Product Description
Heart Of A Gladiator

Summary

by

William F. Amato


Nancy Bianco is an animal lover and the niece of Ralph Bianco the undisputed boss of organized crime in Chicago known as The Outfit. She hosts a radio talk-show on Chicago’s WHLP called Pets Are People Too and that’s truly how she feels. Because of her penchant for taking in homeless kittens, she is affectionately called the Cat Lady by her fans. Nancy’s show, however, is dedicated to the welfare of animals in general and to the service of pet owners.
A colleague, Marco Fisher, the host of a show he calls Marco’s Morgue, concentrates his efforts on keeping his listeners informed of political and official corruption and misconduct in the Windy City. Marco becomes aware of an dog-fighting ring that is being allowed to function under the protection of a corrupt ward alderman, Ramone Ortiz and the district police commander, Martin Doyle. Marco enlists Nancy to help him expose the crooked public officials.
But Nancy is more concerned with the mistreatment and exploitation of innocent animals. Soon, Nancy finds herself entangled in a web of political malfeasance, cruelty toward animals and murder. She rescues El Toro, a champion fighting-dog from the clutches of his owner, Emielo Soto, the operator of the dog-fighting ring, by boldly breaking and entering Soto’s headquarters and stealing El Toro from his viscous handlers.
She renames him Spartacus, after the Roman slave who was forced into the gladiatorial arena to provide entertainment for an ancient society that found pleasure in witnessing the spilling of blood and the death of other human beings. Modern man has replaced this practice with the brutal sport of pitting helpless animals against others of their own kind.
Furious at the loss of his champion and the enormous income El Toro generated, Soto vows to recover his prize and rid himself of the nuisance caused by the tenacious, crusading young woman known as The Cat Lady. A dishonest public official is murdered and Nancy becomes a prime suspect. Spartacus is kidnapped, but escapes and almost miraculously finds his was back to the woman who loves him.
Nancy falls in love with Rick DePalma, the son of a top capo in The Outfit. Although the power of Nancy’s uncle and Rick’s father are at their disposal they choose to wage their war on their own.
Armed only with her courage and dedication, the devotion of the man she loves and Spartacus, who has become her fearless protector, Nancy fends off the attacks by Soto, his corrupt accomplices and a relentless prosecutor who is determined to indict her for murder. Nancy wins her fight through her own heroism and gallantry and Spartacus, her faithful companion, who has the Heart Of A Gladiator.
... Read more

Product Description
The Great, Great, Great Chicken War is a richly drawn tale of conflict begun by those who are too afraid, or chicken, to address why they are fighting in the first place. Fully illustrated by David de la Garza when he was five years old and watercolored by his mother, Joyce Rosner, The Great, Great, Great Chicken War presents a child's interpretation of how silly people can be when they fight. The book is designed to help parents begin a conversation about conflict with their children. A portion of the book's profits will be donated to a charity for children who are victims of war or disaster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Imaginative Book for All Age Kids
The Great, Great, Great Chicken War

I found this an amazing book - the drawings are by a very talented and imaginative 5-year old (and painted in watercolors by his talented mother). I have read this to very young children who love the rhymes, the repetition, the fanciful creatures;I have also read it to older kids who are intrigued by the drawings but also get the point of the book: fighting and war are not good, they upset the whole world. The reviewer D. Grout thought the book belittled soldiers--none of the children thought the book was saying that soldiers were "chicken," and of course it isn't -- it's saying that the leaders are (see the rooster going off to fight "riding the rhino out the door, angry and eager to settle a score." Kids tell me that the rooster is chicken because he wants to start a fight instead of talking about why he's angry. I believe Mr(or Ms)Grout)was assuming things that weren't in the book. His "monsters" are not the monsters that children fear--they know and love Sesame Street's Cookie Monster and the monsters in "Where the Wild Things Are." Criticizing the rhymes because they are not perfect, that some lines seem to be used for their rhyming rather than perfect sense is what 5-year olds do! They love the sound of the "castaway pumpkins washing up on the sand" -- it seems silly to them and they don't know what castaway even means, but they like it. The idea that children would be better off having "The Diary of Anne Frank" read to them seems a strange suggestion to me, especially for small children. Many older children do read it in school, but Anne Frank and this book are not comparable for any age level. I have found this to be one of those rare children's books that adults also love. I'd like to see what this young artist/story teller comes up with next. Mr. (or Ms.) Grout, please lighten up! See the book as an imaginative, beautifully drawn 5-year old's attempt to understandlife.

A great disappointment
After all the positive reviews this book has gotten, I expected something with a little more imagination.You can't fault the parents of 5-year-old David de la Garza for crafting a book out of his drawings and thoughts aboutthe very serious topic of human conflict. It's certainly well-intentioned, with a bold red sticker on the front declaring that part of the proceeds will be donated to Medicins Sans Frontieres.
Where it falls flat is as a reading experience.No less than 5 times we see the same exact drawing, and the words, "In the Great, Great, Great Chicken War."Even my five-year-old was put off by this.Some of the drawings are nice, even charming, but most suffer from the dreary technique of computer-shading.
Obviously aiming for a kind of minimalism, the book nevertheless fails to create any memorable images, characters or situations. The hodge-podge verse frequently seems written solely for the sake of rhyming.
War is not trivial. It is not silly.Being willing to kill or die for a cause does not make you a "chicken."Were the minutemen in the American Revolution "chicken?" There are real reasons behind why people pursue armed conflict.Wars are complicated and messy, and often only stop when the destruction reaches an intolerable scale.
There are plenty of children's experiences of war on the internet, for example at www.warchildren.org where parents and teachers can show drawings from kids who actually went through the horror and loss of war.Whimsical abstractions like pumpkins washed up on a shore are cute, but why not read your kids the Diary of Anne Frank instead?

A Book for All Ages
The Great, Great, Great Chicken WarThis is a children's book that all ages can enjoy. The young author - David de la Garza - and his parents have created a book that has gorgeous art with a story that all ages can enjoy. Not only can they enjoy the story-poem for its rhythm and sounds, but also for the story it tells. I bought the book for a five-year-old and discovered that his two-year-old brother was fascinated by the creatures and colors - the art work. And after hearing it read aloud, the five-year-old started talking about the story - about war - and the oldest of the three children, a ten-year-old joined in the conversation and for perhaps the first time, didn't talk down to his younger brother. While the book is not religious, a friend of mine who teaches Sunday School plans to use the book for a class discussion on resolving arguments and disagreements. I think the book is a delight--wonderful art and thoughtful story without it being preachy or sounding "educational." The story-poem has some terrific lines that start with "In the Great great great Chicken War, the rooster rode the rhino out the door, Angry and eager to settle a score"....and the accompanying illustration is imaginary and creative while the rooster atop the rhino is recognizable. I expect this book to become a classic. The Great, Great, Great Chicken War

from a child's eye
So often adults are the teachers and know it all...it is refreshing and grounding to hear and see things from a child's perspective to allow us as adults to stand back, re-group and open are eyes and say, oh yes, that is what it is all about.
david reminds us all that things such as war so often absurd and lacking in reason and sense. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the grown up decision-makers could stand back and realize the shear magnitude in numbers of innocent victims in so many unthinkable ways and the little that is accomplished with so much tragedy.

A portion of the profits of The Great, Great, Great Chicken War will be donated to charity for child victims of war or disaster
Written by parents struggling to explain the concept of war to their young son, The Great, Great, Great Chicken War is a children's picturebook that presents concepts such as war and fighting in the simplest possible terms. Tackling the idea that sometimes people can be too silly or chicken to talk out their problems and fight instead, The Great, Great, Great Chicken War combines rhyming verse with exaggerated color pictures in a gentle, whimsical style. "In the Great, Great, Great Chicken War, // Rockets filled the sky with a deafening roar, / Criss-crossing a land where peace was no more. // Velociraptors stormed across the isle, / Scorching the land for mile after mile. // And in the deep ocean, where sea creatures sing, / Silent octopus feared what the future would bring." The Great, Great, Great Chicken War is an effective way to open the topic of war with young children, with a subtle message against wars fought for seemingly pointless reasons. A portion of the profits of The Great, Great, Great Chicken War will be donated to charity for child victims of war or disaster. ... Read more

Product Description
Caligula, Wattles and Proteus are the Battle Cocks: giant chickens who crusade against animal exploitation. They undergo anthropomorphic changes and as their powers of cognition grow, so does their need to comprehend the complexities of human-animal relationships. In an action packed blend of 'Team America' and 'Animal Farm', Battle Cocks entertainingly treats a wide range of contemporary animal issues. Will they find the meaning of their existence? Or be condemned to a life of violent servitude? ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Cute title, not a cute book
Illustrations were cute I guess but on our first reading my 2.5 year old son was pushing at the squirrel and the rabbit on the page because they pushed each other.I'm not fond of books that encourage aggression.What's worse is that the conclusion wasn't positive either.Neither the rabbit nor the squirrel understood their mistake and they did not reconcile.There was no positive message at all.Ick!Thankfully this was a library book.We had it less than 24 hours when I put it back in the drop box.Sorry, I just can't recommend this on any level.

Three Silly Chicks Review
Once upon a time, there was a lovely, fluffy pink and sparkly book about a happy rabbit named Rabbit and her best friend, Squirrel. This is NOT that book.

THANK GOODNESS!

We Chicks love sweet fluffiness in our cupcakes. We do NOT love sweet fluffiness pressed between the covers of a book. It makes the pages stick together and that makes us cranky.

We love books that tell us a good story in a funny, smart, and slightly mischievous way. Rabbit & Squirrel: A Tale of War and Peas is such a book. This new title is brought to us by Kara LaReau and Scott Magoon who recently collaborated on the wickedly dry underwater saga, Ugly Fish.

This is no corny tale of competition between friends. Rabbit and Squirrel are not friends. They are neighbors who barely notice each other until someone starts raiding their gardens. They jump to bad conclusions, blaming each other for the destruction. It is war!

Even when the true culprit is revealed, Rabbit and Squirrel can't let it go. They just don't know when to say when. Where will it end? (Sorry. You have to read the book to find out.)

LaReau's smart text is perfectly balanced with Magoon's nuanced illustrations which reveal Rabbit's and Squirrel's surprising breadth of emotion. If you've ever wondered what a vengeful rabbit or a suspicious squirrel might look like, this is the book for you. (If you haven't wondered that, what have you been doing with your spare time?)

Rabbit & Squirrel is no garden variety morality tale. It is a simple story that makes a big point without ever getting preachy or gooey. Exactly what we like to find between the covers of a book!

Visualize whirled peas / Give peas a chance / Take my rabbit.... pease! [they're all bad, but I couldn't pick just one)
I think that it's fair to say that rabbits in gardens have certainly gotten their picture book due. Whether it's Peter Rabbit escaping a sieve, a little Tops & Bottoms action, or even those Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! bunnies clicking their heels, kids have no difficulty associating rabbits with garden woes. Squirrels, on the other hand, don't get the proper amount of attention they're warranted. Man, when I was growing up rabbits were somewhat bad but squirrels? Squirrels were worse. Your apple trees and strawberry plants wouldn't yield BUPKISS when a squirrel was around. Credit author Kara LaReau for acknowledging that squirrels deserve to be classified as garden pests. Her book Rabbit and Squirrel teams her up withUgly Fish partner-in-crime Scott Magoon and together they've come up with a book that deserves to appear amongst your garden storytime readaloud staples. Though it indulges the pair's taste for unexpected endings, this one's definitely their best product yet.

Once there was a rabbit (named Rabbit) and a squirrel (named Squirrel, naturally) that each tended delicious gardens. One day the Rabbit woke up to find her goodies plundered, so naturally she blamed (and threatened) the Squirrel. The next day the Squirrel found HIS goodies gone so he blamed (and threatened) the Rabbit back. Soon the Rabbit was taking the Squirrel's peas and tomatoes and the Squirrel was turning his hose onto the insides of the Rabbit's house when in the midst of their squabble was a gigantic human gardener, demanding to know who was ruining her garden! Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed human hands plucking the veggies throughout the tale, after all. Chased away from their homes, Rabbit and Squirrel high tail it to the woods where they continue to bicker. "One of these days, they'll grow tired of fighting. And then, hopefully, they'll learn to grow something new."

I'll level with you here. Did you ever read the previous LaReau/Magoon pairing Ugly Fish? I just wasn't a fan. Magoon has an elastic style that was too thin-lined and shaky for me with that book. Rabbit and Squirrel is different. Now the lines are thicker and the colors dark and rich. What's more, LaReau has taken her penchant for unusual storytelling and fitted it to "war and peas". And you could probably apply this story directly to some historical incident if you were so inclined (as I've no doubt some high school history teacher will soon do). It would have to be a situation in which two groups went to war when their troubles really sprang from a malevolent third party. Think about it, won't you?

Let's go back to Scott Magoon's art, though. I have to say that for a guy who does his work "digitally" he's got the panache of the hand-illustrated-only types. There are some textures in this book that I was particularly taken with. The pages sometimes have the visual consistency of some kind of woven material. Burlap, maybe? It's hard to say. Then on top of this you'll get a variety of patterns, often all overlapping in the course of a single page. The illustration of squirrel watering "his" tomatoes is set against a light floral pattern so subtle that you might miss it if you didn't stare intently at it. The ground is a series of undulating brown lines, and the ladder looks distinctly wood like.

I was also fairly fond of the expressions Magoon employs here. When Rabbit first finds that lettuce and carrots have been removed, she gets this squinty eyed look of creeping suspicion that is, for me, my favorite picture in the book. It's a good artist that can capture an expression you recognize but couldn't have named prior to seeing their picture of it. Of course, I did have one problem with the pictures in the book. It's small but once I noticed it I had a hard time ignoring it. Take a look at Squirrel. Take a long hard look. Notice how there are teeth coming off of his nose? Okay, now look and see where his mouth is. AUUUGH! Mutant squirrel!

Mutant squirrels aside, lets consider Kara LaReau's contributions here. This here is a good bit of storytelling. LaReau employs all the descriptive adjectives in her arsenal to describe the crimes these animals face. "Someone had pulled up her crunchiest carrots. Someone had removed her leafiest lettuce." As the tensions escalate and the two animals come close to blows, I liked that they were interrupted with the line, "Just as they were thinking of worse things to do to each other . . ." It won't escape the child reader's notice either that while Rabbit calls Squirrel a pest and Squirrel calls Rabbit a pest, when the Gardener calls them both pests, she's utilizing the proper use of the word.

As for the story itself, it's rare to find a book where there isn't a happy ending. Normally, this kind of story would end with the Gardener chasing away our heroes and with the two of them realizing their mistakes. Instead, they're STILL at each other's throats. Though Mr. Magoon shows a potential resolutions that will "hopefully" someday occur, the very sweetness and light look of the last image in this bok is essentially unbelievable. So child readers will be able to see that while it is in the best interests of Rabbit and Squirrel to cooperate, the likelihood of two such stuck-in-their-ways animals of coming to terms with one another is slim to none. That's a complicated lesson, and one that may actually come in useful in the future.

LaReau and Magoon together wield the element of surprise as their secret weapon. Pick up a picture book by the two of them and you never know WHERE the story's gonna go. Rabbit and Squirrel shows that these kids work best when they can upset conventions without breaking the back of the story at hand. If you've had your fill of garden pest picture books and you feel like you want a break, just give this book a chance before you throw in the trowel. Sometimes war is just a series of miscommunications and sometimes the two parties are communicating perfectly. This book gives it to you both ways. Smart stuff that's easy on the eyes. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the few real self-protection guides on the markettoday, this book will teach you first and foremost how to avoidviolent situations. But should you find yourself in one, it will alsoshow you how to control yourself and your emotions so you can functionon a physical level to defend yourself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Repetitious Advice
I purchased the book for the interviews of muggers, attackers etc. There is not a core chapter dedicated to these interview as quotes are spread out through the text. The quotes do not provide insights as to their patterns or thinking, only how violent they are. There are some kernels of insight in the text, but the repetition of advice makes a straight read through near impossible. I would only purchase this book if you are looking to purchase at half price.

The best guide available
As a not very good amateur martial artist I have purchased many books to try and assist and inspire me in my training. By some margin this is by far the best. Sure there are better books that give more detail on specific topics, however no others deal with as many areas as this one. Thompson is ex-doorman/nightclub bouncer and martial artist in many disciplines. A 1st dan in judo, 6th dan in Karate together with qualifications in wrestling and many others.

In this book he covers 24 areas of 'self-protection' from 1. avoidance and awareness to 24. Self-Defence and the law. There isn't sufficient time to review all the these areas in a short review like this. However what I will say is that this book has given me some new insights into just how to criminal mind works, as well as some useful information on practical martial arts. See for example chapter 12 which is devoted solely to the application, advantages and disadvantages of chokes and strangles.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is where he interviews several victims of violent crime as well as several muggers and looks at several case histories from serial killers. Some of the case histories are hard to read (as their crimes are described in graphic detail by the criminal), however the interviews with the muggers are a fascinating insight into how the criminal mind works and a lot of useful information can be gained from reading these.

Some will say that studying martial arts and reading this sort of material is a complete waste of time. However for those of us that do, it is enlightening to know that people who are switched off to their surroundings and their environment are the ones most likely to fall victim to a mugger or criminal.

This book does duplicate some material from Geoff Thompsons other books. So if you only want to buy one book that covers the entire spectrum of his philosophy - this is the one.

Mindset and physioloy of fighting
I bought this book because many readers said that this is one of the "originals."Geoff is a former bouncer who has many insightful thoughts on fighting.The most important concepts in the book are on how to avoid fights.Secondly, the physiology of the "adrenal dump" is discussed at length.This was my favorite part, as I have a backround in medicine.The text is easy to read and understand.The fighting section is less useful, as martial arts are very difficult to learn from a book.Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

It does just what it says on the lable and more!!
A great companion to the book by Peter Consterdine's "STREETWISE - A Manual for Self Defence". Like Streetwise it's a hefty tomb and packed with useful, effective and easy to learn self techniques THAT WORK!! Plenty of clear pictures too.

Geoff is one of the greats when it comes to Self Defence & personal protection, but what is SO GOOD in this book is that Geoff teaches you how to avoid situations that are likely to lead to a scrap, e.g. sections dealing with Awareness, profiles of Attackers & what they're looking for in a target therefore how to avoid being a target. How to deal with Fear & how to use it to your advantage.

A lot of the book is devoted to actual self defence techniques, striking, parts of the body & ground fighting too. Also, first aid & points on The Law & how it can protect you are also covered.

Geoff has had many years of experience learning & honing his skills on the streets and as a Doorman so is justly qualified to give out this kind of expert information. He is truly devoted to his methods and teaching and his passion for his skills comes out very well in this book.

IT's a REAL LIFE-SAVER!!

The Man Knows What He's Talking About
Geoff Thompson makes his mark not mainly in the presentation of practical techniques for self defense. Though he does that well (from his own educated point of view), I think that is not the most important point of this book. This book is intended to prepare the average person to deal with what by definition is a dangerous, uncomfortable meeting with people that one generally doesn't want to get to know. Though his book may scare off some readers in its graphic discussion of those who prey on normal people, getting right in one's mind about how things really are is an important step in doing something about one's personal safety in the street. Mental preparation is a major issue in personal defense, and is often overlooked by otherwise excellent authors. Thompson doesn't miss this key area. If you're serious about self defense, Thompsons work must be on your list! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Awesome book!
I think this book is great!! The Wind Dancers go on an adventure to a blackberry patch where Brisa is too crazy about how she looks to even know her friends are fighting! Brisa was a bit dreamy that day. Find out more by making your purchase! You won't be sorry!

lovely for little girls
beautiful color illustrations that any girl would love.sweet story.it has it all; ponies, fairies, talking animals and glitter. ... Read more

Product Description
The glittering hero of the award-winning "The Rainbow Fish" crosses paths with a big blue whale. The gentle creature loves watching the sparkling fish at play, but because of his size, the little fish are suspicious and assume he is up to no good. The misunderstanding quickly escalates as, hurt and angry, the whale lashes out at them. Their worst fears seem to be coming true, and it's up to Rainbow Fish to save them all from disaster. Full-color with holographic foil stamping. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Lovely story on eye catching pages
Our kids love this book.They were truly engrossed in the beautiful colors and gentle flow of the story.The sparkly fish on each page are just lovely to look at; the book captured their attention because the character of the whale was able to teach a lesson both obvious and hidden. The obvious lesson was that you can't judge a book by it's cover, since the fish were intimidated and frightened by the whale's constant staring. Little did they realize that the whale was in awe of their colorful, peaceful beauty, and this is why he gazed at them each day. When I asked the kids to figure out if there was another message in the story, they thought long and hard and eventually came up with the perfect answer:kindness brings friends together!Read this charming tale and you will see what they mean.

Disappointment
It was advertised as "like new" but when I opened it a page was ripped in half with words from the story missing.Would never order from this site again!!

Oceans Alive
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale (Rainbow Fish)
Purchased this book for our Oceans Alive museum teacher at her request. I haven't received any feedback from her about the book. The book was in good condition when received. Purchased several other books about the same subject at that time. All were in good condition. Everything I've purchased from Amazon I've been pleased with. There's a great deal of selections to choose from and the price is always good. Since our museum is a non-profit organization I'm always looking to save money.
Thank you,
Joyce

Another Winner!
I enjoyed reading this book to my elementary students.This book teaches kids not to judge others based on appearance as well as the cons of making assumptions about others (before actually getting to know them).I think the story itself could have been a little bit longer ... it seems to be too quick of a read for even primary students.Overall, a great book!

RAINBOWFISH
I like reading this book because the fish are sharing scales and
beingkind to the other fish. I felt that this is not a true story because fish can't talk , or give other scales to another .
... Read more

Product Description
For the first time since World War II, the United States faces an enemy fully capable of defeating it. Contrary to popular belief, this war did not begin with the attacks of September 11, 2001, and it will not end in Iraq or Afghanistan or with an election here at home.This fight is going to be with us for a very long time. When you are in a fight for your life, you can either be the winner or the loser – there is no middle ground.

If we are going to be the winner, we will have to realize the true nature of this conflict and our enemy. You will not see landing crafts full of al-Qaeda operatives coming ashore on U.S. beaches, nor battalions of radical fanatics parachuting onto your lawn. It is just not that kind of fight. If America loses this war, it will not be because what our enemy was able to do; it will be because of what we have done or failed to do.

Within these pages, Delta Force veteran, Kit Cessna, offers his unapologetic, no-punches-pulled assessment of what this war is really about and why we must defeat these radicals. He explains their history and motivations, and outlines their strengths and weaknesses (yes, they do have weaknesses). Most important, he discusses the role and duties all Americans must embrace in this fight for our survival‹cultural and physical. If you are an American concerned with the future of our nation, this is a must read. ... Read more

Product Description
Sir James George Frazer rocked the late nineteenth century and deeply moved the shapers of modern culture with The Golden Bough. The whole world of myth, folklore, and primitive customs are his subject in this book that even Sigmund Freud and T.S. Eliot read with profit. This extraordinary work covers the development of man's behavior from the dawn of human thought through civilized times. Frazer started out to explain the ritualized fight to the death of the king of a sacred grove in ancient Italy, slain by a runaway slave carrying a golden bough. But he went much further. Among his topics are magic and witchcraft, taboos and sexual rites, the nature of the soul and of religion, scapegoats and human sacrifice, and legends such as that of another golden bough, one that gave Virgil's hero Aeneas entry to the underworld and access to its secrets. Frazer explored a multitude of myths and folktales across culture and centuries, and discovered that many showed striking similarities. Frazer's first edition is here republished and for the first time with fine and rare illustrations from worldwide sources, many from naturalists and artists contemporary with Frazer. His writing has been widely praised for the depth of its insight into cultures far distant in time and space and for the beauty and power of its language. ... Read more

Product Description
First it was the Bloodhound, sensationalized in the dramatizations of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Then it was the Doberman, symbol of the Nazi menace. Today, it is the Pit bull that is vilified for the depravity of his masters.Today, police chase down fleeing Pit bulls in the street, firing dozens of wild shots in response to media-fed rumors of supernatural Pit bull abilities. Politicians coach and nurture this fear with their own brand of rhetoric used to assist in the passing of quick and ineffective legislation created to pacify communities ignorant of the real cause for dog attacks. Hundreds of animal shelters throughout the country kill all unclaimed Pit bull-looking dogs, as they are deemed "unadoptable" solely on their physical appearance.This has occurred because the human/dog bond, the most complex and profound inter-species relationship in the history of mankind, has been reduced to a simple axiom: Breed of dog = degree of dangerousness.We have come to accept that hanging entire breeds of dogs in effigy for the sins of their owners is an acceptable solution tocanine aggressionbecause we have been placated by a Pit Bull Placebo.Like the pharmacologically inactive sugar pill dispensed to pacify a patient who supposes it to be medicine, eradication of the Pit bull is the placebo administered to ease the public's anxiety about dog attacks.The book, The Pit Bull Placebo: The Media, Myths and Politics of Canine Aggression, explores how our views and beliefs about canine aggression have changed over the last 150 years and how our perceptions about the nature and behavior of dogs has been influenced by persons and organizations who often times disseminate information about dog attacks which is tailored to further an agenda unrelated to the improvement of the human/dog bond.We are in the midst of a social hysteria about Pit bulls because we have abandoned centuries-old common-sense and have been duped by inaccurate reporting from the "Pit Bull Paparazzi" and by politicians who traffic in rumors, myths and pseudoscience in their efforts to pass legislation that demonizes dogs while exonerating criminal and abusive owners.If we truly believe that the extremely rare cases of fatal dog attacks merit extreme measures in the management of dogs, if our concern and shock is genuine, then we must be equally genuine and sincere in seeking out and addressing the real causes for these incidents.Only by stepping back from the swirl of present-day hysteria surrounding isolated cases of severe canine aggression and examining the problem from a broader and more objective perspective can we hope to understand and address the human and canine behaviors whichcontribute to these incidents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

A MUST read for all media!
This book goes a long way towards explaining how media hype has been the ruination of this poor breed. Every newspaper and television news station should make this mandatory reading for their reporting staff. A lot of information here. If you want stats about why breed legislation or bite statistics are junk (and more) this is for you!

A lot of potential...
As a pit bull owner, I am adamantly against Breed Specific Legislation and was excited to hear about Delise's book.The first two-thirds or so of this book contain a fantastic exploration of the history of dog aggression in the United States.However, when she gets into talking more specifically about pit bulls, her arguments become very passionate and emotional and she starts to move away from the logical rhetoric with which she begins the book.I believe that she fails to take advantage of a number of solid arguments against Breed Specific Legislation.

I would have liked to see data showing how Breed Specific Legislation has affected the number of serious and fatal dog attacks in communities, both by pit bulls and by other breeds.I also had hoped to see more well-researched responses to the common myths about pit bulls that she presents.I enthusiastically support Ms. Delise's efforts in this field, but I feel that this book fell short in its attempts to vindicate the American Pit Bull Terrier.

A dry but important text
This book follows the history of "canine agression" and today's "aggressive" breeds from the earliest records until now.An important read for anyone in the animal rescue or animal sheltering field - from volunteers to staff.

Be prepared though - this book reads more like a study (which is what it is) than a story.The text is factual but dry.While this may put some readers off, it doesn't lesson the importance of the message.

A Must For society, Not Just Dog owners
Everyone needs to read this book. It gives the facts behind dog bites, and proves who the real dangerous threats are, the media, politicians, and irresponsible dog owners. They need to make a movie of this book, because unless the truth gets heard the myths will continue, and a lot of innocent animals will continue to suffer as well.

I own a Pit Bullx but thought this was very biased
I read the entire book, and I love my dog and hate the bad rap that the breed gets, but I felt it was biased to the point of being almost like propaganda.

It has a zillion reports of Pit Bull aggression and why they can't be true, but I felt like it was "me thinks she doth protest too much" to quote the Bard.

I would like to see a more well balanced discussion of the issues. I did like the train of thought she developed around Pit Bulls getting a bad rap due to the press and dogfighting, therefore attracting the wrong type of owner who encourages aggressiveness. The insights into intact dogs and chains were enlightening, but could have been summed up in about 20 pages.

We live on a farm and I've often said I can't imagine how miserable our dog would be if she wasn't out and about doing "stuff" with us. But then I say that about our other dog, who is a Lab, and currently the most popular dog in America, I think. The Lab is always the instigator of mischief - go figure! ... Read more