A select list of books for fun from the collection of the U of I Library.

1. The Animals in My Life: Stories of a Country Vet by Grant Kendall. 1996. (Undergraduate)
   Stories from the life of a vet, some drawn from practice in Kentucky, some from childhood and college.
   
   
2. The Cat Who Couldn't See in the Dark: Veterinary Mysteries and Advice on Feline Care and Behavior by S. Howard Padwee. 1997. (University High School)
   A delightful collection of anecdotes by a New York City veterinarian specializing in feline care.
   
   
3. Doctor, Matilda's in Labor! by James A. Porter. 1986. (Veterinary Medicine)
   An autobiographical account, the life of a rural veterinarian practicing in Kansas in the 1950's.
   
   
4. The Dolphin Doctor: A Pioneering Veterinarian Remembers the Extra-ordinary Dolphin that Inspired His Career by Sam H. Ridgway. 1987. (Undergraduate)
   A Navy veterinarian's experience working with marine mammals, and more specifically, his loving relationship with a bottlenosed dolphin.
   
   
5. Fields and Pastures New: My First Year as a Country Vet by John E. McCormack. 1995. (Veterinary Medicine)
   A memoir, the story of a man embarking on his first private veterinary practice in Choctaw County, Alabama, circa 1963.
   
   
6. Hoofbeats and Society: Studies of Human-Horse Interactions by Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence. 1985. (Veterinary Medicine)
   Horse/human relationships from a social scientist's perspective. Includes "The Horse in Crow Indian Culture, Past and Present," "The White Mustang of the Prairies," "Rodeo Horses: The Wild and the Tame," "Mounted Police: A Symbolic Study of Urban Horses," and "Horses in Human Experience."
   
   
7. If Wishes Were Horses by Loretta Gage and Nancy Gage. 1993. (Veterinary Medicine)
   An autobiographical account, a woman's experience of the stresses and joys of vet school at Colorado State University.
   
   
8. I Never Met an Animal I Didn't Like by Rory C. Foster. 1987. (Undergraduate)
   A memoir by a veterinarian who founded a wildlife hospital and rehabilitation center in Wisconsin.
   
   
9. Is There a Doctor in the Zoo? by David Taylor. 1978. (Veterinary Medicine)
   "We don't know enough about these creatures. We haven't the tools", said the senior partner. The partner's disinterest in the care of the animals at a nearby zoo was the opportunity for the author to be actively engaged in zoo animal medicine. Written only 2 years after his first book, Zoo Vet, this book tells the gradual development of the author from a small town, mixed practice vet to a jet-setting practitioner of exotic animal medicine. His work takes him to such far-flung places as Pakistan, Malaysia, the Arabian Gulf, Germany, France, Indonesia, and the U. S.
   
   
10. James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories by James Herriot. 1996. (Undergraduate)
    Herriot's endearing anecdotes about his favorite pups: Tricki Woo, Hermann, Jock, and others.
    
    
11. Most of My Patients are Animals by Robert M. Miller. 1985. (Veterinary Medicine)
    An autobiographical account by a vet who began his practice in 1950's California, full of humorous anecdotes and embarrassing moments. RMM is also known for his cartoons.
    
    
12. Olympic Vet: A Didactic Memoir by Joseph C. O'Dea. 1996. (Veterinary Medicine)
    Mr. O'Dea's account of his life as a veterinary practitioner and his work as a veterinary member of the U.S. Equestrian team from 1955-1975.
    
    
13. Phyllis, Phallus, Genghis Cohen and Other Creatures I Have Known by Fredric L. Frye. 1984. (Veterinary Medicine)
    A book of humorous anecdotes about a veterinarian's practice in Berkeley , CA, in the 1960's and early 1970's.
    
    
14. Vet in Africa: Life on the Zambezi, 1913-1933: Selected Letters and Memoirs of John Smith by John Smith. 1997. (Main)
    John Smith's son collected these letters as a way of remembering his father's experience as veterinarian in Rhodesia, 1913-1932.
    
    
15. You Be Good Vet, Doc: Venture in Grenada by Doc "Cal" Ashby and Ann F. Ashby. 1988. (Undergraduate)
    After twentysome years of veterinary practice in Missouri, Doc Ashby and his family embark on a year in Grenada for a change of scenery and perspective.
    
    
16. Zoo Vet: Adventures of a Wild Animal Doctor by David Taylor. 1977. (Veterinary Medicine)
    "At times I wondered if I had made the right decision" says the author in this delightful book of tales from his experience as a veterinarian for exotic animals from armadillos to zebras. Through many events which took place during the early years of his career, the author expresses the sadness of seeing animals die due to the lack of adequate medical care as well as the joy of bringing them back to health with humor, honesty, and deep passion for wild animals.

For additional books, look in Illinet Online under these subject headings:
Veterinarians-anecdotes
Veterinarians-biography
Veterinarians-correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Veterinarians-fiction

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