"My job isn't to revolutionize anything. My job is to give women a sense of relief, to acknowledge what they're struggling with." —Cathy Guisewite

  Like women around the globe, Cathy has been constantly puzzled by her romantic relationships. From Irving to Simon to Alex, the men in Cathy's life have provided a never-ending source of confusion and amusement ever since the strip began in 1976. "If men's hair falls out," our weary heroine laments, "it's because there's nothing in there for it to hold onto."

 It's no wonder, then, that cartoonist Cathy Guisewite's Cathy collection should be called Understanding the "Why" Chromosome. In this hilarious book, Cathy outdoes herself in witty revelations about men, food, Mom, and career: Cathy's four basic guilt groups. Cathy epitomizes the highs and lows felt by distaff women throughout the world. 

In Understanding the "Why" Chromosome, Cathy's found a new challenge: a boyfriend who's a decade younger than she. Fitness fanatic Alex, who's sensitive and not particularly ambitious, introduces Cathy to an entirely new relationship angst, then introduces her to his hip, young mother. Cathy's baffled by the age difference, but is just as stumped when he proposes. "What's wrong with our relationship the way it is now? "she wails when Alex finally pops the question.

  Throughout her trials and tribulations, Cathy's friends keep her sane. There's happily married Charlene, the office loudspeaker; exhausted Andrea, mother of Zenith and Gus; her well-meaning mom and dad; Cathy's unrealistic boss, Mr. Pinkley; and bouncy little Electra, Cathy's canine alter ego. Her frequent and frustrating shopping excursions also give rise to an enormous wave of female recognition "Skip the clothes and just shove a Stairmaster through the curtain," Cathy deadpans.

  Cathy Guisewite is an enormously talented cartoonist who has won numerous awards for her strip and animated television shows. Her countless fans trust Cathy to constantly express the right blend of humor and observation almost as if she had x-ray vision into the human condition.

Understanding the "Why" Chromosome

$24.99

Patrick McDonnell's MUTTS is up there with Peanuts, Pogo, Krazy Kat, and Calvin and Hobbes-cartoons that are smart and funny, brilliantly drawn and full of heart." -Matt Groening, The Simpsons creator

"To me, MUTTS is exactly what a comic strip should be." -Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator

* The Best of Mutts is an impressively lavish 10-year retrospective featuring Patrick McDonnell's favorite Mutts strips published since 1994, along with original commentary and an introduction by authors Glen David Gold (Carter Beats the Devil) and Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones).

More About The Best of MUTTS

Ten years. A decade. In dog and cat years it's even longer, and in cartooning years, well, it's just plain rare to maintain the popularity and consistent excellence that MUTTS and Patrick McDonnell have achieved. In The Best of MUTTS the 17th-and first-ever hardcover with Andrews McMeel Publishing- MUTTS cartoon collection, McDonnell selects his favorite strips from the past 10 years.

* Certain to be a much-sought-after holiday gift and a special tome for collectors and fans, this collection is divided into ten chapters, each featuring an introduction by McDonnell.

* Earl and Mooch, along with supporting sidekicks Shtinky Puddin', Sourpuss, Guard Dog, and Crabby, are featured. Including the Gift of Nothing, the introduction of the pink sock, belly rubs, angel visits, and the formation of the MUTTS Book Club, this treasury collects more than 300 poignantly entertaining MUTTS strips.

* Always striking a delicate balance between lighthearted fun and responsible social commentary, McDonnell's work has been recognized by critics and the popular press for its distinctive style, heartwarming humor, and strong yet non-preachy stand on responsible pet ownership, animal protection and advocacy, art and artist appreciation, the celebration of nature, and the sanctity of all life.

* MUTTS appears in 700 newspapers in over 20 countries and receives about two million visits each month to its official Web site, muttscomics.com

The Best of MUTTS

$24.95