Rachael Hale

Some pairings are just meant to be: peanut butter and chocolate, yin and yang, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. So it was only a matter of time before the stars in the universe lined up and suggested the collaboration between New York Times best selling author Bradley Trevor Greive and award-winning photographer Rachael Hale.

Teaming up on their first collaborative effort, Greive and Hale explain once and for all Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats. Now, before all you cat lovers find your fur standing on end, Greive is quick to stress that he is simply "prodog, not anticat. The purpose of this book is not to criticize cats or their owners, but to champion the many exceptional virtues unique to dogs."

What are these unique attributes that make canine companions superior to their feline fiends? (Oops, we meant friends.) Consider the following:

Put simply:

* Dogs are social. Cats are sociopaths.

* Dogs match up to people. People must match up to cats.

* Dogs teach us patience. Cats test our patience.

* Dogs give and give. Cats are the gift that keeps on grifting.

The bottom line is this: Dogs want love. Cats want fish.

Although Greive admits that there is something to be said for "soft, warm, and sleepy" (a.k.a. cats) as captured in Hale's cuddly feline photographs, he concludes that dogs would be the only ones with character enough to admit this fact, thereby once again positioning themselves as the superior pet, confidant, admirer, and friend.