Scan barcode
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
Historic But Not Comedic
If you're a cat lover, you might enjoy this book.
The book offers a fun and light-hearted exploration of the role cats have played throughout history.
Although I didn't find it particularly funny, I still found some of the facts and stories interesting.
It's not a particularly deep or informative read, but it might make for a nice diversion if you're in the mood for something lighthearted.
Overall, it's a cute and charming book that any cat enthusiast would appreciate.
3.0/5
If you're a cat lover, you might enjoy this book.
The book offers a fun and light-hearted exploration of the role cats have played throughout history.
Although I didn't find it particularly funny, I still found some of the facts and stories interesting.
It's not a particularly deep or informative read, but it might make for a nice diversion if you're in the mood for something lighthearted.
Overall, it's a cute and charming book that any cat enthusiast would appreciate.
3.0/5
royvdb's review against another edition
4.0
It's a little bit written like a children's book, but because some adult topics it's not really... It was funny and informative though.
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."
This was a fun book to read! The format was more of a coffee table book, with easy to read chapters interspersed often with images, relevant newspaper clippings, and photos of the author's cat, Baba, in period-specific costumes. The book is written as if Baba herself is telling the tale (tail?), and it's very much a lighthearted journey through the ups and downs of feline history. Lots of stories are told about the many ways cats have distinguished themselves in history, and I particularly liked the chapter about cats on the high seas.
The afterword includes a message from the author about Baba's history, and even discusses how Baba took to being dressed up (very well, apparently!). I really appreciated the tone of this book, and it was really informative besides.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fun book to read! The format was more of a coffee table book, with easy to read chapters interspersed often with images, relevant newspaper clippings, and photos of the author's cat, Baba, in period-specific costumes. The book is written as if Baba herself is telling the tale (tail?), and it's very much a lighthearted journey through the ups and downs of feline history. Lots of stories are told about the many ways cats have distinguished themselves in history, and I particularly liked the chapter about cats on the high seas.
The afterword includes a message from the author about Baba's history, and even discusses how Baba took to being dressed up (very well, apparently!). I really appreciated the tone of this book, and it was really informative besides.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
freemajo's review against another edition
4.0
Content warning: animal cruelty
The “narrative” is a bit tedious, but the photos are a delight.
The “narrative” is a bit tedious, but the photos are a delight.
kmg365's review against another edition
3.0
There's a lot to unpack here, so settle back.
My reading is done almost exclusively through audio books, and occasionally there comes along a book that is much more suited to a physical text. This is such a book. Not only did I miss the photographs of Baba in costume, I endured the mistakes of a first time audiobook narrator. I don't mean Baba, as I would never impugn the talents of a feline of such obvious beauty and intelligence. I mean the human who voiced Baba's words.
There were two huge problems. The first was that the narrator adopted a lofty, superior tone (oh, those kitties and their superior attitudes) that I assumed would be dropped after an introductory chapter. No. The affected speech lasted for the entire book, and it did not take long for it to become grating and exhausting to listen to. The second problem involved errors in pronunciation. I desperately wanted to create a comprehensive list of them, but for the most part I was driving while listening, so I couldn't. It wasn't one or two words, though. It was at least a dozen, some used multiple times, for a grand total of way too much mispronunciation.
Was there no one else in the recording studio to notice and correct? I started to search for a way to make the audio experience less of a trial, and finally settled on speeding up the playback to the 1.3 setting, which helped mask the inflections, and at least made the mispronunciations go by faster. Thank you, Audible App, for that function, which I had never used before.
That said, I learned a lot about the history of cats' dealings with humanity. Some of it was difficult to listen to, because humans (being human) have done terrible things to felines, along with pretty much every other species we think ourselves superior to. Violence toward animals in novels will usually result in me abandoning the book. But this was non-fiction, and I figure if the animals had to endure the treatment, I could at least educate myself about it.
So, factored into my star rating-- Baba the Cat, all the stars. Text: 5 stars. Narration, 1 star. Lack of a pdf file with the pictures: no stars! Feeding all that into the Rate-O-Matic yields 3 ½ stars.
bookwoman37's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Baba the Cat narrates history through the eyes of cats complete with costumes. The text is informative and chronicles the ups and downs of feline history. From being worshiped as Gods to being cursed. The accompanying of photographs of Baba outfitted in historical costumes add a touch of fun. This book will make a great gift for any cat lover. Enjoy
jpsimoneaux's review against another edition
4.0
A cute and often poignant history of our relationship with the domestic cat, written from one's perspective. Interesting stories are interspersed with historical images and documents, as well as adorable model shots from our narrator.
lwerner817's review against another edition
3.0
"This book is dedicated to all those
indomitable cats who made history,
and to the humans who had the wisdom
to stay out of their way and let them do so."
indomitable cats who made history,
and to the humans who had the wisdom
to stay out of their way and let them do so."