Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets [Hardcover]

Emily Scott Pottruck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2006

TAILS OF DEVOTION A Look At The Bond Between People And Their Pets is a coffee table book of letters and photographs of 58 San Franciscan families and their beloved pets -- a visual and profound testimony to the very special relationship between pets and their families. The book presents an interesting dialogue between owner and pet, and vice-versa, through a series of letters that answer the question: "If you and your animals could communicate via paper, what would you say to each other?"

Amy Tan writes a very personal foreword detailing her relationship with her animals as well as an ode to our pets. Luminaries such as Robin Williams, Isabel Allende, Peter Coyote, Ronnie Lott, Mickey Hart, Michael Chabon, Ayelet Waldman, Orlando Cepeda, Michael Tilson Thomas and Stephan Jenkins open the doors to their home life because of their love of animals and desire to help others who care about the animals.

The humans may vary, the non-humans may vary, the handwritten notes may vary but the message is clear - we love our animals, they are members of our family.

And, outside of the family unit, we have found that these animals are uniters of people not dividers. Anyone who has ever had a family pet will find kindred spirits in the letters and photos.

100% of the gross proceeds from TAILS will go to The San Francisco SPCA, the Friends of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support), Pets Unlimited and Rocket Dog Rescue. Each of these non-profit organizations is profiled in the book with their mission and work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tails" is an inspirational walk through my life as a veterinarian. It captures the magic of the human/animal bond. -- Cynthia RL Webster, DVM, DACVIM, Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts Cumming School of Veterinary Medicine

IPPY recognizes excellence in independent publishing. -- 2006 IPPY AWARD WINNER

Tails gives a glimpse into the best of what I see everyday. It will warm your heart like no other. -- Kelly Gorman, President, Open Paw Inc.

The book is both elegant and very moving. Great book. -- Celeste Fripp, Best Friends Animal Society

From the Author

The short version – I have incredible love for my animals and they have provided me with even more love than I thought was possible. They have changed me and my life in ways that I would not have imagined 9 years ago. I wanted to do something to honor this relationship, knowing that I am not alone – there are millions of us out there who derive warmth, love and companionship from the animals in our family. When Andy – my first born – was attacked 6 years ago, I was the recipient of well wishes and sympathy from other Yorkie owners who I did not know. They also sent me their own stories of devotion and those personal stories have stayed with me.

I also wanted to give back to the community of individuals - veterinarians, nurses, technicians and others who help the animals. As someone who has spent years fundraising for non-profit organizations, I decided to put those skills to good use in the work of animal welfare. So I decided to underwrite the cost of this book and not recoup a dime so all the proceeds --- gross proceeds --- would go to those organizations. They saved my Andy and my family, I wanted to say "thank you."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Tails of Devotion (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977063704
• ISBN-13: 978-0977063703
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,245,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book!, March 25, 2006

By 

Kenneth S. Pope - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets (Hardcover)

This is a great book. So many books about the human-animal bond are of such uneven quality, but this one is first-rate from start (Amy Tan had me hooked from the first words of her Foreword) to end (the back cover's words by John McCain, Arthur Golden, Gavin Newsom, and Judy Woodruff). In between are exceptional photos and words showing the full gamut of human-animal relationships in all their wonderful diversity. Don't miss out on the unique experiences that this book offers -- your heart will never forgive you! (If you need an extra reason, all proceeds go to animal charities.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Animals are Persons, too !!, June 13, 2006

By 

Ace (East Coast) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets (Hardcover)

Oh Puleeze, Critic At Large -- volunteer at an Animal Shelter and hopefully you will discover why "Animal Lovers" love animals.

This is a great book. The fact that "ALL proceeds--every penny--will be donated to animal welfare non-profit organizations" show us the author's depth of compassion as well.

"Anima" is the Ancient Latin word for "Soul". Mahatma Ghandi once said "A Nation is known by the way it treats its animals" -- well this book shows me that there IS hope for a kinder gentler world, while also emphasizing that every animal has its dignity and self-worth.

We do not debase humanity by caring so much for our pets and for animals in general -- rather we lift our human spirits and participate in healing the world, healing ourselves, by showing compassion, empathy and love for these little ones of G-d, these wonderful denizens of the Universe, who have so much to give to US as well.

As for Critic At Large admonishing us to care for human beings' issues instead of animals -- you can't love one species while you ignore the other -- everything goes hand in had -- we are all connected. We are all souls having a life experience, and who is to say that one species is less deserving of our consideration? As an abused child who struggled hard as an adult to come to terms with my childhood, I know full well what an innocent being -- human or animal -- feels when it is about to be brutalized, and my compassion and empathy extends itself to all living beings, for we all -- human AND animal -- deserve the right to live in safety and peace, and to love and be loved.

I hope this book makes the NY Times best seller list -- and -- May there be many more books like this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming and fun!, March 2, 2006

By 

Mom Knows "Mom" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets (Hardcover)

I was able to get a sneak peek at this terrific new book. Any one who's ever owned a dog, cat, gerbil, bird, iguana, or whatever, and loved their animal companion will appreciate this book. The photographs are beautiful, and the juxtaposition of normal, everyday people and their pets with celebrities and their pets is a lovely illustration of the shared human experience of loving a pet. Pottruck includes "correspondence" from the pet to the owner/companion, providing insight into another common human tendency - that of anthropomorphizing our pets. Some of the correspondence is funny, some cute, some brought tears to my eyes. It is San Francisco-centric in its choice of both everyday people and celebrities, and proceeds from the sale go to Bay Area organizations that help animals. But the appeal of the book goes beyond San Francisco, and will be enjoyed by animal lovers everywhere.