Check Out Jen’s Dog Days of Summer Review

Jen, of Jen’s Book Thoughts fame, has posted her Dog Days of Summer review of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  This was the most popular Dog Days of Summer book to be reviewed, so why not check out what she has to say?  Here is a link to her review.

You know there had to be another contest…

All of those who visit and comment on the posts of my Dog Days of Summer bloggers will be entered into a contest for a Dog Days of Summer bookmark and a copy of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence – and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Dr. Irene Pepperberg.  It’s not a book about a dog, but – given some of the subject matter in both The Dogs of Babel and The Art of Racing in the Rain, it’s a very appropriate for this week.  Here’s more about this book:

Dr. Irene Pepperberg is the scientist who has made some of the biggest advances in the field of animal cognition. Her star pupil was an African Grey parrot named Alex, for Avian Learning Experiment. Everyone seems to have seen a documentary or article about Alex and his extraordinary communication abilities. He is, quite literally, the most famous parrot in history. Alex & Me, which goes on sale September 1, 2009, is their story.

Despite Alex’s fame, Dr. Pepperberg has struggled throughout her career to be taken seriously; first because no one thought Alex would achieve the ambitious goals that she set out for him, and second because she is a woman in a scientific field dominated by men. But Dr. Pepperberg and Alex persisted, and after years of living hand-to-mouth and moving from one university to another, they were finally recognized for their considerable achievements.

Despite Alex’s fame, Dr. Pepperberg has struggled throughout her career to be taken seriously; first because no one thought Alex would achieve the ambitious goals that she set out for him, and second because she is a woman in a scientific field dominated by men. But Dr. Pepperberg and Alex persisted, and after years of living hand-to-mouth and moving from one university to another, they were finally recognized for their considerable achievements.

Then, in September of 2007, tragedy struck. After a normal day in the learning lab and the nightly exchange with Dr. Pepperberg, “You be good, see you tomorrow, I love you,” Alex was found dead in his cage the following morning.

The outpouring of grief over Alex from people who didn’t know him, but whose lives he touched nevertheless, has been monumental. And although Dr. Pepperberg has been known for referring to Alex as a colleague and not as a pet, ironically his death made her realize what Alex had known all along. They were mates. They were companions. They were as fully bonded as they come.

So, head over to Jen’s Book Thoughts and be counted!