Monday, January 17, 2011

Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles

And Then Some Publishing Book Review Mondays
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.


This is a very interesting book for several reasons.  First, you get an inside, educated, and detailed look at the workings of a specialized veterinary clinic.  Trout is a staff surgeon at the Angell Animal Medical Center.  If you’re a person who just enjoys finding out how other facets of our society operate, then this book can be read and enjoyed for this reason alone.  And, it’s written for a layperson and includes no jargon or sophisticated vocabulary.

Second, Trout tells engaging stories, and it is fascinating to find out how the cases he treats resolve themselves.  The cases are interesting, the details are specific, and readers will truly want to keep reading to see what happens.

Third, whether you are an animal lover or not, it is delightful and charming to see the way a truly dedicated veterinarian treats both the animals in his care and the people who own those animals.  This is a book of compassion, and you don’t need to be an animal lover to appreciate it.  It can serve as a model for the compassion needed between relationship partners, neighbors, and those with views that differ from others.  It is a warm, endearing, and enchanting (even beguiling) story of both the empathy and sympathy needed as we deal with others.

J. Zeh, of Richmond, Virginia, wrote the following as part of his (or her) review at Amazon.com: “The author really shines in his descriptions of those slices of life, brief scenes that illuminate the people so clearly. Here is one about Ben and Eileen, deciding to pursue expensive cancer treatment for their dog:  "Could he really justify the cost without the promise of reward?... Ben never wavered. He had no idea how he would do it but he would do it, because at that moment, what was passing between them was precisely what his marriage to Eileen was all about. You could forget about the romantic getaways for two, the candlelit dinner at a fine-dining restaurant, or the contents of a small, velvety box. This intimate, unadorned moment, this connection, this was what mattered. This was the substance of their relationship, the inexpressable spark that lasts and reminds you how lucky you are to be sharing it.

“I hope this author keeps writing,” J. Zeh continues, “because I love these descriptions of small moments. They are like nuggets of gold in an overall pretty good book, which is a very enjoyable read. I look forward to more books from this author.”

L. A., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has neatly summarized my feelings about this book: “This is a very touching book about how special animals can show humans the best things in life if we let them. Animals have a way of living in the moment, not worrying, loving unconditionally, always forgiving, and being happy no matter what. The author details how two very amazing dogs do that for him.”

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