Rabid: Are You Crazy about Your Dog or Just Crazy?

"Satran (How Not to Act Old) has written another humor book destined to fill gift bags for relatives no one knows very well. With charts breaking down dog ownership behavior according to 'Crazy About Your Dog' or 'Just Crazy' and tidbits on doggie spa treatments, bottled water and alternative therapies for dogs, the real eye-poppers come from the 'Dogs and Art Timeline,' the 'Royal Dogs Timeline,' and the section, 'Dogs and Money.' This exhaustive compilation of dog-related factoids, itself emblematic of the Internet age, offers its own relevance for just-in-love puppy owners and the 'half of dog owners who consider their dogs to be equal members of the family.' A comparison between the merits of dogs versus kids might just be worth the price of admission, but overall, this is a glorified magazine about man's (and woman's) best friend. Illus. Agent: Melissa Flashman, Trident Media Group." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Dogs now dominate the $55 billion a year pet business, with nearly 40 percent of American households owning a total of 78.2 million dogs. Dog products, dog services, dog admiration--okay, let's call it dog worship--has become totally over the top, with doggie treadmills, dog swimming pools, caffeine-free doggie java, dog massage, dog perfume, aromatherapy, hair coloring, and, yes, dog tattoos that would have seemed outlandish a generation ago when applied to your everyday household Rover.

But Rover isn't called Rover anymore: he's called Rufus. Or Lola, according to the Tumblog Hipster Puppies. In fact, all Top Ten Dog Names are people names. And the canine Rufus doesn't stay home alone all day; he goes to Doggie Daycare. Eats brightly frosted martini-shaped doggie treats. Wears designer tutus. Gets married on the beach. Has...

Well, you'll see. With hilarious full-color photos throughout, Rabid holds a humorous mirror up to our dog-centered society, helping us laugh at our own behavior and at the even-more-insane antics of all those other dog people.