101 Cataclysms: For the Love of Cats    by Rachel Hale Order:  USA  Can Bulfinch, 2004 (2004) Hardcover      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Throughout history we've been fascinated, beguiled and even terrified by the cat. Today we still haven't truly figured out the rightful place of the feline in the grand scheme of things. The cat however has always known exactly where she belongs and is patiently waiting for her human to figure it out. In her charming and beautiful book, 101 Cataclysms : For the Love of Cats, premier animal portrait photographer Rachel Hale says that she's been 'enlightened, and thoroughly captivated by clever, nimble, impish, loveable cats - and every one different from the last'. In this collection of 90 colour portraits, she brings amazing detail to many different breeds and their innumerable moods. 'Capturing cats on film was a much more challenging task than photographing dogs', Hale goes on to remark. 'Most of the time, dogs will sit where you ask them to, but you never pick up a cat, place him on the spot and expect him to stay there. He will always stand up, affronted, and walk straight back to where you fetched him from'. The book is divided into sections, each preceded by age old cat proverbs or observations made by the likes of Leonardo Da Vinci ('The smallest feline is masterpiece'), James Herriot ('Cats are connoisseurs of comfort'), and a very wise person who remains anonymous ('In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods, they have never forgotten this'). 101 Cataclysms is a beautiful and priceless tribute to our whiskered friends. Even the most finicky feline would agree. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews