The Art of Racing in the Rain-Book Review

The Art of Racing in the Rain

By

Garth Stein

Review by Laura Koch

Garth Stein captures the inner thoughts of man’s best friend in a way that is touching and eye-opening in the book The Art of Racing in the Rain.  The reader feels instantly connected to “Enzo”, a mutt, who carries us through the life of his owners in his own words. Enzo not only listens, but understands, his family’s troubles and triumphs. He desperately tries to communicate back with gestures and barks. He leads us through the tragedy of illness in the family and the great accomplishments of his owner Denny, the race car driver.  Through driving references, Enzo explains how he feels and what advice he would give Denny, and others, if he could speak.

Enzo will have the reader “racing” through the pages to see what happens next. Throughout his dog life, Enzo anticipates the day he passes and is reincarnated as a human. He believes this is the path every dog will take. He looks forward to the day he can meet Denny in his new human form.

The Art of Racing in the Rain will bring out many emotions in the reader, but most importantly, remind everyone that compassion can be felt by all living things and that there is always hope…even in the darkest of times.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who has a love for animals and a passion for life. It will leave the reader smiling and looking for more.

How to set up a goldfish bowl properly!

Goldfish can be easy and fun to take care of if you know the proper way to do it. Below you will find step by step directions for setting up a goldfish bowl.

1.       Purchase all supplies needed, including a large goldfish bowl, gravel or rocks, water conditioner/dechlorinator, goldfish food and a small net. Additional recommended supplies are a small hiding place or plants, an air stone, air tubing and air pump.

2.       Thoroughly rinse bowl, gravel, plants and decorations and place in bowl.

3.       Fill with room temperature tap water.

4.       Add water conditioner/dechlorinator as per directions on the bottle. This takes hard metals, chlorine and other harmful chemicals out of the water. It also adds a conditioner that helps reduce stress on the fish.

5.       Connect air stone and place in the back of the bowl just above the gravel. Plug in air pump to begin circulation of water. This will help keep the water oxygenated and help to prevent the growth of algae.

6.       Wait 24 hours before purchasing your goldfish to ensure optimal water quality. Many pet stores will perform a free water test to make sure the water is safe.

7.       Take home your new goldfish immediately after purchasing and allow the bag the goldfish is in to float in the goldfish bowl for 15 minutes. This will help acclimate the fish to the water temperature of the bowl.

8.       Scoop the fish out of the bag with the small net. Never use your hands and avoid putting the water from the bag into your bowl.

Clean your goldfish bowl once every week. Waiting longer than that can cause the ammonia in the water to reach dangerous levels. Do not overfeed your fish as this can also cause ammonia to rise and algae to form. Feed only what the fish can consume in 5 minutes one time per day. Your goldfish can live happily alone for its life, but if you do decide to introduce another fish, use this rule: one gallon of water for every inch of fish. If you follow the above rules you can enjoy a clean bowl and a happy, healthy goldfish for years to come.