R. J. Peters

It was very dark now, and there were no stars showing in the sky, only dark ominous clouds. Then as if on cue, the rain came suddenly pouring down on top of him, and everything around him. He was immediately soaked to the skin, and the water felt cold on him. He knew he had to find a safe place out of the storm for the night, and as he trotted forward, he watched for a place he could lie down out of the rain.

This collection of stories includes some very remarkable dogs, written by their remarkable owners. Our lead story is by Stu Bykofsky, well known columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, as he introduces us to his beloved and incredible Cheech, who enriched the lives of all who knew her. Meet 12 more dogs with heartwarming as well as heartbreaking stories and prepare to laugh, applaud and perhaps cry as we share their journeys through life with the people who loved them, along with those who are still here. Most people, and their dogs, live quiet lives of wonder and personal achievement, even if they don't make a splash in the news. But it's the love they bring to their families that makes us appreciate them and how amazing they really are.

The first book in the Our Amazing Pets series, Our Amazing Cats, started out as an experiment to see how many pets are out there doing remarkable things, as well as to see if there is any interest in them. As it turns out, there is. While there were no plans initially to begin a series of amazing pets books, requests for "Volume Two" began coming in shortly after the first book was published. After a few setbacks and criticisms, this book is finally a reality, thanks to the support and encouragement of those who wanted to see it printed. On behalf of all the contributors to this volume, we hope you enjoy reading about this latest group of amazing cats. The news media, especially lately, are full of heartwarming and sometimes inspiring stories of dogs and cats that have done something awesome, outrageous, unusual, or remarkable in some way. But there are many more pets that have done similar things who never got any credit for their actions, antics and accomplishments. This book is for them, too. The thing is, all animals are amazing, just for who and what they are. The real miracle is that some humans notice them and talk or write about it. Not all animals are lucky enough to get any attention, let alone any appreciation for who and what they are, or what they can do. I hope this book inspires people to open their minds and their hearts for the sake of their own pets. All animals deserve the respect and admiration they may earn but never collect.

Acoustics and Noise Control provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of acoustics and noise control. Since the last edition was published in 1996 there have been many changes and additions to standards, laws and regulations, codes of practice relating to noise, and in noise measurement techniques and noise control technology so this new edition has been fully revised and updated throughout. The book assumes no previous knowledge of the subject and requires only a basic knowledge of mathematics and physics. There are worked examples in the text to aid understanding and a range of experiments help students use complicated apparatus. Thoroughly revised to cover the latest changes in standards, codes of practice and legislation, this new edition covers much of the Institute of Acoustics Diploma syllabus and has an increased emphasis on the legal issues relating to noise control.