This book started a bit slow and rambling, good reading to be sure but at first I wasn't sure I wanted to go the distance with it. The first few pages made me feel like the author was just trying to spin imagery and impress us like a heavy-handed high school student writing something and trying to sound important. But it was atmospheric, and it quickly picked up speed and stayed that way the rest of the book, so I'm glad I got it, and recommended for cat lovers and non-cat people, it covers all the ground and does so impactfully. He takes generally realistic, balanced, and very open positions on topics, not afraid to say things that are not positive for cats so not rigged for cat lovers, but net, positive.The thread running through the book is a love story for their cat, Augusta, her trials and endearing character, the people's trials, mistakes, and learnings, and through it all the relationship and feelings between them that all pet owners can understand and that science has finally been proving the last few decades. The book ties things together via Augusta and her story, but it packs a lot of observations and experiences about cats, their character, and how humans interact with them, from around the world. Some are basically reported, some are critiqued (for and against) in rational ways with which most cat owners would probably agree. Some of the author's stated failings or mistakes with their cat are similar to ones we have made, we can relate to them, and he is very open about them and provides insight about the better alternatives. Frankly, I would not let a cat roam in an area infested with rattlesnakes and expect her to return each day but these guys love and have lived in rural Montana as well as other places (e.g., San Francisco), and experienced them fully, and it worked for them and the cat very well.At the end of the day, this is a very good, balanced, and powerful book to read, written from the heart, very emotional but based on factual material, and ties things together very well.