Gloria Stephens

A showcase of some forty-seven cat breeds (I think there's a newer edition with more). It has a short intro with basics of a cat's body, very brief history of the species' evolution, and then a more detailed explanation of genetics that determine the many breeds' eye color, coat color and pattern, plus some of the unusual traits (like curled ears, bobbed tails or hairlessness). I read through the entire section on genetics- but I did not get it. I felt like the author, who herself is a cat breeder, knows the subject so well she doesn't realize how little ordinary people grasp it. I then read the entire glossary so I'd understand all the unfamiliar words, and some of it is still incomprehensible to me. Well, that's fine, because the photographs by Tetsu Yamazaki are really what make this book stunning. Most of the book is breed profiles, many with two or three pages showing different colors and expressions of the breed, very beautiful and expressive pictures.

more at the Dogear Diary… (altro)