ommm mane padme bark (obliquely)

The Art of Raising a Puppy, by the Monks of New Skete. I love books that combine storytelling with practical knowledge, and this book is an exemplar of that. I mean, it is an instructional book, of course, but it is very pleasant and easy to read, it's almost like having a chat with some nice monk dude about behaviors, communication, training, and nature. As charismatic as, say, the Dog Whisperer host is, I don't think his approach is as positive, healthy, or humane as the monks' is, both from just intuition and what I've seen in real life, in watching the latter method in action. Of note (and also both a similarity and contrast to the Dog Whisperer) is the side-emphasis on the development of the person, as well as the dog.