Sara Rath

Review from Booklist:

This delightful romp through the bovine world is full of both cow facts and cow trivia. One of our longest-domesticated animals, cattle are so familiar to us that we take this "foster mother of the human race" for granted. However, there are many more breeds of cattle than the familiar Holsteins and Herefords, and more to cows than milk and cow pies (the inevitable outcome of food going in the front end). Cow facts, such as the origin of domestic cattle with the now-extinct aurochs and the spread of cattle all over the world, are presented along with cow trivia, such as how to say "moo" in various languages and information on cows in mythology and religion. A particularly interesting and useful chapter lists cattle breeds of the world from Angus to Zebu, and the numerous color photographs illustrate many of these lesser-known breeds. Though not an encyclopedia reference, The Complete Cow is an entertaining look at animals many feel a great fondness for, and as such is recommended. (December, 1998)