Book Giveaway! Enter To Win: Chaser, Unlocking The Genius Of The Dog Who Knows A Thousand Words

                            Enter to win this divine book!

Not too long ago, we told you about this page-turner of a book: Chaser, Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows A Thousand Words, by John Pilley and Hilary Hinzmann, and highly recommended that you add it to your reading list. And now, we're thrilled to announce a giveaway of a hardcover copy of Chaser to one lucky winner.

One of the many things we enjoyed about this book is Pilley's easy, conversational writing style that clearly described Chaser's training methods and the scientific documentation of those methods. And he put you right in the action, as he and members of his family helped Chaser to learn and to think, and to prove his cognitive abilities to the world. But the best part is that you can put these methods to work to help your own dog learn!

                       Now on to the giveaway!

Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

1. "Like" our Facebook page: See top of right sidebar or click here: www.facebook.com/pages/Boccis-Beefs/190090017696328?ref=stream

2. Follow Bocci's Beefs on Google Friends Connect on right sidebar, right under "Join the Fun"!

3. You must give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

4. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway. Please leave only ONE comment—you will not get more opportunities to win for any comments beyond one. Thanks!

This contest will run from today, Saturday November 23, 2013 through Saturday, November 30th, 2013 at 8:00 EST.

                                   

                                          Good Luck!

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Animal Wise: Book Review And Giveaway!

Cover photo courtesy of Crown Publishing

We're thrilled and honored to review this fascinating new book by famed science writer, Virginia Morell: Animal Wise, The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures. See the details at the end of this post to enter to win a copy!

First, a behind the scenes tidbit: Parental Unit was lucky enough to attend two writing conferences a few years ago where Ms. Morell was speaking, and was instantly taken with her depth and breadth of knowledge, not just about putting words on paper, which in Morell's capable hands rises to an art form, but about the sciences and those who study them. Her intense interest in, and seemingly endless passion for animals shone through her lectures and personal conversations, and by the end of the conferences, we knew all about the wild and domesticated animals she'd encountered on her far-flung journeys, and of course, Buck, her beloved collie and Nini, her calico cat. And believe it or not, Ms. Morell was generous enough to hand-deliver a student's thesis paper to a scientist she thought could help. Thank you, again, on behalf of Parental Unit and her student!

O.K., enough about us, and on to Animal Wise, where Morell takes us to Jane Goodall's study site in Tanzania, interviews a man who studies fish cognition in Germany, visits Kenya for close-up elephant observations, and wings it to Hungary and Austria to chat with wolf and dog researchers. Morell sets out to discover the cognitive and emotional abilities of our animal kin, and in the process, reveals that ants have hierarchical, teaching communities, rats laugh when tickled, and a parrot can have a deep, emotional relationship with his caretaker (the famous parrot, Alex, and Dr. Irene Pepperberg)  And according to the latest data, it's no longer whether other creatures think, but how and what they think.

As Morell says in the introduction:
    Animals have minds. They have brains, and use them, as we do: for experiencing the world, for thinking and feeling, and for solving the problems of life every creature faces. Like us, they have personalities moods and emotions; they laugh and they play. Some show grief and empathy and are self-aware and very likely conscious of their actions and intents.

Morell's access to the world's most important animal researchers, combined with her powerful story-telling abilities, gives the reader what feels like a first-hand glimpse into the minds of these glorious creatures with whom we share our planet. And learning that "our fellow creatures" think, feel, and yes, even love like we do makes us all the more determined to understand them better and work for their protection. We hope you are similarly moved after reading Animal Wise.

                           Now on to the giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a hardback copy of Animal Wise, The Thoughts And Emotions Of Our Fellow Creatures.  Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

1. "Like" our Facebook page: See top of right sidebar or click here: www.facebook.com/pages/Boccis-Beefs/190090017696328?ref=stream

2. You must give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

This contest will run from today, April 29, 2013 through Saturday May 11, 2013, at 8:00 EST.

Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won. If you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP.

                                      Good Luck!

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Dogs Of Courage: Review and Giveaway!

We're thrilled to bring you an opportunity to win a copy of this terrific book, Dogs of Courage: The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around The World by The New York Times best selling author, Lisa Rogak. By the way, if you want a fascinating glimpse into the freelance writers' life, check out Ms. Rogak's website.  And make sure to enter to win a copy of Dogs of Courage at the end of this post!

You already know what fans we are of working dogs-those many thousands of canines around the world that selflessly devote their lives to helping humans, well, be better humans in one way or another. And this book covers the spectrum of working dogs under a broader moniker: "Dogs of Courage", that includes every possible category from police dogs to therapy dogs to "plain old" civilian dogs of courage and even celebrity canines that have entertained us over the years. 

The book is super organized among the categories with vivid, real-life examples of each type of working dog and a focus on one very special canine that represents each category. The book also includes glossy color photographs of working dogs in action that make the stories pop. But Rogak also explores the "why" and the "how" of these courageous canines' working lives, and puts each story into meticulously researched historical perspective. We particularly enjoyed the tale of Sigmund Freud's dog, Yofi, who helped the famed psychiatrist assess his patients' emotional health, and whom he loved dearly: "One can love an animal like [Yofi] with such extraordinary intensity, the beauty of an existence complete in itself, " Freud wrote to a friend.

What Dogs of Courage does is give you "private"access to the lives of working dogs the world over and the human lives they've touched. Our best guess is that you'll flat out love each of the stories in this book and enjoy reading them many times over.

Now on to the giveaway of one copy of Dogs of Courage: The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around the World!

This giveaway will run from today, Friday January 11, through Saturday January 26, 2013 at 8:00 pm EST, so you and all of your friends have plenty of time to enter! The one winner will be chosen by computerized random drawing and announced on the evening of January 26th.

Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

1. Sign up for our e-mail blasts and newsletters-see very top of left sidebar for the sign-up form.

2. Give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

  3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won and if you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP

                                        Good Luck!

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Rin Tin Tin, The Life And The Legend: Review And Giveaway!

We're delighted to share our thoughts on Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend with you, and to offer an opportunity to win an autographed paperback copy of this marvelous book. See how to enter to win at the end of this post.

Earlier in the fall, Parental Unit spent a fascinating evening at the Thurber House here in Columbus, Ohio, where Susan Orlean held a reading and discussion about her New York Times bestselling book. After the reading, Parental Unit had two books signed by the author (both provided courtesy of the publisher), one for her and one for a lucky Bocci's Beefs reader. Parental Unit is a longtime fan of Ms. Orlean-she's read her pieces in the New Yorker for nearly two decades and loves (and taught in several of her writing classes) The Orchid Thief, one of Orlean's most popular books. It was made into the movie Adaptation and the magical Meryl Streep played the journalist, Orlean!

Since we're all dog lovers here, we already know how fascinating a book about a dog can be...but this story is about so much more than "Rinty" and his movie and television career. It's about the relationship between a special dog and the man, Lee Duncan, who believed in him unconditionally, set in the vast sweep of nearly 100 years of our history-from the battlefields of W.W. I through the present day. As one reviewer said, " Calling Rin Tin Tin the story of a dog is like calling Moby-Dick the story of a whale."

Orlean is known for her detailed research and in Rin Tin Tin, she shows off her skills: She spent 10 years researching and writing the book, sifting through rooms of Lee Duncan's papers, conducting countless interviews and even visiting the battlefield in France where Rinty was born and the graveyard where he's buried. As Orlean said during her Thurber House talk, she took "a crash course in 20th century history, movies and Hollywood...and wrestled it into a story."

And a deep and fascinating story it is... Did you know that in the 1920's when Rinty cemented his stature as a Hollywood icon, there were 80 other German Shepherd Dogs making silent films? But it was Rinty who made 27 silent films exclusively for Warner Brothers, and was known as "The Mortgage Lifter" because he brought in so much money. Our bottom line is this: We loved every minute of reading this book and encourage you to immerse yourselves in the enduring legacy of Rin Tin Tin. And if you want to read more about Susan Orlean, check out her website here: www.susanorlean.com.

Now on to the giveaway of one autographed copy of Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend!

This giveaway will run from today, Saturday December 29, through Saturday January 12, 2013 at 8:00 pm EST, so you and all of your friends have plenty of time to enter! The one winner will be chosen by computerized random drawing and announced on the evening of January 12.

Here are the requirements to enter: No anonymous comments, please!

1. Sign up for our e-mail blasts and newsletters-see very top of left sidebar for the sign-up form.

2. Give this giveaway a shout-out on your Twitter or Facebook page by using the buttons below this post-easy!

  3. Comment on this post and indicate in your ONE comment that you'd like to enter this giveaway.

Note: if you choose to enter, please promptly check back to see if you won and if you're the lucky one, please send us your home address ASAP

                                        Good Luck!

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