Review

The National Aviation Hall of Fame announced today that the recipient of its 2007 Combs Gates Award with a $20,000 cash prize is Jane Gardner Birch, for her book “They Flew Proud”, inspired by the WWII experience of her father, Gardner Birch, a flight instructor in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. Judges reveiwed each submission for historical accuracy, creativity, potential for long-term impact, and for value to the NAHF’s mission of honoring America’s outstanding air and space pioneers. The first time writer will formally receive the award tomorrow at the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Atlanta, Ga. — National Aviation Hall of Fame, September 24, 2007

Product Description

They Flew Proud crisply tells the story of the Civilian Pilot Training Program through the Army Air Force Cadets at Grove City College (PA.) and the Grove City Airport where the flight instructors (including Gardner Birch) trained the cadets to solo. Across the U.S., more than 435,000 men and women were taught to fly under the CPTP in pre and post WWII. In Grove City, the 8th Detachment s 486 students received almost 5,000 hours of instruction, and then went forward to serve their nation in WWII.

In Part 2, Gardner Birch, manager/instructor refocused the airport to teach civilians to fly after the CPTP was abruptly cancelled. He created five boards to record the 127 students and their solo dates ( 44- 48). Narratives from these men and women retell of learning basic flying skills through many wonderful and humorous aviation stories. Those lessons learned in aviation s early days prepared them for a smoother flight through life and created friendships and passions for flying and airplanes. Numerous photos and visuals add depth, feeling, and understanding to the expressive text and draw us into the special time when some of the greatest generation learned to fly proud.

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Product Description

The Boxer’s intelligence, strength, and fearlessness are qualities that make it a superb guard dog. This breed also makes a loyal, friendly household companion. Titles in this growing series are written especially for owners who have just acquired a pedigreed pup, as well as for prospective owners trying to decide on which breed to choose. Each book gives an in-depth presentation of the special needs and traits of a specific dog breed. Which are best with kids? Which make good working farm dogs? Which are good hunters? Is the breed ideal for an owner who merely wants a companionable house pet? Living with a Pet books give readers a detailed understanding of the title breed’s daily needs, special abilities, physical and personality traits, susceptibility to health problems, and the steps owners should take to ensure a happy relationship with dogs of all breeds. These hardcover and dust-jacketed volumes are filled with unusually attractive full-color photos and interesting sidebar features.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.


From the Back Cover

Noble, loyal, and intelligent, the Boxer is one of the most popular of all dog breeds. Living With A Boxer is designed to tell you everything you should know about this fun-loving canine.

You?ll find advice on a wide range of topics tailored specifically to the Boxer, starting with puppy care and training, moving on to adolescent problems, and then looking at the best lifestyle for adult Boxers.

Because Boxers make wonderful family companions, you?ll value the section that tells how to supervise Boxer puppies and children so that they can develop rewarding relationships. You?ll also find expert guidance on early learning and socialization training that will enable your pup to mature into a well-adjusted adult.

The Boxer was bred to be a working dog, and it is important to keep your dog physically fit and mentally active. The correct balance of diet and exercise is discussed, and a wide variety of training challenges are suggested. They include Competitive Obedience, Agility and Tracking, and taking advantage of the Boxer?s aptitude for work as a therapy dog, thus bringing comfort to many people.

Finally, well-known veterinarian Trevor Turner writes on the health of the breed. He outlines a comprehensive program of preventative health care, gives advice on common ailments among Boxers, and discusses the breed?s inherited disorders.

Beautifully illustrated with photos showing Boxers from all walks of life, Living With A Boxer is an essential guide for the caring owner.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Clearly an animal lover, Clothier opens this training manual by recalling her childhood, when she pretended she was a dog. Rather than simply trying to “train” animals to behave in a certain way, Clothier focuses on improving the existing relationship between pet and owner. To help readers gain some insights into more effective training, Clothier offers anecdotes about her clients. Particularly important is the dog’s connection to the owner and the ability of the two to communicate effectively: “In each moment that you are with the dog, you must be aware, gently and persistently shifting the balance toward one of mutual agreement and cooperation. This is not easy, and it requires some thought. Most of all, it requires a desire to create-over and over again-the event of quality, which in turn creates a heartfelt commitment to truly being with the dog.” Usually Clothier begins by observing her clients interact with their pets: after one owner complained about her dog being disruptive and overly playful, Clothier concluded that the owner’s way of physically stopping her dog was in fact causing the dog to be more playful. Clothier is a capable writer, and her descriptive style livens up the subject matter.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

For anyone who has ever dreamed of being able to really talk to their dogs–and ‘hear’ what they have to say

BONES WOULD RAIN FROM THE SKY

Akin to Monty Roberts’s The Man Who Listens to Horses and going light-years beyond The Hidden Life of Dogs or any training manual, Suzanne Clothier takes a radical new direction in understanding our life with dogs…and our mutual love. Drawing on a lifetime of experience with dogs, this nationally renowned dog trainer brings us astonishing new lessons about our animals–and ourselves.

Gently, with intelligence, humor, and unfailing patience, Suzanne Clothier guides us to truly comprehend another creature’s mind and heart.

You will discover how our dogs see the world from their uniquely canine perspective, how we can meet their deep need for leadership without using force or coercion, and how the “laws” of canine culture often put our dogs at odds with us and our very human world. Clothier’s unparalleled insights into aggression in dogs can help prevent a tragedy, including the unnecessary destruction of a pet.

In these pages, you will meet unforgettable dogs who will capture, and perhaps break, your heart. There is Badger–handsome, curious, and perhaps dangerous. Can his threatening behavior be changed? Though doomed by a congenital heart murmur, the winsome pup McKinley offers an unforgettable lesson in living. Then aging Vali brings us to the moment that all dog owners must someday face: the loss of a devoted companion. But what this old dog teaches us in her last days may change you forever.

As in no other “dog book” or training manual, in BONES WOULD RAIN FROM THE SKY an extraordinary woman shows us how to find a deep connection with another being and to receive an incomparable gift: a profound, lifelong relationship with the dog you love.

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Product Description

Complete and comprehensive, this handbook includes sections on choosing and finding the right dog, finding a vet, dog handling and training, understanding a dog’s diet and exercise needs, and much more. 72 illustrations. 4 line drawings.

About the Author

Marion S. Lane is the author of The Yorkshire Terrier and is on the board of governors of the Dog Writers Association of America.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In the newest life-with-dogs memoir, veteran dog trainer and radio show co-host Forbes forgoes the maudlin for some genuine insight into dog behavior and psychology. Beginning with Lex, a German Shepherd that attacked its owner’s wife, Forbes chronicles the challenges and victories of rehabilitating and living with aggressive dogs that others would have given up on. Forbes doesn’t offer a program for dog training, but readers will benefit from his insights on the importance of a consistent training regimen and his approach to managing aggression. Arguing that dogs’ behavior is 75 percent genetic and 25 percent environmental, Forbes doesn’t offer any pat answers to handling a challenging dog besides a lot of patience and hard work. Still, those interested in the hows and whys of dog attacks and aggression will find the book useful, and Forbes’ tone of love and respect for his charges is itself both instructive and encouraging.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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