I'mmmmmm Backkkk! Drove my baby home, a powder-blue TR-4 convertable I've been restoring for the last decade or so. It was stored in my Dad's barn, then in a brother's garage. But I just had to have it back. It's a real ragtop (literally), but duct tape helped get it past the El Nino storms. I'll fix that and the heater (!!!!) at the same time. I-80 was closed, so I spent four hours on the grapevine waiting the CHP to escourt us over. Worse places coming home, tons of snow and sleet, but no escourts. For most cars, it would have been tough, but the TR's suspension is a little on the tight side, so every pebble feels like a brick. But I'm home now, safe and sound and finally warm. Tomorrow I may stand straight. The mail box is a disaster. More than 500 messages and as I was sorting some of them (I can't *send* email unless I have space to write the "sent-mail" message) and deleting the spam, messages started coming through saying stuff was bouncing. Sorry. I've been getting a lot of messages asking my opinion on some of the newest ferret books coming out. For personal reasons (As I've stated before) I have declined to comment on ferret books. However, I am more than happy to comment on veterinary guides, general pet books, etc. If you have a favorite one, or are thinking of buying one, just ask, I'll get a copy, review it and post it here. **** Chris C. Pinney 1992 "The Illustrated Veterinary Guide for Dogs, Cats, Birds, & Exotic Pets." McGraw Hill; New York. i-xxiv, 711 pp., illustrated, appendix, index. $21.95. ISBN 0-07-050179-3 (Softcover). The problem with any veterinary book is the audience. For a book to be published, it must first be capable of making a profit, which means it takes a certain number of people in the projected market for some books to be published. Layman-use veterinary books are *no* exception; hince the large number of books for dogs, cats, and horses, but fewer for birds, and hardly any for herps and ferrets. Usually, layman-use vet books discuss dogs and cats, then throw in the other "exotics" as a chapter or two. This almost always leaves the ferret owner feeling like they were the last person at the buffet, which for the most part is true. You get the same feeling from Pinney's book, but perhaps the gleanings aren't as scant. First off, ferrets are mustelids are carnivores are mammals. Each type of carnivore has co-evolved with certain prey animals, which has influenced the body morphology and some aspects of physiology. Domestic animals have evolved from wild stock by the human hand, and can be morphologicaly and physiologically quite different from their wild kin. HOWEVER, even with all these changes, the basic mammalian physiology, anatomy and morphology is so similar that what is true for one is true for all, and you only have to worry about the exceptions. This is especially true with carnivores, and even truer within the strict carnivores like cats and ferrets. Thus, any good cat layman-use vet manual would be useful for ferrets. Pinney's work is quite good for dogs and cats, including a discussion of anatomy and physiology for each of the two carnivores. This knowledge can be adapted to ferret use quite well. The book invests 477 pages on dogs and cats, 75 pages on birds, 31 pages on small mammals (including 6 on the ferret), 6 pages on reptiles, 11 pages on fish, and the rest on dog/cat issues like age and cancer. The chapter on euthanasia is well done. The book also includes a very nice appendix on first aid for dogs and cats, much applicable to ferrets. The material on ferrets (one chapter, 6 pages, but only 5 if you subtract the illustration, which looks more like a rat than a ferret to me) is lacking however, and leaves something to be desired. For example, Table 48-1 (p. 583) lists common ailments but never mentions ECE or adrenal diseases. The ECE thing I understand, but adrenal problems were quite common prior to the 1992 publication date. I hope Pinney updates this book and expands the section of ferrets commensurate with their popularity. If you have a multi-species household including birds, dogs, cats, ferrets, etc., this is a good book at a comfortable price. It is much easier to read than more professionally-oriented vet guides, and the first-aid section is well done. If science confuses you, or your medical terminology is wanting, then this would be a good introductory book for carnivores in general. If you have lots of different pets and can only afford a single book, then I recommend this one. But be aware it is mostly a dog/cat book, and the ferret section is wanting. On the Bob Scale of useful books, it rates BBBb out of 5, but for ferrets, it only rates a BB. Look through it first, maybe borrow a copy, *then* decide if you want to spend the bucks or go buy yet another toy. Bob C and the 20 MO Carpet Monkees, singing "Take the Last Bite to Bobsville" [Posted in FML issue 2150]