Breeders Books

This book is a very readable and well-researched biography of Luther Burbank. Dreyer outlines the main events of Burbank's life, from his family ancestry in Massachusetts, his early interest in plants, to his move to California and successful career as a plant breeder. Dreyer also discusses how Burbank's reputation was built and some of the controversies surrounding his work. Historical facts are well documented with endnotes. There is also an index.

I found this book to be an excellent introduction to the life and work of Luther Burbank. Dreyer discusses some of the influences on Burbank's life. He also provides much historical background to put Burbank's work into context. It was fascinating to read, for instance, how much Burbank was influenced by Darwin's work, and how he rejected Mendelian genetics yet developed an intuitive sense of how traits were passed from generation to generation. Dreyer's discussion of the importance of Burbank's genetic discoveries was particularly interesting, especially when juxtaposed with George Shull's descriptions of Burbank's less than meticulous documentation of his methodology. Overall, the book provides a well-rounded overview of the life of one of the leading horticulturalists of the 19th century.

In recent move for consilience of the sciences, I found myself in search of "A Gardener Touched with Genius: the Life of Luther Burback". He has made tremendous changes in American and international fruit and vegetable variety and acceptance. As physician I must say this improves our nutritional choices. I was thrilled to see the photograph of Luther Burbank together with Henry Ford and with Hugo de Vries in California. Hugo de Vries of the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands brought to light the writings of Gregor Mendel, furthered the genetic research, and wrote on Mutation theory in 1910. The life of Luther Burbank is good reading and will encourage future scientists to reach out and ask questions.

The "revised edition" (1985) is almost a completely new version of the first edition. Peter Dreyer has done remarkable work interviewing primary sources and unearthing new material. In Dreyer's telling of the life of Luther Burbank, the great American horticulturalist, it seems that no stone, no document, no illuminating background material is ignored. This is Luther Burbank, warts and all. The flavor and sense of this complicated man come across vividly, and the result is we see Burbank in all his paradoxical dimensions: successful plant-breeder who had two fruitless marriages; public image as sage and saint but seen close-up by some as a cold, defensive person; a man who could display profound modesty then sudden blatant self-praise. In this biography there arises a sense that he was a man way ahead of his time, Luther Burbank as the Patron Saint of the New Age.

The book covers everything from the basics to more indepth topics and covers these in a way that is easy to understand.

Joining others in the 'Horse Health Care Library' set is a specific guide for both novices and experienced breeders which covers everything from mare reproductive cycles and conception to managing high-risk pregnancies and common problems after birth. From manipulation of the breeding season to pre-foaling management and handling the birth, Breeder's Guide to Mare, Foal & Stallion Care is a reference breeders can't miss.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is a great book for any sports lover. The writer, Jay Privman, did a fabulous job telling the colorful stories of the Breeders' Cup( jockeys, trainers, breeders, owners, and horses...). The photograghs are beautiful and dramatic. A MUST HAVE BOOK!!!

I received my long-awaited copy of this book, and I must say I enjoy it very much. This is a coffee table book with numerous beautiful color photographs of the races from the Breeders' Cup inaugural (1984) to the present. The triumphs, the tragedies (for example, Go For Wand's breakdown and death in the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff), and the upsets (such as Arcangues' longshot win in the 1993 Classic) are beautifully chronicled in this book.

The only thing preventing me from giving it five stars was that it was a little bit on the skimpy side with regard to the commentary. I always enjoy good commentary as well as beautiful pictures in any oversized book. It is still a worthwhile purchase, however.

This is one of my 5 favorites in the "breeding and whelping" section of my library. Although a bit outdated a very worthy addition to any dog lovers library.

Shannon
(...)

I was pleased that i got this book as a present. I was suprised once I actually got into the chapters because it is well written and easy to comprehend. I feel that if you have read this much you should just buy it.

Robert Martin
Elevenpeaks Kennels
www.11-peaks.com

I truly enjoyed this book and have passed it on to friends. It is a great read whether you have kids or not.

As a professional women, I think women should do whatever makes them happy as long as they can afford to financially support their choice.
But please, This is not God's work, this is Fu**ing and getting knocked up.
I personally feel the smarter you are, the less kids you will chose to have. I have never desired children and cannot stand to be in the presence of other women that do. Strangely enough, women today seem to be the worst mothers ever. The kids today are so ill bred, no wonder there are so many of us happily childfree out there.
And the women are obnoxious, entitlement seeking, fat, and loud. NO wonder your husbands are screwing around on you from day 1.....
think about how happy you and your spouse would be without any damn kids, I know we are.

I can't get over the guilt or whining of some of the soccer moms. The majority of the parenting books cater to YOU! This book was a refreshing anthology of different mamas, different breeders. I usually buy this book and _Mothers Who Think_ for my pregnant friends under about 35. I think this book speaks to various people and not just the mini-van crowd, who have shelves of books to choose from in any bookstore!

I can't say that some of the essays weren't well-written, because they were. My problem was the content. I'm not Mrs. Brady by a long shot, I thought I was forward-thinking, a feminist, a hip-mama, but apparently, if you want to stick to the confines of this collection, if you aren't on welfare, a single-mom, or a teenager, in an alternative relationship or all of the above, you aren't from the "New Generation of Mothers". Personally, that's okay with me. I'll just go on being a good mother with a secret punk rock past & realise that by having planned out my pregnancy with my husband when we could afford it that I'm just one of those supposed-SUV driving soccer moms that all the other parenting books cater to. Shame on Ariel Gore for being so narrow-minded in her view of the new generation of mothers. Shame on these supposive feminists for being irresponisble in their breeding & then claiming it a victory for feminism.

I would give this zero stars given the chance. First, the title is very misleading. These are not essays by "the new generation of mothers," but rather teen, welfare and wanna-be hippie moms. These flighty, immature, irresponsible writers do NOT represent my generation. (I am 30.) Just take a glimpse at the biographies in the back before you decide to read this drivel. One author is described as a "second generation welfare mama." Now there's a source of pride. These essays include the story of a teenage birth mother who led a potential adoptive couple to believe she was going to give them her baby, then changed her mind after the baby was born, as well as the story of a woman who aborted her baby after she decided to let her body be a pawn to the patriarchy. I am paraphrasing, but trust me, the actual language is even more ridiculous. There are a couple of semi-decent essays here, but it's not worth wading through the rest to find them.

This book is a small but informative review of symptoms that can alarm a pet owner. The organization of the book allows for quick location of a problem. It also covers behaviors such as toilet training and chewing/teething and subjects like grooming. Altogether, this is a must have book if you are caring for a pet. It will answer many questions and offer helpful tips so that you can be the best pet-parent possible.

I loved this book so much that I bought it for several friends. I only have dogs, so I cannot offer an opinion on the cat advice. For dog owners, it is an excellent resource with so many different things.

LOVE IT, with fur babies, one needs some help, and this book is GREAT

This book is about a dog that helps pick up litter. And he lost a puppy because the dog had two puppies. What could have happened to the other puppy? Something that I like about the book is that the dogs feel real to me. Read the book and find out what happens.

I am very thankful to all of the vets and animal behaviorists who contributed to this book. I use it a LOT. From everything to stomach problems to aches and pains to....whatever the problem is. This book covers it from A to Z.

If you love your dog or cat, and don't have the money to go to the vet for every problem that pops up, this book is a godsend. It also offers alternative medicines that actually are better for your pet.

I just simply cannot get along without my copy of "Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats".

I am an author and often need information like this book provides.
It is well presented and had a wealth of horse breeding information.

Excellent book with great photos and genetics easily explained. Wish I had it when I was breeding a lot of horses. Using it just for info now but recommending it to a lot of people.

This is a good beginner guide to equine color genetics. If you do not have any background in color breeding, this is an excellent place to start. I do think that they leave out some technical information that is very relevant and important for in-depth study, but if you are a recreational horse owner interested in experimenting with color breeding, you will find everything you need in this book. On the other hand, if you are a geneticist, research scientist, horse breeder, or have extensive knowledge about genetics and breeding, this book is a bit too basic for your needs. A fun, informative, and casual read for recreational horse owners/breeders; not recommended for scientists or professional breeders.

I have studied Equine Genetics and done some research in the field, this book is my "pocket reference", it really lays out genetics in simple terms without taking away the important facts. I really have learned more about genetics of coat color than I did in my college class so that's got to be saying something. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know anything about horse coat color. It gives you a bunch of helpful facts.

I have enjoyed this book. It was just what I was looking for as I began researching paint and appaloosa horses

I adore romances that begin on the premise of the hero and heroine being childhood friends, or having known each other for a long time. I also appreciate the unusual setting of this romance occurring between two "commoners," rather than always being between two titled people of London's elite. That said, coupled with the brilliance of most of Maxwell's other works, this story had a lot of potential, but the delivery of it fell short of my expectations. Because the plot has already been summarized several times, I will just point out why this book only earned 3 stars from me --

- The heroine behaved like a shrew towards the hero for 4/5 of the book. While I appreciate feisty and independent-thinking heroines, this one was unnecessarily rude, bitter, and sometimes even downright cruel to a man far too deserving for her.

- The amount of tension in the novel between the hero and heroine (mainly caused only by the heroine herself for ridiculous plot-contrived reasons) really took away from the romance of why I even read romances to begin with.

- The plot was very predictable, there was really no "villain" or secondary characters to speak of, and I doubt I will remember much about this story after a couple weeks of reading several more romances.

All in all, this book gets 3/5 stars for me for its original storyline, background, and the fact that it was well-written. Minus 2/5 stars for the unnecessarily shrewish behavior of the heroine, and the predictability in the deliverance of the promising storyline. I would recommend it only if you merely want to pass your time -- you won't find a ground-breaking, heart-wrenching story here, but I suggest checking your local library or buying a cheap used copy.

Mary Gates wants this stud in her stables. The Stud is a prime piece of horseflesh up for auction in her hometown of Lyford Meadows. The entire town's male population will be in attendance to witness who places the winning bid. Mary believes this horse is just what she needs to bring her stables back to full operating glory of the past. The town views Mary's independent and willful behavior as quite eccentric, including her normal attire of donning men's breeches. And her desire to win the horse may also have something to do with her constant battles with her neighbor and rival, Tye Barlow.

Tye is just as determined to win, because it would secure his stable's future as well. And he believes he has a good shot with the amount of money he's willing to bid. In the end, Mary outbids him but he's suspicious, because he knows there's no way she could own that kind of capital. Mary's winning bid is well beyond her means, but she makes up a fictitious, wealthy fiancé, and then convinces the seller she needs a little time to make her payment. The independent Mary, who never intended to settle down, sets out for London and the marriage mart to snag herself a rich husband. Tye discovers where she's gone, and follows with the intention to foil any possibility of her paying for the horse.

Their complicated history resurfaces, as well as their desire for each other, which of course has always been there in the form of a battle of wills. Together, they may discover the real prize isn't the horse, but their love for each other.

I've read three or four novels by Maxwell, and this is my favorite so far. I enjoy romances that involve the battle of wills, which is done well here. Although, I did think Mary's obstinance over her independence did go on a little too long, but that's only a minor issue. Even though there's not much new here for a romance story, I still found it refreshing and the witty dialogue probably had a lot to do with that. Mary and Tye were both headstrong characters and well matched for each other. There's nothing heavy-duty about this story, it's a nice light, recommended read.

Tye and Mary are delightful characters--very likable, feisty and well suited to each other--in this very fun and fast-paced Regency romance. The warmth, wit and lust for life characteristic of all Cathy Maxwell romances is evident here and makes this winning novel a charming read.

I enjoyed this offering by Cathy Maxwell. In this story a woman who is basically trying to save her family horse breeding ranch does what she must. She feels that all she is worth is what she is able to do to the home she knows. So one day she sets out to buy the "stud" of the areas for her horses and ends up in a bidding war with one of her neighbor. Who she shares a past with.

She ends up bidding more than she can handle and to get the rest of the money she goes to London to find a husband. What she doesn't count on is an embarrassment from her past showing up as well as her neighbor Tye. What ensues is a great romance story!

Barely making ends meet, horsewoman Mary bids over her means in order to secure a prized 'horse stud' for her estate in hopes that breeding will bring about her financial success and sticking it to neighbor and fellow horseman, Tye, makes it that much sweeter. In a desperate attempt to get the money in order to pay for the horse, Mary goes to London to find a rich husband. That doesn't sit well with Tye, sore from being out-bid and a bit suspicious, he follows her -because he wants the horse of course. Mayhem insues when, gorgeous, but socially inept, Mary storms the London social scene. Tye's there for rescue her when scandal results. Romance blooms in the shadows and maybe they figure out that the stud isn't that important anyway.

Great romance. I love fiesty females and Mary takes the cake! She causes scandals just by breathing, a real tough cookie that doesn't take it from anybody -including Tye. He's just that man to lasoe this filly in. One of my favorite Maxwells. If you liked Falling in Love Again and You and Only You, you'll like this one too.

amazing book couldnt stop reading it, and im not a regular reader either, there was no parts that were slow, have to read it to know what i am talking about, if i said nething i would give it away, I mean just the preface is satisfying enough for this book, i wish there was a sequel to it , thats the impression they leave at the end of the book but i guess there isnt gonna be 1 to it since there hasnt been one up till now

I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK, I HOPE THERE IS A PART TWO, I HATE THAT THEY LEFT ME HANGING AT THE END, IS THERE ANOTHER BOOK OUT TO FOLLOW THIS ONE. WHAT EVER HAPPEND TO THE BABY, AND JANET AND EZRA, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW REAL CLOSE AND IT WAS A PAGE TURNER, IT TOOK ME TWO HOURS TO READ THIS BOOK, I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN.

I found this book very helpful. If you are thinking about bringing a great dane to your house, I would recomend that you read this book first.