“One Nation Under Dog” by Michael Schaffer is a chronicle of this new world of American pet mania that built a pet industry of $43 billion in barely a decade.

When Schaffer and his wife drove to a rural animal shelter and adopted Murphy, an emaciated, dreadlocked Saint Bernard, they vowed that they’d never become the kind of people who get facials for their dogs. But soon Murphy moved from the backyard doghouse to the master bedroom.

November, 2009

“Bad to the Bone” by Bo Hoefinger is a “nonfiction” book. Bo is an upbeat Golden Chow mutt who’ve had a rough start in life as a shelter dog reject.

The book is a compilation of this dog’s numerous stories written from his perspective. His recount starts when he gets adopted by the Hoefinger family.

November, 2009

“My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell was intended to embrace the natural history of the island.

But it ended up as an account of Durrell’s family’s experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.

November, 2009

“Zen in Your Garden” by Jenny Hendy is a guide to creating a sacred space for meditation and contemplation. The book shows you how to make your garden stimulate your senses to either energize or soothe, helps you discover what type of garden you want, and how to convert your garden to one designed on Zen principles.

It includes color pictures and illustrations to help you build specific features such as gravel and rock landscapes.

November, 2009