secrets also includes an accompanying CD-ROM providing hours of movies, sounds and recipes that are customizable for their degree of "hotness" and party size. With its collection of authentic recipes, Indonesian Street Food Secrets will prove to be a unique addition to kitchen cookbook collections and is especially recommended to dining clubs wanting to celebrate the culinary traditions of the Indonesian archipelago!

This is a wonderful book for fans of Indonesian culture and cuisine. It comes with an interactive CD-ROM that augments the content with music, videos, scalable recipes and ingredient pronunciations! Any Indonesian traveler will immediately recognize favorites such as gado-gado, tempe kering and opor ayam. The recipes are easy to follow and result in authentic-tasting food.

On the downside, the CD-ROM has a few minor problems. Navigation is slow and cumbersome, the graphics are grainy and there are spurious characters in some of the descriptions. (Perhaps due to my running it on a PC.) The content focuses mainly on Central Java, the cultural heartland of Indonesia, interesting for beginners but leaving many other areas, such as Bali, barely touched. Hardcore Indonesiaphiles will be disappointed. This also goes for the recipes - few from Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Kalimantan or the Moluccas. Some of the photos in the book are grainy, poorly reproduced or just not very good.

Despite the downsides, the book is well worth the price. Enjoy!

Although I have never been to Indonesia, nor am I an experienced cook, I found this book fascinating. It really is about the Indonesian culture as it is represented by its food. The photos are outstanding and give the reader a non-tourist view of of this intriguing land. The recipes are easy to follow and the author gives substitute ingredients if the more exotic foods can not be found. I very much enjoyed reading the information sections and can't wait to try some of the recipes.

Having spent eight months living in Bali, I have a homesick spot for the food I ate there. This is the first Indonesian cookbook I've seen that contains recipes for just about all the dishes I actually ate while I was there. Not foofie, fancy food, this what I, and the Balinese, ate day in and day out, whether bought from the warungs and bakso carts or served by Ibu at family dinners with friends. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet (I just got the book and CD) but from those I already make, I can say the recipes are authentic, and I want to try just about every one of them! Well done!

This is a great reference book. We have used it many times and I have purchased many copies for gifts. My son just got married and he and his wife are requesting it on their gift registry.

This book not only gives you every ingredient you would ever use in cooking, but every single ingredient has a picture. I would highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it!!!

We have lots of books about the economics of food and its
place in the world's economy. There are books about the dietetics
of food and its relation to individual health and a healthy
life. There are, of course, a million cookbooks and a dozen or
so good books about the chemistry and physics of food and
cooking. We even have a handful of good books about the
history of food (has everybody read EATING RIGHT IN THE
RENAISSANCE?).

What has been in short supply has been books that deal
the sheer beauty of what we eat. We are missing a
credible erotics of food. One book that has stepped up
to the plate is INGREDIENTS, a gorgeous picture book
about, well-ingredients-the simple stuffs from which
we make our food.

INGREDIENTS is a picture book. Almost 400 pages of
luscious, sexy photos of food in all of its bewildering
diversity. The page devoted to plums has a plum called
'Tragedy' as well as the more prosaic santa rosas and
gaviotes and greengages. The fish page should drive you
out to the fishmonger with drool on your chin and the
page on greens is so good you can almost smell it.

The book has no recipes. It's also short on real infor-
mation-the photo spread on potatoes gives no hint
of the differences in starch type that cause all
the variation in use. But let's not quibble, this
is pure food porn, the sort of book that we use
to remind ourselves of our appetites at the same
time that it stimulates them.

Yum.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine
and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from kunati.

This book is OUTSTANDING. As a future chef and culinary enthusiast I find it absolutely necessary to have a variety of great references. This book is one of those great references. This book lists thousands of ingredients which are coupled with colorful and clear pictures that allow you to fully understand what each ingredient is. I have often found myself running to this book after hearing someone mention an ingredient in class or in general conversatoin that I am not completely sure of. This book never lets me down, and always had the ingredient I am looking for along with a description listed under the picture. This book breaks down each ingredient and tells of all of the different varieties. I did not know there were so many types of grapes for example. I have noticed an increase in my own knowledge of ingredients in the few years that I have had this book. I found this book for about 7 dollars a few years ago, and have been looking for more ever since then to pass out to friends who are in the business. If you can get your hands on a copy, it would be to your advantage to invest in this great reference. I wish I could personally thank the authors, photographers and all who were involved in the production of this book, they did a GREAT job!!!

We have lots of books about the economics of food and its
place in the world economy. There are books about the dietetics
of food and its relation to individual health and a healthy
life. There are, of course, a million cookbooks and a dozen or
so good books about the chemistry and physics of food and
cooking. We even have a handful of good books about the
history of food (has everybody read EATING RIGHT IN THE
RENAISSANCE?).

What has been in short supply has been books that deal
the sheer beauty of what we eat. We are missing a
credible erotics of food. One book that has stepped up
to the plate is INGREDIENTS, a gorgeous picture book
about, well-ingredients-the simple stuffs from which
we make our food.

INGREDIENTS is a picture book. Almost 400 pages of
luscious, sexy photos of food in all of its bewildering
diversity. The page devoted to plums has a plum called
'Tragedy' as well as the more prosaic santa rosas and
gaviotes and greengages. The fish page should drive you
out to the fishmonger with drool on your chin and the
page on greens is so good you can almost smell it.

The book has no recipes. It's also short on real infor-
mation-the photo spread on potatoes gives no hint
of the differences in starch type that cause all
the variation in use. But let's not quibble, this
is pure food porn, the sort of book that we use
to remind ourselves of our appetites at the same
time that it stimulates them.

Yum.

Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine
and the forthcoming novel bang-BANG from kunati.

This is a truly wonderful exposition of the IW breed. It is lamentable that it is now out of print and therefore so expensive to own. Even so, it is such a thorough compendium of Irish Wolfhound knowledge and lore that it is worth having.

In my opinion, this is the best book ever produced on the Irish Wolfhound. In depth information which is easily understood by the novice as well as totally absorbing for the more experienced owner. Mary McBryde has done the Irish Wolfhound proud. A must for anyone with interest in this very special breed.

Bought this book yesterday and it's worth every penny that was spend. Since I dont own a Wolfhound and wanted to know more about them before I got one, this is the perfect book. It has everything you need to know. Not just all the boring Kennel, champion part were most other books go into great detail for those who are interested in showing and breeding. Since I'm not,other things are more important like the character,the history,the feeding of puppy's and adults and all the other things that dog owners find important for everyday life. Thank you very much for writing such a great and informitive book with so many great pictures.

I paid an enormous amount of money for this book. Every breeder I spoke with acknowledged it as the premier source of information extant for Irish Wolfhounds. (One breeder said they'd never heard of it, and that raised my eye considerably.)

It was worth every last penny, but for the life of me I don't understand why it's not still in print. There isn't a single book on Irish Wolfhounds that stands up to this, and when you compare this book with others, it's similar to comparing an Irish Wolfhound to a gerbil. No comparison.

The pictures are worth a million words. It's often difficult to get an idea of how immense this beautiful and gentle dog truly is, but there are eye turning pictures in this book that make you wonder if it's a dog or a bear. Aside from its enormity, it's also a stunningly beautiful dog (although many consider it wiry and ugly - their loss), and again, the photographs and drawings capture the true essence of this most magnificent dog perfectly. If all you want is a picture book, this is the book for you. However, I wouldn't advise spending $300 on a picture book if that's all you want. Look on the web, there are great photographs of this leonine canine everywhere.

The author covers so many topics, and she does so with a sure, knowledgeable hand. She begins with what it's like to live with Wolfhounds, and that is an important chapter for anyone considering taking this dog into their home. It's not like buying a German Shepherd, or a Labrador, or even a Mastiff. This dog requires *space*, not to mention room to run. Lots of it.

There is an excellent chapter, that was my personal favorite, on the history of the Irish Wolfhound. You'll find many writings on the internet that say this or that about the Wolfhounds ancestry, but this is the authority.

From there forward the book moves from choosing a Wolfhound (companion or show dog?; what color?; first contact with the puppy) to rearing; adult care; feeding; basic training; breed standards; how the different colors are produced; showing the wolfhound; coursing; breeding; whelping a litter; caring for the litter; health care; and finally discussions on Irish Wolfhounds in the UK, Ireland, North America, and worldwide.

If you have a question about an Irish Wolfhound after reading this book, then rethink your question - you're probably asking the wrong question. It's all here, and it's as magnificent as the dog itself.

This was a great investment. I took another's advice and spent the extra money to buy this book versus a smaller, cheaper Wolfhound book. I am so glad that I did. It has a great in depth history of the breed including the efforts of those who worked so hard to keep the Wolfhounds from becoming extinct. It covers puppyhood, breeding, health care, training feeding. It has it all. I went ahead and bought it new to avoid the waiting list. Definitely worth the money!!!

I burrowed this book from a public library and have loved the book, i actually had to purchase this book thru Amazon. Glad that it came back~
Has a wealth of information and very easy to understand and follow up on it

Excellent book to add to your bookshelf for breeding information. A must have for the reputable breeder or a newbie just starting out.

I have no down fall opinions of this book at all. "Excellent" ratings~

Excellent book a must have if you plan on breeding.Covers everything you need to know on breeding. I will always keep this book around.

This book is put in simpler terms than a text book & makes it easier to understand for the novice. Very informative.

This is an excellent book for basic canine genetics and picking a breeding partner as well as other aspects of Breeding for quality show puppies.

The absolute best information for breeders on breeding and caring for pups and mom. Written by a legend in dogs and her knowledge is extensive. I would not be without this book ~ I credit it with my being able to save many a pup & avoid many problems.