Cows: A Rumination Book

Carl Hileman's fine art photography exhibits have drawn enthusiastic viewers from around the country, mostly because his views of man's second-best friend are quirky, loving, and unique. In Cows: A Rumination, sixty of his photos are collected for the first time in book form. Using infrared, black-and-white film, his works give a glow to the cows that highlight their natural dignity and power. Words of bovine wisdom from a herd of notables — all of them, like their subjects, outstanding in their fields — pay homage to the cow in song, poetry, and humor. Contemporary contributors include renowned artist George Rodrigue, Nobel-prize winner Vernon L. Smith, and country music greats "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson, Larry Gatlin, Doug Kershaw, and Tanya Tucker. The book also includes classic ruminations from the likes of Robert Frost, Groucho Marx, and even Mrs. O'Leary, whose cow was mistakenly blamed for the great Chicago fire. By turns witty, bittersweet, and enlightening, Cows: A Rumination is a love poem to an often overlooked — but essential — member of our society.