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

by Amy Tan and Emily Scott Pottruck

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0977063704
• ISBN13: 9780977063703
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Tails of Devotion
• Length: 151 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.5" x 10.6"

Customer Reviews

Animals are Persons, too !!

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.

The best in breed, the best in books.

Tails of Devotion is a wonderful tribute to the pets in our lives with photos and letters that are rich and unique. Emily Scott Pottruck has created a book that the reader wants to keep coming back to. Every time I pick it up, I find something new and delightful. It's a book that makes me smile.

A Wonderful Book!

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.)

The Common Bond is Love

Emily Scott Pottruck has shown us through her book that the love between pet and owner has no boundries....it crosses all walks of life and that bond is the common thread that links all of us pet lovers together. Andy's tragedy five years ago changed Emily into the person she is today and what you see is a special lady working to help others and reaching out to those in need. This book captures that pure essense of love and shows us the magic that our pets bring to us each and every day.

Heartwarming and fun!

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.