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Ask the Animals: A Vet's-Eye View of Pets and the People They Love
Reminiscent of James Herriot's wonderful books, Coston's memoir offers zany, sad, and touching stories about a medical practice where the patients cannot speak, yet communicate deeply Bruce R. Coston's first book is a warm, funny, and amazingly fulfilling celebration of the wonderful world of animals as seen through the eyes of a small-town veterinarian.
The patients are an eclectic and surprising cast of characters who display incredible bravery and nobility at times, and unbelievable goofiness at others. There's Sandy, the dog who resurrected herself from death. There's Daphne, the transvestite cat who taught Bruce to be a cat person. And the owners are no less engaging, ranging from the angelic to the squeamish, teaching Bruce what it really means to be an animal doctor.
Readers will gain insight into the pathos and passion, the mundane and extraordinary, the thigh-slapping humor and the crushing sadness of a vet's life as he seeks to mend and restore people's treasured companions. Written with great warmth, this book imparts a deeper understanding of the pets who daily enrich our lives.
The patients are an eclectic and surprising cast of characters who display incredible bravery and nobility at times, and unbelievable goofiness at others. There's Sandy, the dog who resurrected herself from death. There's Daphne, the transvestite cat who taught Bruce to be a cat person. And the owners are no less engaging, ranging from the angelic to the squeamish, teaching Bruce what it really means to be an animal doctor.
Readers will gain insight into the pathos and passion, the mundane and extraordinary, the thigh-slapping humor and the crushing sadness of a vet's life as he seeks to mend and restore people's treasured companions. Written with great warmth, this book imparts a deeper understanding of the pets who daily enrich our lives.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
31 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 21, 2021
3.75 stars
This is a memoir by a veterinarian. It focuses more on his life than the animal anecdotes, but those are definitely added in, as well; that is, it the larger focus is on his life in becoming and being a veterinarian (as well as some family life and his own pets).
For the most part I liked it. I found the schooling and the anecdotes interesting. Of his home life, the pets were the best part. I was disappointed, however, to read that at least one of his cats (not sure about the others) was declawed, as was the office cat at his practice.
This is a memoir by a veterinarian. It focuses more on his life than the animal anecdotes, but those are definitely added in, as well; that is, it the larger focus is on his life in becoming and being a veterinarian (as well as some family life and his own pets).
For the most part I liked it. I found the schooling and the anecdotes interesting. Of his home life, the pets were the best part. I was disappointed, however, to read that at least one of his cats (not sure about the others) was declawed, as was the office cat at his practice.
January 4, 2020
Bruce Coston just writes funny, heartwarming stories that touch my heart. The book's pure amazingness. It's also great for anyone interested in becoming a veterinarian, to see what a vet actually does.
March 3, 2017
I would give this a 3.5. I liked this for the most part. Bruce Coston D.V.M. writes of his own life and being a veterinarian . He does talk about his own life and family and the pets he has owned. Going to vet school, getting married and the places he has practiced. He does talk some about the animals he has treated but not as much as I had hoped. I get that part of this book is about his life and that is okay. I would have liked to read more about the dogs cats etc. he has treated. Okay book on animals though.
November 12, 2009
Not enough about the animals. Often repeated the same details in his "stories". There are better vet memoirs out there.
March 31, 2018
There are some touching stories in here, and some gentle humor. I'm glad I had it on the bookstand when I was suffering from insomnia for over a week.
started-and-dropped
April 11, 2012I'm a little surprised that no one else who's reviewed this on Goodreads was grossed out by the author's treatment of women. The first few chapters are an over-the-top homage to his wife written in a kind of paternalistic way (Like all red-blooded young men, I was scared of commitment! Like all red-blooded men, I have no opinion on domestic matters!). Then, he writes in great detail about the physical appearance of attractive clients and staff at his clinic, including one scene in which a high school student intern's chest plays a starring "comic" role. He seems like the kind of man whose eyes roam well below your face when he talks to you. On top of a fairly saccharine writing style, I was compelled to stop reading.
March 13, 2017
Heartwarming. Also a look at veterinary practices from a couple of decades ago.
We get a clear look of where Dr Costen comes from- how he and his wife settled in Virginia. We also catch a glimpse of what was considered routine at that time- cat declawing- which thankfully, is no longer as matter of fact as it was, and is actively frowned upon by the Veterinary community and most pet owners. Expect his next book to delve on more of his patients...and their owners. Maybe more of the patients that benefit from the Tracey Webster Foundation.
We get a clear look of where Dr Costen comes from- how he and his wife settled in Virginia. We also catch a glimpse of what was considered routine at that time- cat declawing- which thankfully, is no longer as matter of fact as it was, and is actively frowned upon by the Veterinary community and most pet owners. Expect his next book to delve on more of his patients...and their owners. Maybe more of the patients that benefit from the Tracey Webster Foundation.
March 17, 2017
A True and Worthy Five Star
Indescribable pleasure reading Dr. Coston's heart rendering novel sprinkled with gentle doses of humor. Obvious is his depth of devotion not only to his patients but just as genuinely to his patients' people-families. I found it extremely difficult to set aside "Ask the Animals" when there existed no choice but to temporarily halt further reading. Strongly recommended reading -- from someone not easily impressed!!
Indescribable pleasure reading Dr. Coston's heart rendering novel sprinkled with gentle doses of humor. Obvious is his depth of devotion not only to his patients but just as genuinely to his patients' people-families. I found it extremely difficult to set aside "Ask the Animals" when there existed no choice but to temporarily halt further reading. Strongly recommended reading -- from someone not easily impressed!!
January 19, 2010
Part memoir, part veterinary case studies, and part chronicle of his own pets and their place in his family. Pet lovers will enjoy this warm and often humorous account of his experiences. Many chapters will make you smile, and one will break your heart.
August 11, 2012
Another "tales from a vet clinic" book, but of course I'm a sucker for these things. I appreciated his details about applying and getting into school, but there were quite a few stories about his own pets. I just wish there were more "characters."
April 22, 2015
Great read for me as a former vet's assistant as it brought back memories from work and the interaction with animals / owners.
Some stories made me cry. Others made me laugh out loud.
And Barney Webster: ❤️
Some stories made me cry. Others made me laugh out loud.
And Barney Webster: ❤️
March 16, 2017
Absolutely great read
Pick any three of the five star reviews and put them together. That will give a true feel for the writing skill and warmth Dr. Coston brings to these pages.
Pick any three of the five star reviews and put them together. That will give a true feel for the writing skill and warmth Dr. Coston brings to these pages.
June 29, 2018
This was a wonderful book about a vet's practice. Great characters human and animal!
August 1, 2023
What a great read! I laughed, cried, and thoroughly enjoyed all the way through. My only criticisms are that at times, the author can sound lofty and a little patronizing. I also noticed that after he was married in the book's timeline, he pointed out multiple times how he found other women beautiful or attractive, even pointing it out about a teenage client one time, mentioning how her legs were awkward like all little girls' legs at that stage. I found that a little unsettling, but decided to let it slide because the rest was so good.
March 12, 2019
I thought this book would be more about the animals and his experience with them than it was. It was more of a memoir of his life with some things about animals sprinkled in. The book was fine, but not really what I was looking for.
December 29, 2024
Great book! If you love dogs, this book is for you! This book will have you in tears of joy and pain. You understand these feelings if you have ever had a dog or animal that you love or have loved and lost.
June 25, 2021
Awesome. James Herriot reincarnated.
October 7, 2021
lOVED THIS BOOK. i ONLY READ VET BOOKS. THANKS .
February 15, 2023
Well written stories of animals & their people, something any animal lover would enjoy.
October 8, 2020
This book is just fantastic. I read his second book first and loved it so much that I searched high and low for this book, which is available for free on Open Library!
Bruce's story of becoming a vet is just super, and his account of finding his wife and eventually having children is a wonderful, fly on the wall experience.
I have been reading different vet memoirs in the hopes of finding others who give me the feeling of James Herriot, and I'm happy to report that Bruce Coston hits very close to the mark--the best of what I've read so far, by far! :)
I'm only sorry that I have no more books of Bruce's to read. Let's hope he writes another one some day!
Bruce's story of becoming a vet is just super, and his account of finding his wife and eventually having children is a wonderful, fly on the wall experience.
I have been reading different vet memoirs in the hopes of finding others who give me the feeling of James Herriot, and I'm happy to report that Bruce Coston hits very close to the mark--the best of what I've read so far, by far! :)
I'm only sorry that I have no more books of Bruce's to read. Let's hope he writes another one some day!
October 28, 2012
Having worked in veterinary medicine for over 15 years, I have always been drawn to books of this type. The last book I read "Animal E.R." was so true to life that it made me feel like I was back in the ICU again... and made me miss my job all over again. (I had to give it up due to health issues).
This book, however, written about a small animal vet (a general practitioner)--a type of place I have also worked--spent more time discussing the life of the vet himself. There were chapters about specific patients, but there seemed to be more chapters about his time through vet school, meeting his wife, marrying his wife, both of his wife's pregnancies (two separate chapters),and how he came to be a member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. In essence, the book was more about the vet himself, not about the animals he cares for and the people that love them.
It is not a bad book, and is not poorly-written, but I was deeply disappointed.
This book, however, written about a small animal vet (a general practitioner)--a type of place I have also worked--spent more time discussing the life of the vet himself. There were chapters about specific patients, but there seemed to be more chapters about his time through vet school, meeting his wife, marrying his wife, both of his wife's pregnancies (two separate chapters),and how he came to be a member of the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. In essence, the book was more about the vet himself, not about the animals he cares for and the people that love them.
It is not a bad book, and is not poorly-written, but I was deeply disappointed.
August 24, 2012
Ask The Animals is Dr. Bruce Coston's first book. It starts out with him as a senior in high school and progresses through the first few years of his career as a vet. I enjoyed this book a lot, as it started with a particular character and then went full circle with him, ending up with the same character. I did read Dr. Coston's second book first (as part of an online reading group) and I will say that this book doesn't have quite the same polish and flow as the second one does (The Gift Of Pets). The stories felt a bit more disjointed, and I also felt as though we didn't get to know the more central characters (ie. the staff) quite as well. I missed that in this book, since it is well done in the second one. With that being said, this book was a good read, and I would particularly recommend it for anybody that enjoys animal stories.
December 19, 2015
I love to read veterinary memoirs; I think that it's the career path that I would have chosen if I had my life to live over. As others have noted, this memoir focused excessively on the author's life events (his relationship with his girlfriend before their engagement, his wife's pregnancies, etc.). I preferred the parts of the book which dealt with the animals Dr. Coston treated. I also found Dr. Coston's writing style a bit precious at times. Still, a worthwhile read.
March 19, 2013
An easy read, Ask the Animals is a collection of vet's-eye stories that were a bit uneven for me. Personally, I was looking for more about the animals and quirky characters and perhaps less of the doc's history. I was also bothered by the cavalier use of declawing, though I realize that views on this have changed over time. There were some very touching moments, though, that had me sniffling. Recommended with the above caveats.
November 15, 2016
A book that I originally found to be mildly taxing due to a slightly judgmental and somewhat selfish attitude from the author, I nevertheless ended up finishing the book, walking away from it and then promptly wishing there was another story to read.
While Dr. Coston does not make you fall in love with himself as a person, I could not help but fall in love with the patients and people around him.
While Dr. Coston does not make you fall in love with himself as a person, I could not help but fall in love with the patients and people around him.
February 11, 2010
I enjoyed this book, but for those of you looking for a new James Herriot, this author isn't it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good either. Too many personal details and not enough about the animals, which is what I picked the book up for!
May 14, 2012
This is somewhere between a collection of vet tales/essays and an autobiography of a small town veterinarian. It wasn't the fastest or most amazing read, but it had a sweetness to it that kept me going.
July 30, 2015
I didn't like this as much as I thought I'd do, but I still thought it was insightful and thought-provoking. A really good book for all Veterinary Medicine Students, Veterinarians and anyone who loves animals. 3 out of 5 stars.
January 13, 2010
...easy, fun new-non-fiction written by a Vet for any that enjoy animals....I enjoyed this easy read book...**** 4star
April 20, 2010
Really enjoyed this memoir Bruce Coston. Wish I had him for my dog's vet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews