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Rating: 
Summary: A pleasant overview of Rex cats
Review: A pleasant book that is well written with many wonderful photos. However, I got the impression reading it that Helgren was only personally familiar with the Cornish Rex and researched all the others. I found some factual errors and editing mistakes that were distracting to me. Still, a nice overview of all the Rex cats. I highly recommend "The Guide to Owning a Cornish Rex Cat" by Greta Huls for those wanting more detailed information about that breed.
Rating:
Summary: Thin on data, but what's there is good
Review: When we got our new Selkirk Rex kitten, I was anxious to find out more about the breed. I knew how much it had helped us, when our mostly-Maine Coon cat grew old, to know that the breed suffered from lower back problems. We made adjustments in his lifestyle, which must have worked; the Maine Coon lived to nearly 19.This was the only book I found that offered more than a couple of paragraphs about the Selkirk Rex (like the LaPerm, it's a relatively new breed); even so, most of the information here is about the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex. That is, when it's about the Rex at all. Fully half the 100-page-or-so book is generic information about taking care of your cat, such as choosing a vet, feeding, and the declawing question. That's not necessarily bad, for those who haven't owned a cat before, and the book is cheap enough that I don't resent the "extra" information. On the other hand, the information specific to the Rex (and to the Selkirk in particular) is good enough to shoot the review up to 4 stars. First, it has incredibly pretty pictures of each of the Rex breeds, lots of them. If you want to compare your new (or proposed) kitty the best-of-the-breed, you'll have plenty of opportunity to do so. That might make it worth the money right there. The authors trace the history of each breed, but more importantly they give plenty of information about the cats' temperment (these are all extremely social cats, and now I know that our kitten's insatiable curiousity will outlast kittenhood) and unique needs. For example, I'm strongly advised to pat-dry Meriwether after a bath (which is recommended once a month), rather than rub his fur dry, because that'll develop mats. It doesn't answer everything (is it just Meri, or are Selkirks all not-jumpers?) but that would be too much to ask for. I've found some of this information on my Internet searches, but not all of it. If for no other reason than the collection of "ooh, isn't she pretty!" photos, I'm glad I got this book.
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