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Summary: Woof, woof! (Human translation: "Great book!")
Review: Dogs are said to be Man's Best Friend -- and with this book, it's easy to see why! The many moods and faces of dogs (ranging from comical, to cuddly, to downright cute) are chronicled in gorgeous sepia-toned photographs by Valerie Shaff. While Wegman dresses up his Weimaraners to elicit "human comedy gone to the dogs", Shaff shows the true nature of the beast through poignant and heartwarming pictures that allow the personalities of the dogs to really shine through. Each photo isaccompanied by incisively witty text by Roy Blount, one of America's best-known humourists. Whether you're a dog owner or not, this book will bring a smile to your face (and if it doesn't...well, then, you probably just haven't met the right dog yet!)
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Summary: A MUST FOR DOG LOVERS!
Review: Never heard of "Doggeral"? Well, you will after you read this fascinating book. You will understand it, speak it and remember it. Canine lovers everywhere will be captivated by the beautiful photographs and witty verses. Here you will find dogs, dogs and more dogs of every description. As you turn the pages, the reader will be deeply touched with warmth, sadness, joy and wonder for each page tells a different story. This book is delightful to own, a pleasure to read, and makes an excellent coffee table book. One could not possibly look at a playfully wagging tail, a wet nose or huge sad eyes and not be overcome with emotion. After all, dogs are more than pets, they are our canine family to love, respect and care for - just like children
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Summary: Adorable doggies
Review: This book has some real cutie-pie pictures, but I found that some of the commentary was a little sad and depressing. Was hoping for more upbeat and goofy stuff, like the title, but that was not the case. Enoyed the photos, though... made up my own commentary in my head!
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Summary: funny and touching
Review: This is a great gift-book idea, if you can manage to actually give it away. The photos are wonderfully done, featuring both "action" shots and natural, endearing portraits. These are real dogs, not models--no dangerously thin Italian greyhounds lounging on marble terraces here--and Shaff catches all their moods, movements, and expressions. The accompanying poetry by Roy Blount is a delight as well. As others reviewers have pointed out, this isn't puppy-wuppy talk, but witty, funny, and perfectly suited to the photographs. I thought several times as I was reading that Blount must be a life-long dog owner. He knows those looks and what's going to happen next. Altogether, a truly light-hearted book well worth having.
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Summary: A MUST FOR DOG LOVERS!
Review: Never heard of "Doggeral"? Well, you will after you read this fascinating book. You will understand it, speak it and remember it. Canine lovers everywhere will be captivated by the beautiful photographs and witty verses. Here you will find dogs, dogs and more dogs of every description. As you turn the pages, the reader will be deeply touched with warmth, sadness, joy and wonder for each page tells a different story. This book is delightful to own, a pleasure to read, and makes an excellent coffee table book. One could not possibly look at a playfully wagging tail, a wet nose or huge sad eyes and not be overcome with emotion. After all, dogs are more than pets, they are our canine family to love, respect and care for - just like children
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Summary: Dog's Eye View
Review: After a preamble into historical doggie references & some personal history, Roy Blount proceeds to tell us exactly what he thinks the dogs in Valerie Shaff's portraits are saying. Charming sepia toned photographs & poignant, prosaic commentaries make IF ONLY YOU KNEW HOW MUCH I SMELL YOU a must for dog lovers. It'll make you look at your dog a little more intelligently!
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Summary: Dogs ARE People, Anthropomorhism Makes Good CoffeeTable Book
Review: Do animals think, have human emotions and consciously make human-like facial expressions? Certainly a question scientists will dwell on for likely centuries to come, but after you read this book, there will be no doubt in your mind - dogs ARE people. Anthropomorphism of course is the attributing of human traits to animals. When we see a dog smile, is he really smiling or just panting? When we see a dog give a surly glare, is he really surly or just tired? To most dog lovers, the answers to these questions doesn't really matter, because for us, dogs have at one time or another played an important role in our lives, as a pet while we were growing up or a best friend for someone living alone. We want to believe they understand us when we speak and want to believe they have the ability to communicate back in what creates a human-like relationship, lest we think of ourselves as simply a meal ticket and occasional play companion. Roy Blount's dog-speak verse is witty and moving - you will feel like you are hearing dogs' thoughts and feelings without a doubt. And Valerie Shaff's portraits and action shots amaze - one wonders how much film she had to take to get these shots. This book is a fine addition to your coffee table or for a gift. If after reading this book, you don't hug your dog or think about running out to the pet store, you're just not human...or at least not a dog lover.
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Summary: Dogs and Their Poetry
Review: The reviewer who said the poetry in this book was terrible was completely wrong. The peopetry in this book not written by a person per se, but by a dog -- and maybe sometimes a dog's poetry does not rhyme - but at least it comes from his heart. Roy Blount, Jr., the author behind the dogs' poetry, even explains as much in the introduction. This book is about dogs and their poetry. Because of this, the book becomes even more enjoyable. The reader can look at the magnificent photos and read the poetry that that dog wrote for it. The dog's poetry is a "canine measure of somewhere between ordered and free," which shows the inner workings of all dogs. As in the poem, "Good Stick," you know exactly how the dog feels about his stick because - the dog itself wrote the poem. Dogs converse on baths, expensive shoes, treats - everything that is important to them. But the title of the book sums it up perfectly. Who wouldn't look at their dog (who may or may not have done something naughty) and find him replying, "If Only You Knew How Much I Smell You." This is a great book for any dog lover.
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Summary: Superb gift book
Review: Superb and hilarious. The ideal gift book for dog lovers and aspiring dog lovers. Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).
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Summary: Great pictures, poor poetry...
Review: So we have this book in our house because my fiance is a veterinarian, and so everyone gives us dog and cat books. I picked this book up for the first time during a late-night power outage, and I've got to say, the pictures in this book had me laughing and smiling, but the text had me pulling my hair out. Sure, all dog owners put words into their dogs mouths, but most of Mr. Blount's are painfully irritating. First off, if dogs are going to be poets (which I don't really get), they ought to at least rhyme, not just ALMOST rhyme. Furball and terrible? Blount too often struggles to to be poignant (though the bulldog with the stick is right on) and ends up missing the mark. Valerie Shaff has captured the essence of what makes dogs special in her pictures, but the messages conveyed by these wonderful images are cheapened by Blount's poor poetry. I've got "I am puppy, hear me yap" on the shelf, and I'll bring it out during the next power outage. Hopefully Blount spent more than 10 minutes on the text for this book...
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