T.E. W. (terez93) reviewed The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality on + 273 more book reviews
The best quote is actually at the conclusion. It reads simply, "Loving animals teaches us about being alive. Doing so teaches us about being human."
This was a great read about a fascinating profession, and a dedicated, empathetic and passionate practitioner: it's in the tradition of "All Creatures Great and Small," written by country vet James Herriot, a series which has been much celebrated the world over since its publication in the 1970s. I read the entire series when I was a teenager, when I was contemplating becoming a veterinarian in high school, so I tend to gravitate toward veterinarian memoirs and give them a try whenever I see them.
This lovely autobiography is quite introspective, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, and describes the author's fascinating journey to vet life from the time she was a child. It's always striking to see how the experiences we have in youth shape us as adults, and, for so many of us, that has involved experiences with animals. As such, I'm no different, even though my own journey took a different path. A word of warning, though: it is poignant, and, at times, deeply sorrowful, as the author doesn't mince words about her experiences with death, which is a central theme of the book, specifically, love and loss. She is very forthcoming about the loss of several of her own beloved companions, over the course of nearly two decades, so if you've lost beloved pets, as I have, it's at times painful to read. And, only at the end, do we learn that Dr. Fine herself became a cancer survivor.
"The Other Family Doctor" is a great title, and definitely speaks truth! Most people I know consider their pets to be family members, and having a good working relationship with a vet you know and trust greatly relieves anxiety in a time of great stress and sometimes heartache. This is the story of the author's personal journey, undertaken at a time of great change, when women were making significant inroads into the profession, which had long been dominated by men. This is an area I would have liked to have read much more about - her challenges in breaking through the glass ceiling - as some of the experiences Dr. Fine described were downright infuriating (and illegal, at that time). Those early experiences certainly shaped her practice, however, and in some ways led to her doing things her own way, which included becoming a visiting veterinarian when the practice was still quite unorthodox, and learning about holistic medicine, which is only now starting to become a more accepted feature of traditional human medical practice as well.
Some of the anecdotes are humorous, but many more are profound and deeply personal. As stated above, this is one of the rare reads I've encountered where the author is very personal about her own pain in losing her beloved pets. She's also very candid about her own failures and shortcomings, describing how she has overcome obstacles, including self-doubt, which we all face in our professions, but even more so as a woman in a then-male-dominated field, where imposter syndrome was likely rife. Learning to trust her own inner voice, and seeing firsthand the difference she made in the lives of pets and their people, made all the difference, however, and it's very inspiring to read about the fulfillment and success experienced by a devoted practitioner with a deep sense of responsibility toward both animals and humans.
The book is inspiring, but not in a preachy or self-help kind of way, which I don't usually enjoy all that much. It takes the approach of learning and making a connection by reading the experiences of others, both their triumphs and tragedies, which requires a great degree of honesty and courage from the author. After all, her clients will certainly be reading her books! Highly recommended for pet lovers - and the resources she provides on everything from choosing a pet and avoiding unethical breeders to animal care, to self-care, was very refreshing.
Best wishes to Dr. Fine and all her patients, both the two- and four-legged ones!
This was a great read about a fascinating profession, and a dedicated, empathetic and passionate practitioner: it's in the tradition of "All Creatures Great and Small," written by country vet James Herriot, a series which has been much celebrated the world over since its publication in the 1970s. I read the entire series when I was a teenager, when I was contemplating becoming a veterinarian in high school, so I tend to gravitate toward veterinarian memoirs and give them a try whenever I see them.
This lovely autobiography is quite introspective, which I enjoyed more than I thought I would, and describes the author's fascinating journey to vet life from the time she was a child. It's always striking to see how the experiences we have in youth shape us as adults, and, for so many of us, that has involved experiences with animals. As such, I'm no different, even though my own journey took a different path. A word of warning, though: it is poignant, and, at times, deeply sorrowful, as the author doesn't mince words about her experiences with death, which is a central theme of the book, specifically, love and loss. She is very forthcoming about the loss of several of her own beloved companions, over the course of nearly two decades, so if you've lost beloved pets, as I have, it's at times painful to read. And, only at the end, do we learn that Dr. Fine herself became a cancer survivor.
"The Other Family Doctor" is a great title, and definitely speaks truth! Most people I know consider their pets to be family members, and having a good working relationship with a vet you know and trust greatly relieves anxiety in a time of great stress and sometimes heartache. This is the story of the author's personal journey, undertaken at a time of great change, when women were making significant inroads into the profession, which had long been dominated by men. This is an area I would have liked to have read much more about - her challenges in breaking through the glass ceiling - as some of the experiences Dr. Fine described were downright infuriating (and illegal, at that time). Those early experiences certainly shaped her practice, however, and in some ways led to her doing things her own way, which included becoming a visiting veterinarian when the practice was still quite unorthodox, and learning about holistic medicine, which is only now starting to become a more accepted feature of traditional human medical practice as well.
Some of the anecdotes are humorous, but many more are profound and deeply personal. As stated above, this is one of the rare reads I've encountered where the author is very personal about her own pain in losing her beloved pets. She's also very candid about her own failures and shortcomings, describing how she has overcome obstacles, including self-doubt, which we all face in our professions, but even more so as a woman in a then-male-dominated field, where imposter syndrome was likely rife. Learning to trust her own inner voice, and seeing firsthand the difference she made in the lives of pets and their people, made all the difference, however, and it's very inspiring to read about the fulfillment and success experienced by a devoted practitioner with a deep sense of responsibility toward both animals and humans.
The book is inspiring, but not in a preachy or self-help kind of way, which I don't usually enjoy all that much. It takes the approach of learning and making a connection by reading the experiences of others, both their triumphs and tragedies, which requires a great degree of honesty and courage from the author. After all, her clients will certainly be reading her books! Highly recommended for pet lovers - and the resources she provides on everything from choosing a pet and avoiding unethical breeders to animal care, to self-care, was very refreshing.
Best wishes to Dr. Fine and all her patients, both the two- and four-legged ones!
Elizabeth R. (esjro) -
Very pleasant read that is a mixture of tales about the author's personal and professional lives. The blend worked - it was interesting to see how her experiences as a pet owner and patient influenced how she approaches her job as a veterinarian.
