Boosting Your Pet's Self-Esteem: Or How to Have a Self-Actualized, Addiction-Free, Non-Co-Dependent Animal Companion [Paperback]

Michael James Dowling (Author), Sarah Buell Dowling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

Are you worried that your canary is experiencing a "species identity crisis?" Is your cat suffering from domestic repression? This book explains tell-tale symptoms and offers practical advice to worried owners on how to boost a pet's "self-esteem". Sarah Dowling's humorous illustrations help readers "visualize" the most important points--and then some. 40 drawings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087605680X
• ISBN-13: 978-0876056806
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,083,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael J. Dowling is a writer, editor, ghostwriter, and publisher. When not engaged in creative writing, he helps individuals and organizations write and publish books and articles to increase their visibility, credibility, and marketability. His services are described at http://www.michaeljdowling.com.

Mike has an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City, where he was a Harriman Scholar. His wife, Sarah Buell Dowling, is an award-winning artist and illustrator. Mike and Sarah live in beautiful St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Help Yourself with Some Great Satire!, February 13, 2007

By 

Leena Lintila - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boosting Your Pet's Self-Esteem: Or How to Have a Self-Actualized, Addiction-Free, Non-Co-Dependent Animal Companion (Paperback)

OK, I admit it, I am very gullible. When I first saw the title of this book, I thought it was a serious treatise. It wouldn't have surprised me considering how obsessed with self-help this culture is! Upon a closer inspection, the joke was obvious - and hilarious. The humor of this book is good-natured and clean enough, but made me laugh out loud on several occasions. It takes psycho-babble and political correctness to absurd extremes and proves how ridiculous they can get. Cartoons accompany the text perfectly. My favorite is the graph showing how much money the government has spent on educating cats (a flat zero from the beginning to the end). Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Whimsically Humorous Satire Done Right, March 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Boosting Your Pet's Self-Esteem: Or How to Have a Self-Actualized, Addiction-Free, Non-Co-Dependent Animal Companion (Paperback)

Don't let the title of this book fool you. It is a well-written, hilarious account of psycho-babble gone beserk, told in the form of a how-to manual for pet owners. Spoofs many of our modern manias. Great fun. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ha ha ha! Comedy book of the year!, August 28, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Boosting Your Pet's Self-Esteem: Or How to Have a Self-Actualized, Addiction-Free, Non-Co-Dependent Animal Companion (Paperback)

My teacher's friend wrote this book, and I'm good friends with my teacher so I've heard much about about this book. The most funny part is not the book, it's that people actually think that it's a real guide to boosting your pet's self-esteem! Ha ha ha. Great book. No doubt about it, it's a must-read.