Synopses & Reviews
For more than sixty years, andlt;Iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/Iandgt; has prided itself not just on its serious journalism, but also on the whimsical and arcane stories that amuse and delight its readers. In that regard, animal stories have proven to be the most beloved of all. Now, veteran andlt;Iandgt;Journalandlt;/Iandgt; reporter and Page One editor Ken Wells gathers the finest, funniest, and most fascinating of these animal tales in one exceptional book. andlt;BRandgt; Here are lighthearted, witty stories of breakthroughs in goldfish surgery, the untiring efforts of British animal lovers who guide lovesick toads across dangerous motorways, and the quest to tame doggy anxieties by prescribing the human pacifier Prozac. Other pieces reflect on mankind's impact on the animal kingdom: a close-up look at the nascent fish-rights movement, the retirement of U.S. Air Force chimpanzees that once soared through space, and ongoing scientific efforts to defeat that most hardy enemy -- the cockroach. andlt;BRandgt; Each of these fifty-odd stories -- from the outlandish to the poignant -- exemplifies the superb feature writing that makes andlt;Iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/Iandgt; one of America's best-written newspapers. This charming and utterly captivating collection will be a joy not only to animal lovers, but to all those who appreciate artful storytelling by writers who are obviously having a wonderful time spinning the tales.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Forewordandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Introductionandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Oneandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Pet Theoriesandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1 Listening to Prozac: "Bow-Wow! I andlt;Iandgt;Loveandlt;/Iandgt; the Mailman!" / Carrie Dolanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;2 Surgery on an Odd Scale / Dan Morseandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;3 A Horse Is a Horse, Unless of Course.../ Tony Horwitzandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4 Much Chow, No Hounds / Ken Wellsandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;5 Polly Wants a Scholarship to Harvard / David Stippandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6 Two-Stepping with Four Legs / Lisa Gubernickandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;7 Big Bird Is an Emmy Shoe-In / James Bandlerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;8 Barking Mad for Joyce / Susan G. Hauserandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;9 Little Beauties / James M. Perryandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;10 Fido Forever / Jeffrey Krasnerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Twoandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Political Animalsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11 Kill Kitty? / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;12 Anglers Away! / Charles F. McCoyandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;13 Bite the Lawyers / Quentin Hardyandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;14 Bambi Uncensored / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;15 Horns of a Dilemma / Bryan Gruleyandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;16 The Military-Chimpanzee Complex / Geraldine Brooksandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;17 High on the Hedgehog / Glynn Mapesandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;18 I've Got You, Babe / Vanessa Fuhrmansandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;19 A Man Among the Predators / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Threeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Odd Ducksandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;20 Splat Man / Barry Newmanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;21 Next, They'll Want a Stadium / Gautam Naikandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;22 Pinky, Phone Home / June Kronholzandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;23 The Toad People / Glynn Mapesandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;24 Elvis Has Left the Forest / Quentin Hardyandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;25 Bugged in Rhode Island / Barbara Cartonandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;26 The Worm Economy / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;27 Not Your Mother's Nutritionist / Erik Larsonandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;28 The Greening of Frog Dreams / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Fourandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Pastoral Pursuitsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;29 Shear Excitement / Eric Morgenthalerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;30 Bucks, Sex and.../ James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;31 Yoking It Up in Maine / Barry Newmanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;32 Another Thing to Grouse About / Tony Horwitzandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;33 At Least They're Not Elephants / Carrie Dolanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;34 The Polish Pickle Over Buffalo / Barry Newmanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;35 New Zealand's Woolly Problem / Geraldine Brooksandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Fiveandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Fish Storiesandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;36 An Operative Theory of Caviar / Daniel Pearlandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;37 The Devil Ray as Angel Food? / Gay Sands Millerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;38 A Wail of a Tale / Robert L. Roseandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;39 A Biting Reappraisal of Sharks / James P. Sterbaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;40 If Guppies Rise Up, You'll Know Why / Michael J. McCarthyandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;41 Getting With the Drill / Ellen Byronandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;42 Bugs, Bass and Loons in Moonlight / Ned Crabbandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Sixandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Wild Thingsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;43 Paddling with "Psycho Sam" / Ken Wellsandlt;BRandgt;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;44 We'd Guess Punxsutawney Phil Is Next / Timothy Aeppelandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;45 Not Only That: Rudolph Sells Crack! / Robert Bernerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;46 Feral TV / Mark Robichauxandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;47 Where's Dumbo? / Roger Thurowandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;48 The Monkey Bomb / Barry Newmanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;49 This Zoo's a Killer / Craig S. Smithandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;50 Gentle Ben's Big Bad Brother / Ken Slocumandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;51 Barking Up the Right Tree / Jim Hyattandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Chapter Sevenandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Buzzandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;52 After the Oscars, Please Call Orkin / Carrie Dolanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;53 A Grubby Little Secret / Dawn Blalockandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;54 The Dean of Doodlebugs / Eric Morgenthalerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;55 With Crickets, I'd Try a Nice Pinot Grigio / Amal Kumar Najandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;56 The Roach Has No Friends.../ Erik Larsonandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;57 ...Save One / Bob Ortegaand#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Epilogue: Only in Americaandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgmentsandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;Index to Authorsand#160;and#160;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;