Our Cats and All about Them - Their Varieties, Habits, and Management and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and beauty - By Harrison Weir.Originally published in 1889 this rare book has long been considered a classic among cat books. It is now very hard to find in its first edition. Read Country Books have republished it, using the original text and illustrations as part of their History of the Cat series. The author spent over fifty years carefully researching the history, and observing the nature of the cat in preparation for writing this important work. He noted their habits, watched their ways and found lasting pleasure in their companionship. The book abounds with Harrison Weir's beautiful engravings of cat varieties and associated subjects. Two hundred and sixty pages contain many comprehensive chapters on the ways of the cat, its habits, instincts, peculiarities, usefulness, colours, markings, forms, etc. Other chapters deal with the folk and other lore, including superstitions and proverbs, both ancient and modern, connected with the cat. Of much interest to the serious cat enthusiast will be the notes and descriptions on the various varieties of cat: Long Haired Cats The Angora, The Persian Cat, The Russian Long Haired Cat, The Tortoiseshell Cat, Tabby Cats, The Abyssinian, White Cats, Black Cats, Manx Cats, and Various Others. Also included is information on breeding, mating, diseases, showing, points etc. This is a fascinating and well illustrated read for any cat lover or historian of the breeds, but also contains much information that is still useful and practical today. Many of the earliest cat books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Read Country Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

'One of the greatest European prose writers' Philip Roth In the autumn of 1965, Bohumil Hrabal bought a weekend cottage in the countryside east of Prague. There, until his death, he tended to an ever-growing, unruly community of cats. This is his confessional, tender and shocking meditation on the joys and torments of his life with them; how he became increasingly overwhelmed by the demands of the things he loved, even to the brink of madness. 'Dark and strange ... It begins with warmth and fluffiness, but soon descends into Dostoevskian horror' Daily Telegraph 'The Czech master exposed the animal within us' New Yorker

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Cats will delight readers with its heartwarming, amusing, inspirational, and occasionally tearful stories about our best friends and faithful companions -- our cats. We are all crazy about our mysterious cats. Sometimes they are our best friends; sometimes they are aloof. They are fun to watch and often surprise us. These true stories, the best from Chicken Soup for the Soul’s library, will make readers appreciate their own cats and see them with a new eye.

Sergio's Odyssy is a satirical romp loaded with lively laughs, touching moments, perceptive observations and surprising twists. Sergio, an innocent seventeen year old mountain boy, takes the daring step of traveling alone to Philadelphia in the hope of realizing his implausible but compelling obsession. When he arrives he encounters, among others, a traumatized relative, an arrogant cook, an opportunistic policeman, a callous hotel clerk, a prostitute and her pimp, a moneylender, a fortune-teller, protest marchers and two desperate gunmen. Then the excitement really begins. It is when Sergio meets slick Julian and luscious Heidi that his life changes drastically. What follows is another series of hilarious and improbable adventures where he comes across more offbeat characters who further complicate his life. Enjoy the odyssey!

The sister of “La Diva de la Banda”—legendary Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera—opens up for the first time about Jenni’s untimely death and her own triumph over abuse and addiction. Growing up as the youngest Rivera, Rosie was surrounded by unconditional love, support, and affection. There was nothing that her family wouldn’t do for her, especially her sister Jenni, who was the most important thing in the world to Rosie. With her strong will and a solid foundation, Rosie was set to conquer the world. Yet life would take a drastic turn when Rivera was scarred by sexual abuse within her family at a very young age. Living in fear and confined by painful secrets, she was plagued with constant threats, confusion, and pain. Not only was she stripped of her childhood and innocence, but she was also robbed of her confidence and self-worth. Feeling completely shattered and lost, Rivera plunged into a world of damaging habits and deep depression. For the first time ever, and with unflinching candor and courage, Rosie shares the traumatic details of her abuse and the daily struggle to live and how, through faith and the love of her family, she found life once more. Yet Rosie’s life would be severely impacted once again as the worst tragedy imaginable hit and her biggest fear came to reality—the death of her beloved sister. Equally harrowing and uplifting, Rosie’s story is a true testament to beating the odds and proves that despite the worst of times and no matter how many more challenges life has in store, it is always possible to pick up the pieces and find the strength and purpose to dream and live again. INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

From Diana Darke, the acclaimed author of My House in Damascus and The Merchant of Syria, comes the extraordinary true story of a heroic ambulance driver who created a cat sanctuary in the midst of war-torn Aleppo. "I'll stay with them no matter what happens. Someone who has mercy in his heart for humans has mercy for every living thing." When war came to Alaa Aljaleel's hometown, he made a remarkable decision to stay behind, caring for the people and animals caught in the crossfire. While thousands were forced to flee, Alaa spent his days carrying out perilous rescue missions in his makeshift ambulance and building a sanctuary for the city's abandoned cats. In turn, he created something unique: a place of tranquility for children living through the bombardment and a glimmer of hope for those watching in horror around the world. As word of Alaa's courage and dedication spread, the kindness of strangers enabled him to feed thousands of local families and save hundreds of animals. But with the city under siege, time was running out for the last sanctuary in Aleppo and Alaa was about to face his biggest challenge yet... This is the first memoir about the war in Syria from a civilian who remains there to this day, providing both a shocking insider account as well as an inspiring tale about how one person's actions can make a difference against all odds.

Beals describes the root causes of the language and learning challenges in autism, their various academic consequences, and a variety of tools and strategies for addressing them. Drawing on what the most current evidence shows about the nature of autism and which therapies are most successful, the book discusses the implications for autism-friendly instruction in academic subjects, noting the ways in which today's classrooms come up short, and suggesting various adjustments that teachers can make. Instead of focusing on social and behavioral issues, general accommodations, and general ways to address learning difficulties, Beals zeros in on academics, on accommodations within specific academic subjects, and on techniques that target autism-specific deficits, situating the issue of educational access within the broader context of disability rights, neurodiversity, and debates about what disability rights and neurodiversity should encompass. Complete acceptance of individuals on the autism spectrum must include complete educational access. This means rethinking assumptions about autistic students, about how we teach expressive language, about how we teach reading comprehension, and about what and how we teach in the many K-12 classrooms attended by autistic students.