The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant

Title: The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption

Author: Jim Gorant

Series:

Genre: Non-fiction, animals, sports

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 2010, September 16

Format: E-Book, 488 pages

Source: Bought for my Barnes and Noble Nook

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man’s best friend, in the aftermath of the nation’s most notorious case of animal cruelty.

Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick’s brutal dog fighting operation. But what became of the dozens of dogs who survived? As acclaimed writer Jim Gorant discovered, their story is the truly newsworthy aspect of this case. Expanding on Gorant’s Sports Illustrated cover story, The Lost Dogs traces the effort to bring Vick to justice and turns the spotlight on these infamous pit bulls, which were saved from euthanasia by an outpouring of public appeals coupled with a court order that Vick pay nearly a million dollars in “restitution” to the dogs.

As an ASPCA-led team evaluated each one, they found a few hardened fighters, but many more lovable, friendly creatures desperate for compassion. In The Lost Dogs, we meet these amazing animals, a number of which are now living in loving homes, while some even work in therapy programs: Johnny Justice participates in Paws for Tales, which lets kids get comfortable with reading aloud by reading to dogs; Leo spends three hours a week with cancer patients and troubled teens. At the heart of the stories are the rescue workers who transformed the pups from victims of animal cruelty into healing caregivers themselves, unleashing priceless hope.

What I liked:  I really liked how this book has changed my opinion on the American Pit Bull Terrier.  Not only does this book talk about the Vick case it also goes into the history of this breed.  Did you know that the American Pit Bull Terrier is known as the "Nanny Dog?"  It was originally bred to be a family pet and a protector of the farm.  I also really enjoyed that once things got rolling on the case each dog was evaluated on it's individual merit. They got to learn how to be dogs and do dog things and interact with people on a positive level for probably the first time EVER. When the dogs were seized there was only 1 dog in the 51 that were taken that was deemed to dangerous to even try to touch.  This book shows that there are a lot of advocates for those without voices.

What I Didn't Like:  There are some pretty graphic scene's in this book to show the reader how big an asshat Michael Vick truly is.  Anyone who can hurt another living breathing creature just needs to be taken out of the gene pool entirely, but that's just my opinion.

Overall Impression:  I LOVED this book.  I downloaded on a whim and tore through it very quickly.  But like I mentioned above there are some pretty graphic scene's so just beware.  There is a TON of heartbreak and triumph so I whole heartily recommend a box of kleenex when reading this book.  I also recommend this book to any animal lover out there.

Rating: Break the Bank! 

Sinner Takes All by Tera Patrick

Title: Sinner Takes All
Author: Tera PatrickSeries: N/A
Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Copy from personal library 

Rating: Break the Bank!

Synopsis:

How does a girl go from being a shy, awkward bookworm to the biggest porn star in the world? In Sinner Takes All, Tera Patrick reveals all, including: her career as an international model; losing her virginity at fourteen to a thirtysomething photographer; learning oral sex techniques backstage at a Guns N' Roses concert; having an orgy with a team of firefighters; her unglamorous job in a nursing home; her first forays into the adult movie business; and how, with her husband's help, she launched her own multimillion-dollar empire.

Along the way, she dishes on the emotional side of being Tera Patrick, writing candidly about her battles with depression and anxiety. She also discusses finding true love and building a healthy marriage, achievements that many consider to be impossible in the world of porn. Featuring hundreds of photos, plus diary pages and scintillating sidebars, Sinner Takes All takes the tell-all to raunchy new heights.

Review:

As you can see by past reviews I have a pretty eclectic taste in reading material. I came across this book several months ago and it caught my interest. Come on the cover alone is pretty eye catching. Honestly, the sex industry is a rather interesting subject matter to read about. NOTE: If you are going to read this book there are some photographs that are of a "adult" nature.

Tera Patrick is a pretty inspirational woman. You may or may not agree. But that is my opinion of Tera after reading her memoir. She had a very rough start in life. Her parents were pretty much absent a lot. Her father has spent most of his life an "herbal American" (both legal and illegal) and her mother is a Thai woman with a violent temper. Tera (who's real name is actually Linda) was abused by her mother. She even said in the book that writing it was a form of "therapy" for her on some issues.

Tera started off a model and ended up in Japan for a while. Where she became addicted to drugs and was first introduced to sex. But after her modeling career tanked she came back to the states and got all the drugs cleaned out of her system she lead a "normal" life for a while. But her sex life was pretty crazy and stayed "crazy" for a long time.

Tera says that the thing that really turned her on to the porn industry was that you didn't have to be a size 0 and 110 pounds. She took the porn world by storm. She's had her ups and downs, but she's still kicking. For that she thanks Evan (her now ex-husband), who also helped her launch her own empire.

So after a rough start in life Tera is, in my opinion, an inspiration. She came from the lowest lows (drug addiction, abuse, etc.) to the highest highs (her own multi-million dollar empire) all with a little elbow grease. What I learned from this book is that if you put forth the effort there is no dream that is unattainable.