Great Nonfiction Reads: For Animal Lovers

"The ultimate experts explain common dog behaviors and reveal how to prevent or change unwanted ones."

During his tour of duty in Iraq, LtCol Jay Kopelman skirted the rules forbidding pets and adopted an abandoned puppy left behind after the battle for Fallujah. The dog (named Lava) was eventually smuggled out of Iraq by the soldiers with the help of NPR reporters, John van Zante and the Helen Woodward Animal Center, Iraqi citizens, and the Iams pet food company.

A memoir of the author's carefree life in a small Midwestern town at the close of World War I, and his adventures with his pet raccoon, Rascal

A memoir, originally titled "How I learned to love men almost as much as I love pets." It chronicles the author's life as she falls in love with a series of pets and in and out of love with an equally eclectic string of men, many of whom bear a striking resemblance to the animals, both in looks and temperament.

A lyrical book with stunning photographs. The author tells of the battle to save one of the planet's most charismatic animals, mixing information about the lives of all the races of wild tigers with firsthand tales of his visits to Russia.

Climate change got you down? Jane Goodall brings us good news about endangered species that have made a comeback.

Did you know that individual dolphins have personalities? Do you want to learn to speak Dolphin? Do you like your books full of breathtaking photographs? If so, this is the title for you.

Humans have long been fascinated by these highly intelligent creatures, known to pull up the lines of ice fishermen and roll walnuts under car wheels to get food. A highly readable text with more than 100 picture, this book traces to coevolution of Humans and the crow family.

From plauge carriers to research subjects, rats and humans have formed a complex relationship. In chatty prose, Langton discusses every phase of rat-human interactions. An engrossing, quick read.