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Peter Culley's To The Dogs is an engaging coffee table book. Culley discusses the domestication of dogs, the evolving relationship between dogs and humans, and the portrayal of dogs in literature.

But even more interesting than Culley's witty commentary are the wide range of dog photographs. The photos capture images as early as 1851, such as Gertrude Kasebier's Charging Thunder, American Indian, ca. 1900. And modern photos, such as Chris Steele-Perkins' Alcoholic Living Alone With His Dog, Birmingham (1978). The pictures depict the close friendship of dog and human.

There are photos of well heeled dogs and their keepers from historical figures to actors, socialites, artists and designers: General George Custer and his Dog (1911), Martin Parr's Valentino and His Business Partner Giancarlo Giametti Check Erin's Outfit Before the Show, Paris (2001), Bruno Barbey's The French Fashion Designer Yves Saint-Laurent at Home, Paris (1983), Steve Shapiro's Andy Warhol (1965), David Seymour's Mrs. Peggy Guggenheim in her Palace on the Grand Canal, Venice (1950), Dennis Stock's Grey Advertising (1959), and Inge Morath's Jane Mansfield, Hollywood, California (1959).

To The Dogs captures dogs of all types engaged in play, work, and relaxing, as well as pictures of dogs in popular culture. The book is a quick and fun read - and sure to be appreciated by dog lovers everywhere.

Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press; 1 edition (October 1, 2008), 224 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you so much to Janice and Arsenal Pulp for this review opportunity!

At the bear minimum, I would have to say that this book is genius.
- Ashton Kutcher, actor/producer

This is not your father's book of bear photos.
- Seth MacFarlane, Actor, Comedian, creator of The Family Guy



Ever since I was a child, I've been fascinated by "wild animals." Bears were among my special favorites. But the images that I had of bears were from wild life shows - usually grizzlies catching fish with their paws or koola bears in trees, pandas surrounded by bamboo in a zoo or polar bears on ice - or from cartoons. Even the live bears that I'd peered at in zoos were some distance away. Jill Greenberg's Bear Portraits gives the unique opportunity to study bears' faces at close range.

In Bear Portraits, Jill Greenberg shares photos of 12 very different bears - a Polar Bear, a European Brown Bear, a Russian Brown Bear, several Kodiak Bears, a Grizzly Bear, a Black Bear. All these bears had been raised in captivity and learned to view their owners as their family. The bears were accustomed to people and filming. These deadly bears were able to sit, stand and growl silently on cue. The close shots and artificial lighting gives us a chance to see close up the different faces of these amazing bears.

These are the twelve bears that you'll meet in Jill Greenberg's Bear Portraits:
(1) Agee, a polar bear weighing 800 pounds at a height of 7 feet whose credits include Mystery, Alaska, and Out Cold;
(2) Ali Oop, a Kodiak Bear weighing 1,400 pounds at a height of over 8 feet whose credits include Grizzly Falls, Wild America, Dr. Doolittle 2, and The Last Trapper;
(3) Amos, a 4 month old European Brown Bear weighing 40 pounds and had been on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno;
(4) Barney, a Kodiak Bear weighing 1,000 pounds at a height of 7.5 feet whose credits include Anchorman, Grizzly Falls and Shoebox Zoo;
(5) Betty, a Kodiak Bear weighing 1,000 pounds at a height of 7 feet and whose credits include Dr. Doolittle 2 and Anchorman;
(6) Bonkers, a Black Bear weighing 600 pounds at a height of over 6 feet and whose credits include Brokeback Mountain, The Sopranos, Gentle Ben 1 & 2;
(7) Brett, a Black Bear cub, weighing 12 pounds at a height of 1 foot on all fours and 30 inches on his hind legs;
(8) Cheyenne, a Russian Brown Bear weighing 180 pounds at a height of 5 feet whose credits include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Ellen DeGeneres Show;
(9) Koda, a Grizzly Bear weighing 1,600 pounds at a height of 9 feet and whose credits included Grizzly Rage, Snow Dogs, Kevin of the North, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer;
(10) Max, a Black Bear weighing over 400 pounds at a height of six feet and whos