Adult nonfiction

‘The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love’ edited by Alice Hoffman

/ Pamela Kramer

We read books about dogs for the same reason we have dogs in our lives: we just can’t get enough of them. (At least I can’t.) And in this touching and memorable collection of dog essays, “The Best Dog in the World,” those of us with dogs might just think that our beloved dogs belong in there as well, because the best dog in the world is usually our own dog. The essays are expertly edited by Alice Hoffman, who in the Introduction, shares her touching story about Houdini, her beloved dog. And she writes what all dog parents know, “I still don’t think I was worthy of him.”

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‘What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird’ by Sy Montgomery

/ Pamela Kramer

“What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird” is written by one of the world’s most famous writers of essays and books about animals. Sy Montgomery has written about hummingbirds, hawks, octopuses, pigs, moon bears, dolphins, tigers and more. She’s also written about Temple Grandin. Montgomery knows animals, and through her writing, we understand that she holds animals in high esteem. Her newest little book is about chickens; she raised them for decades.

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‘Cowpuppy’ by Gregory Burns

/ Pamela Kramer

Reading the title of this book, “Cowpuppy,” one might wonder what exactly Gregory Berns is writing about. To really understand this endeavor, you must read the fine print. “Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” If you aren’t interested in animals, this is not a book for you. If you are worried that this is a book espousing veganism, Berns doesn’t do that, either. In fact, he admits to occasionally eating meat, and he feeds meat to his dogs. But he writes about his cattle from not just a scientist’s point of view, but as a behaviorist. His cows, we learn, are not just farm animals or tools, they are his friends.

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‘Pets and the City’ by Dr. Amy Attas is a wonderful book filled with “True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian” that reads like a novel

/ Pamela Kramer

It’s difficult to write nonfiction that is so engrossing and relatable that it reads like fiction, yet that is just what veterinarian Dr. Amy Attas manages to do in her book “Pets and the City: True Tales of a Manhattan House Call Veterinarian.” This collection of anecdotes and personal history ranges from the why—the reason Attas wanted to become a veterinarian and how she accomplished that—to the many famous people who were/are her clients. From Joan Rivers to Billy Joel, we read about the connections that the uber rich and famous have with their pets. But we also read about those not in that stratosphere of economic wealth, and how money doesn’t dictate how much we love our four-legged (and sometimes three-legged) pets.

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‘Kingdom of Play: What Ball-bounding Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants Reveal about Life Itself’ by David Toomey is a nonfiction compendium of how and why animals play

/ Pamela Kramer

Most of us who have dogs or cats know that animals play a lot; it’s a natural thing they do, and they do it with us, with other animals, or solely on their own. In “Kingdom of Play: What Ball-bouncing Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants reveal about Life Itself,” David Toomey explores how a multitude of animals play in nature, including, of course, dogs. This is not a light read, but rather a book that goes deep into the science of play, even the neuroscience and culture of play.

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‘Barking Up the Right Tree’ is the definitive book on dogs and training by expert Dr. Ian Dunbar

/ Pamela Kramer

Dr. Ian Dunbar, author of “Barking Up the Right Tree,” isn’t just a veterinarian. In addition to his veterinary degree and a PhD in dog behavior, he was the first to create puppy training classes using positive reinforcement. Dunbar’s future as a dog behaviorist seemed ordained since childhood. He has been training animals since he was five years old on the family farm in England. Now, after decades in dog training and studying dog behavior, and a reputation as one of the foremost dog training experts in the world, he is sharing what he has learned and what research shows about training and understanding our dogs.

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An open letter to Facebook and Instagram (Meta)

/ Pamela Kramer

Dear Facebook and Instagram (Meta) powers-that-be:

Please restore my accounts so I can continue to help dogs, cats, and authors.

Championing animals and books is my passion and purpose. I have used Facebook responsibly for almost 20 years, sharing my book reviews and my mission for rescuing animals with my audience. I actively support reputable animal rescues from coast to coast, including Placing Paws of Libertyville, Fat Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, and Dream Team Angels Rescue. Countless dogs and cats have found homes through my posts, and my husband and I have personally fostered hundreds of animals over the years. I have reviewed books from hundreds of authors and have also interviewed many authors including New York Times bestselling author CLAIRE COOK (Must Love Dogs, Bonus Time), New York Times bestselling author MICHAEL GRANT (the GONE series, the Animorph series), New York Times bestselling author KATHERINE APPLEGATE (The One and Only Ivan, Willodeen), BRIAN HARE (Scientist, professor, and author of The Genius of Dogs), New York Times bestselling author SPENCER QUINN (author of the Chet and Bernie series) and many more. 

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‘The Twelve Step Pathway’ by Michael Cowl Gordon is an important addition to addiction literature

/ Pamela Kramer

Addiction is an issue that directly or indirectly plagues all of society. It is the inability to escape a habit that haunts its victim, the “user,” the addict. It is an illness that carries a perfectly awful stigma, an illness which must be fought with the entire being of the sufferer if it is to be conquered. Dr. Michael Cowl Gordon, who has devoted his career and his life to the goal of leading addicts on the road to sobriety, has provided all of us with the knowledge, the guide, and a concrete plan to achieve that victory with his remarkable book, “The Twelve Step Pathway; A Heroic Journey of Recovery.”

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Dog lovers alert: ‘Dogs Demystified’ is a must-have read

/ Pamela Kramer

Dog lovers need an easy reference book that can help with practical information about dog care, dog cognition, dog emotions (yes, they have emotions just as we do), and dog breeds, and “Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine” by Marc Bekoff is just that book. This is a book with important information that is helpful not just to the new dog owner, but even to seasoned dog people like me.

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‘The Book of Pet Love & Loss: Words of Comfort & Wisdom from Remarkable People’ by Sara Bader

/ Pamela Kramer

Those of us who are lucky enough to have animal companions know one tragic truth: With the exception of a few parrots, we will outlive all our companion animals. And as we experience the passing of each one, our hearts break. In “The Book of Pet Love & Loss,” Sara Bader manages to reassure us that we are not alone in our grief, that our sadness, our heartbreak, our sense of loss, is normal and equivalent to what is experienced by many others, include the noted writers of the quotes in this small treasure.

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‘Bake’ and ‘Bliss on Toast’ will keep you baking the Great British Bake Off way this winter

/ Pamela Kramer

Fans of The Great British Bake Off love Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and their encyclopedic knowledge of all things baking, and with their new cookbooks, “Bake: My best ever recipes for the classics” by Paul Hollywood and “Bliss on Toast” by Prue Leith, we can join in on the baking and fill our homes with aromas of the delicious treats contained in the pages of these books.

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