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96th out of 112 books
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17 voters
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Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish
Although Mark Levin is known as a constitutional lawyer and a nationally syndicated broadcaster, he is, first and foremost, a dog lover. In 1998, he and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was old...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
November 6th 2007
by Pocket
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Having just gone through the experience of adopting an older dog and losing him, I was very interested in reading this title. But this author was a TERRIBLE writer. If he's a radio personality, he should stick with it. I understand his desire to tell the story of adopting and losing his dog, but - wow - this is some awful writing.
I barely made it through to the end, and couldn't wait to get this book out of my house. It just left via Bookmooch and more power to Dana who is about t...more
I barely made it through to the end, and couldn't wait to get this book out of my house. It just left via Bookmooch and more power to Dana who is about t...more
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This isn't my normal sort of book and I would never have picked it up on my own. My father is an avid dog lover, and NOT an avid reader at all. So the fact that he had read anything at all was worth noting. He gave me his copy of the book and insisted I give it a try.
The author is no dummy, but he waters down his own personality so much that I found myself irritated with his portrayal of himself and his family with constant perfection. Still, for all that it lacked in literary value...more
The author is no dummy, but he waters down his own personality so much that I found myself irritated with his portrayal of himself and his family with constant perfection. Still, for all that it lacked in literary value...more
I wish I could give this just 1/2 a star because it was that bad. The book was just a promotional piece for the author. I can't tell you how many times he mentioned the other book he had written and his radio talk show. I do appreciate the fact he gave this dog a home, or rather is wife did, since I have rescue dogs myself. But the writing was bad, the tone morbid, and the self-promotion unappreciated. Plus he really lost me once he mentioned he was close friends with Sean Hannity and Rush L...more
Dena
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
dog lovers
Recommended to Dena by:
my sis-in-law, Gina
I just finished reading this book and I was an emotional wreck for the last 50 or so pages. It was literally me reading and sobbing, tears flowing and just feeling the pain the family was going through. I really enjoyed the whole book because the man who wrote it was just very genuine and such a dog lover so I felt I could really relate to him. Even though it's an emotional story, it was really good and nice to read about a normal American family and the true love they have for dogs. Every dog l...more
Boo. I thought I would like this book since I have a rescue dog and a fondness for a good animal rescue/welfare story. However, after a few pages, I found myself skimming to just get through it. Poor writing (yawn), shameless self-promotion about Levin's company & radio show success, fan email after fan email used as page filler, and braggy-brag stories about his "best friends" Rush Limbaugh and Sean from Fox News. Blegh. The only star I gave it is in memory of Sprite, who seemed like ...more
Eva
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
ppl who like personal dog stories
Recommended to Eva by:
found in Wal-Mart the other day
I was a little surprised reading some of the other reviews. Quite a few mentioned that they felt the book wasn't written well and still more thought that Levin was plugging his other book and radio show throughout this book. I disagree with both of those opinions.
From what I remember, Levin mentioned his other book one, maybe twice. He mentioned his radio show several times but every time he had a reason. That show is a part of his life and his dogs were also, somewhat, involved. Being th...more
From what I remember, Levin mentioned his other book one, maybe twice. He mentioned his radio show several times but every time he had a reason. That show is a part of his life and his dogs were also, somewhat, involved. Being th...more
Call me a curmudgeon, but I didn't like this book. I mean--what's not to like? It's about an abandoned dog who is rescued and adopted and the dog eventually dies. It has all the elements I would normally love - animals, pathos, tear-jerking finales.
But Mark R. Levin (radio talk show host and author of the best-selling book, "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America") gives it all the warmth of a book about the Supreme Court. "Marley" tells the sam...more
But Mark R. Levin (radio talk show host and author of the best-selling book, "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America") gives it all the warmth of a book about the Supreme Court. "Marley" tells the sam...more
This book is basically the story of Mark Levin's experience with adopting a dog (Sprite) from a shelter. Sprite turns out to be much older than the Levins are first told. He is a joy of a dog to have and Mark has many questions that cannot be answered about Sprite's past. Many hard decisions have to be made about Sprites health. I cannot say much more about this book except it's just not the kind of book that I can rate with stars so maybe I could just say it's for anyone who is considering ...more
I thought I would like this book, but I really didn't. In fact, the first half was just awful. The story would be more touching without the details of his radio show and knowing that his best friends are Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and hearing what great guys they both are and where they all go on vacation together.
The decisions and feelings during and after Sprite's passing were still touching. It seemed like his wife, son, and daughter wer sort of left out and it was all on Ma...more
The decisions and feelings during and after Sprite's passing were still touching. It seemed like his wife, son, and daughter wer sort of left out and it was all on Ma...more
Did this "educated" Mr. Levin write this book for 6th graders?! I felt it was too drawn out, he was searching for sentiment where he felt it should have been (I agree, it had potential as a heart wrenching story) but fell short. Extremely short. Sentences were simple and without emotion or vocabulary that truly expressed what he was attempting to portray. He should have condensed this book into a short story complete with MANY more photographs. It would have been far more enjoyabl...more
After Mark Levin and family adopted this wonderful dog (thinking he was 3 - 6 years old) they find that Sprite is much older. Over the next two years, as his health fails, the Levin family takes wonderful care of Sprite and makes sure every day is a great day for him.
Sometimes I don't like these books, especially if the pet dies much sooner than they should. Sprite lives out the last few years of his life with the care and comfort he deserved to have all along. This book reinforces th...more
Sometimes I don't like these books, especially if the pet dies much sooner than they should. Sprite lives out the last few years of his life with the care and comfort he deserved to have all along. This book reinforces th...more
Rescuing Sprite Saving Levin
By Rosemary Biggio
Mark R. Levin prominent radio talk show host, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, attorney, top advisor and administrator to President Reagan’s cabinet, author of the New York Times bestseller Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America and self proclaimed “dog lover” intentionally leaves the reader feeling that the bond between man and his best friend is more than mutual, “in the end, we ...more
By Rosemary Biggio
Mark R. Levin prominent radio talk show host, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, attorney, top advisor and administrator to President Reagan’s cabinet, author of the New York Times bestseller Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America and self proclaimed “dog lover” intentionally leaves the reader feeling that the bond between man and his best friend is more than mutual, “in the end, we ...more
I'm a huge fan of talk radio. One of the shows I listen to on a regular basis is the Mark Levin Show. In December 2006, he lost a very special friend and family member, his dog Sprite. After some urging from friends, he decided to write a book about the experience of rescuing this dog, living and loving him, and then having to make the awful decision to put him to sleep after only having had him in his family for 2 years.
If you are a dog lover, you should read this book. Even if you'...more
If you are a dog lover, you should read this book. Even if you'...more
My interest in this book sparked from the number of people that were talking about the book. It also had significane to our family in that we are presently going through a smilar situation
Mark Levin gives a very personal account of his family's love of dogs and their time with them. The Levin family has a dog named Pepsi, Mark's wife Kendall, rescued a Border Collie/Cocker Spaniel mix, who they named Sprite. Sprite was readily accepted by Pepsi and quickly became a family favorite...more
Mark Levin gives a very personal account of his family's love of dogs and their time with them. The Levin family has a dog named Pepsi, Mark's wife Kendall, rescued a Border Collie/Cocker Spaniel mix, who they named Sprite. Sprite was readily accepted by Pepsi and quickly became a family favorite...more
I have never read any of Mark Levin's other books. I don't listen to his radio show. While at the store, I picked up this book due to its cover and title and was reading the back when my husband walked up and saw me doing so and got excited. He is a Mark Levin fan. All of this bumped up my interest but also made me apprehensive - was I going to be sucked into a book about a dog with political undertones? I am not into political reads. I am barely into non-fiction reads. I bought it anyway and de...more
I'm a dog lover, but this book isn't so much about rescuing the dog as it is about Mark Levin's feelings about rescuing the dog. Maybe I'm a little on the stoic side, but I was pretty uncomfortable with the extreme emotion Levin pours out onto the pages of his book. I'm also of the opinion that a dog ought to be allowed to be a dog and not treated like another child in the family. Dogs aren't humans like we often forget. I say let them chase deer here and there. There is no danger in them g...more
i just loved this book and couldn't put it down. i cried! i don't usually cry, but when it comes to pets, i have quite a spot in my heart for them.
In 1998, Mark Levin and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named hi...more
In 1998, Mark Levin and his family welcomed a half-Border Collie/half-Cocker Spaniel they named Pepsi into their lives. Six years later, his wife and son persuaded him to adopt a dog from the local shelter, a Spaniel mix. It turned out he was older than originally thought, and he was the most beautiful dog they'd ever seen. They named hi...more
my dad gave each of my brothers and me this book as a Christmas present and he added that it was so good that it made him cry. So i am reading it because it made my dad cry and i'm interested in that because my dad doesn't cry. i read a few pages from it every night before bed and it's all i can do to keep myself from spitting in it and throwing it against the wall because it's not sad, it's retarded. it might get better, i'll let you know.
My main criticism is that I would like more about Sprite, less about his career. It was easy to read and went fast. If I tried to compare to Dewey, the library cat, it is far behind in stories of humor, compassion and what makes this animal different than others. I took a few notes as I went and when I look at them, I realize that Sprite was no different than my dog, Honey when came to love and support when times were unbearable. The author told of his experiences when he was recovering from a m...more
I love books about dogs. Fiction, non-fiction; it doesn't matter.
Sprite was a beautiful dog. I have no doubt that he was sweet and loving and that knowing him and loving him enriched the lives of the Levin family. Having lost dogs in my life that I loved dearly, I'm sure that writing about Sprite was very cathartic for the author. Mark Levin says in his acknowledgments that many people didn't think that he could tell Sprite's story, because it was so different from anything he'd ever ...more
Sprite was a beautiful dog. I have no doubt that he was sweet and loving and that knowing him and loving him enriched the lives of the Levin family. Having lost dogs in my life that I loved dearly, I'm sure that writing about Sprite was very cathartic for the author. Mark Levin says in his acknowledgments that many people didn't think that he could tell Sprite's story, because it was so different from anything he'd ever ...more
This is the memoir of Mark Levin about his two dogs, Pepsi and Sprite. The story starts off with Levin talking about his childhood and all the dogs he had in the start of his life. Then, Pepsi, a black dog mix, comes into his life. He loves Pepsi, adores him to death. He doesn't want to adopt another dog. And then, one day, his wife, Kendall, introduces him to a stray dog living with an adoptive family from the shelter. They claim he's 3 to 6 years old, and Mark is hypnotized by the dog's beauty...more
Call me a curmudgeon, but I didn't like this book. I mean--what's not to like? It's about an abandoned dog who is rescued and adopted and the dog eventually dies. It has all the elements I would normally love - animals, pathos, tear-jerking finales.
But Mark R. Levin (radio talk show host and author of the best-selling book, "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America") gives it all the warmth of a book about the Supreme Court. "Marley" tells the sam...more
But Mark R. Levin (radio talk show host and author of the best-selling book, "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America") gives it all the warmth of a book about the Supreme Court. "Marley" tells the sam...more
I am a little sickened to see that the first reviews about this book are all negative. They complain that the author has written about his friends (who happen to be known celebrities) and that they feel that the author's wife did more with the dogs than he had.
His wife did not write this book, this story is about the author opening his heart to canine companions and the process that he went through in grieving for his beloved friends. We reach out to our friends in time of need (hi...more
His wife did not write this book, this story is about the author opening his heart to canine companions and the process that he went through in grieving for his beloved friends. We reach out to our friends in time of need (hi...more
This book was really bad. I finished it because I wanted to like it. I wanted to feel a connection to this dog. And while he sounds like a sweet dog, he sounds just like any other dog too! There was nothing that made me laugh out loud or cry or anything like I did with Marley & Me. This author just wasn't good. I feel like he started writing about his experience with Sprite to get his own feelings out when the dog died - kind of a sense of therapy for him. Then he decided to turn it into ...more
This book, although a quick read, is so intense I read it slowly to absorb all the pain and joy this author had to share. For anyone who has owned a pet of any kind can so relate to this story. To own a pet is to make a silent promise to love and care for it for as long as its time on earth. Then to unselfishly end its pain and suffering and say goodbye. This is the joy and pain this author wrote for us. Granted he went into a depression wondering if he did the right thing, but he is a human and...more
Rebecca
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
no one
Recommended to Rebecca by:
a gift
Stopped reading. Repeats itself over and over and can't hold my interest. I even tried speed-reading just to get the gist of a story line, but decided it's a waste of my time. Do not read this!
This is the dog lover's book for people who consider The Da Vinci Code good literature. Terrible. I would give it -1 star if possible. The only slightly redeeming part of it is the author's unwittingly comical description of Rush Limbaugh's love of his cat that had a stroke. Ahhhh, hilarity. It's definitely no coincidence that multiple reviewers described this book as something that appeared to be written by a 5th or 6th grader. Terrible, no good, depthless self propaganda for this nut's r...more
As a dog lover, I both enjoyed and hated this book. Translation: the sad parts really suck, but the rest was great!
A very heart-warming and at the same time a very sad story. It makes you appreciate what dogs mean in our lives.
A touching story told in simple terms. The format and flavor of this story of a family's relationship with a rescued dog is that of a personal diary. It examines the mundane events of everyday living and how the lives of each individual family member is effected and enhanced when pets are added to the mix. It also serves as a "life lesson" on coping with loss and death and the value of friends and acquaintances in helping us through difficult times.
Because of the elementar...more
Because of the elementar...more
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