Collects essays on controversial topics of twentieth-century American history, including wars, organized crime, and abuses of political power.

Dave Bartok is not having the best of years. His mother has just died, he is an addicted poker player, and (hugely in debt), his real estate business is sinking, and he doesn't really like his longtime girlfriend. When he gets saddled with an abandoned dog, he doesn't think things can get worse. And then Reg the dog starts talking --and only Dave can hear him. At first Dave thinks he's gone crazy, but he soon realizes he's found his soul mate. Dave and Reg start off on a madcap adventure that will find them tangled up with the mob, involved in an illegal real estate deal, cleaning up at the poker table, and stumbling toward true love. The wisdom of Reg the dog: On couches being chewable because they are actually sausages "It's got a skin, it's got stuffing, what am I not getting here?" On entering a dangerous establishment "Actually, I've changed my mind. There's no atmosphere so menacing it can't be banished by a ham sandwich." On Dave's awful girlfriend "She wants so to be pack leader. She acts as if she's in control when you're there, you defer to her all the time. Would it not be better if she were allowed to go and form her own pack?" On neckties "Every time you put it on you end up going somewhere you don't want to. That's what I call a leash."

Lucky Dog is a hilarious and heartwarming memoir by a renowned veterinary oncologist who tells us what we can learn about health care and ourselves from our most beloved pets. What happens when a veterinary surgical oncologist (laymen’s term: cancer surgery doctor) thinks she has cancer herself? Enter Sarah Boston: a vet who suspects a suspicious growth in her neck is thyroid cancer. From the moment she uses her husband’s portable ultrasound machine to investigate her lump — he’s a vet, too — it’s clear this will not be your typical cancer memoir. She takes us on a hysterical and thought-provoking journey through the human health care system from the perspective of an animal doctor. Weaving funny and poignant stories of dogs she’s treated along the way, this is an insightful memoir about what the human medical world can learn from the way we treat our canine counterparts. Lucky Dog teaches us to trust our instincts, be our own advocates, and laugh while we’re doing it.

One in four pets is obese, and every year owners spends thousands of dollars treating allergies, joint problems, digestive disorders, and serious diseases that could improve dramatically with a nutritious diet. Yet despite promises of complete and balanced meals, most commercial pet foods contain chemical preservatives, indigestible fillers, and dangerous by-products. If your pets are overweight, ailing, or aging‚ or you just want them to be as healthy as possible‚ THE WHOLE PET DIET offers a straightforward plan to achieve lifelong health and well-being. Featuring twenty-five easy recipes for homemade meals and treats, a guide to natural supplements, and practical tips for no-stress grooming and play, this holistic approach to pet care creates optimal health for dogs and cats‚ and it just might change the way you eat, too.

Foreword by Susan Orlean A charming facsimile edition of celebrated British illustrator Lucy Dawson’s 1937 classic collection of highly detailed and loveable drawings of dogs, complete with a cloth spine and ribbon marker—the companion volume to the acclaimed Dogs As I See Them. Lucy Dawson, also known as "Mac," was a preeminent British illustrator in the 1930s and 1940s revered for her paintings and etchings of dogs, from sporting and non-sporting breeds to hounds and herders. Though she worked in numerous mediums—pencil, pen, ink, and oil—her pastels set her work apart. Noted for her commercial dog postcards and her delightful "Tailwagger" series, she also created a "Puppies" series of 40 cigarette cards during World War II—produced in a limited quantity due to wartime restrictions on paper—which have become a rare collector’s item today. One of her most famous works is her portrait of "Dookie," the British Royal Family’s favorite Corgie, which was later reproduced as a Royal Family Christmas card. Dawson also published several books, including the beloved Dogs As I See Them, and its follow-up, Dogs Rough and Smooth. Now, Dogs Rough and Smooth is available in a lovely facsimile edition for a new generation discovering her superb craftsmanship. Printed on an uncoated stock that simulates the look and feel of a sketchbook, this delightful volume is filled with her beautiful, endearing drawings of a range of breeds. The illustrations are accompanied by notes in Dawson’s own handwriting as well as a short anecdotal text that provides amusing insight into the personalities of her canine models and the experience of drawing each. A stunning reproduction of this classic work filled with full-color and black-and-white complete drawings and sketches, Dogs Rough and Smooth features a foreword by acclaimed writer Susan Orlean, and is packaged in a three-piece case with a beautiful cloth spine and long ribbon bookmark. Dogs Rough and Smooth is sure to be a collector's item treasured by dog lovers of all ages and art connoisseurs for years to come.

David Edey wants to save you a lot of trouble! In this self-help book he clearly, concisely, and repeatedly explains why it is important that every individual appoint an executor of their estate; what it means to be an executor of an estate; and how having a knowledgeable and responsible executor can help ensure a family’s wealth, welfare, health, and future happiness. The book is filled with advice, tips, and many real-life examples demonstrating what can go wrong (and what can go right), depending on whether or not families plan accordingly in advance, communicate clearly with one another, and are willing to put petty and selfish differences aside. No one likes talking about death and inheritances before they absolutely have to, but as Edey learned from personal experience, having these conversations earlier, rather than later, will save a lot of time and money, alleviate a ton of stress and ill feeling, and ensure that the deceased’s wishes are properly and efficiently carried out.

"Come for the behind-the-scenes stories.stay for the cutest picture of a kitten-covered Stephen King ever." — O, The Oprah Magazine Every great writer needs a mews: Mark Twain, Alice Walker, Haruki Murakami, Ursula K. Le Guin—this volume celebrates many famous authors who have shared their homes and hearts with furry feline friends. From the six-toed kitties who still inhabit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Florida to the mewling muses of mystery writer Lilian Jackson Braun, cats are clearly, in the words of Gloria Steinem, "a writer's most logical and agreeable companion." • Features photographs and stories from 45 famous authors that capture the special bond between wordsmith and mouser • Sorted by alphabetical order, you'll see photographs from some of the most well-known authors including Beverly Cleary, Mark Twain, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, and many more • Alison Nastasi is a journalist and the author of Artists and Their Cats, also from Chronicle Books. She lives in Los Angeles, California "Full of charming anecdotes and feline whimsy, this collection is catnip for lit nerds." — Shelf Awareness • Makes a charming and thoughtful gift for any fan of great literature and cats • An excellent addition to your coffee table books for guests to enjoy browsing

Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present The Secret Life of Pets, a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. This Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader features over 30 stickers. It's perfect for boys and girls ages 4 to 6!

“It’s official. That thing that classic art has been missing is a chubby reclining kitty.” —The Huffington Post Internet meme meets classical art in Svetlana Petrova’s brilliant Fat Cat Art. Featuring her twenty-two-pound, ginger-colored cat Zarathustra superimposed onto some of the greatest artworks of all time, Petrova’s paintings are an Internet sensation. Now fans will have the ultimate full-color collection of her work, including several never-before-seen pieces, to savor for themselves or to give as a gift to fellow cat lovers. From competing with Venus’s sexy reclining pose (and almost knocking her off her chaise lounge in the process) in Titian’s Venus of Urbino, to exhibiting complete disdain as he skirts away from God’s pointing finger in Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, Zarathustra single-handedly rewrites art history in the way that only an adorable fat cat can.