 Vet Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet's Health, by Dr. Louise Murray I know that for a concerned pet owner, trying to keep up with the latest information can be a bit daunting. There has been a great deal of change in veterinary medicine over the last few decades, and these developments have occurred so rapidly that the profession itself hasn’t had time to catch up or establish uniform standards. There is much diversity in the way veterinary medicine is being practiced, and this in turn has led to confusion among consumers who lack the facts they require to make informed decisions regarding their pets’ health care. My goal has been to clear up some of that confusion, for you and others like you.
 Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, by John Grogan I started reading this book on a plane. I’m pretty sure the guy in the seat next to me thought I was a loon: I was laughing out loud, really laughing, not just a quick giggle. Then, next thing he knew, I was sniffling, fumbling around in my bag for a tissue. This book about a man and his dog is extremely well written, and beautifully captures the feelings our pets can inspire and the way they truly become part of our families. When you read it, have a big box of Kleenex handy.  Animals in Translation, by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson Temple is one of the most interesting people I know of, and this book is unique and fascinating. Temple is autistic, which is a condition that is pretty mysterious to a lot of us. She has used the insight her autism gives her to help literally millions of animals, particularly by applying her understanding of them to help design systems that make farm animals’ lives much less frightening. In this book she shares her insight into the way animals think, feel, and communicate, and it’s really eye opening as well as a great read.  The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen Written 30 years ago, this book is an unmatched classic that every reader should experience. It is the story of a trek through Nepal, to study the Himalayan blue sheep, who are “neither sheep nor goat, but a creature perhaps very close to the ancestral goatlike animal of about twenty million years ago” and in search of the rare and beautiful snow leopard, whose coat is “pale misty gray, with black rosettes that are clouded by the depth of the rich fur”. The author’s hauntingly magical descriptions of the animals and the land they inhabit transports the reader far away; when you put the book down you feel like you have taken a long and wonderful journey.  All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot Hopefully every animal lover has read this book and the series that follows, but if you haven’t, I envy you because you have something to really look forward to. James Herriot (whose real name was Alf Wight) was a veterinarian who began practicing in England in 1940. His beautifully written anecdotes from his years as an animal doctor make the most enchanting stories, and have inspired many past, present, (and future) veterinarians to their calling, including yours truly. Luckily he wrote five books in this series because once you read this one you will want more.
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