Dr. Jan Pol is a veterinarian who mostly treats large animals. He has his own television show about his veterinary practice. This non-fiction book is largely Dr. Pol recounting his adventures in animal medicine.

My Rating:
4/5 Stars

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I went in expecting it to be similar to books by James Herriot or Nick Trout. Dr. Pol's book was different and pleasantly unexpected.

Dr. Pol largely works with livestock in his practice and his book has a lot of honest discussion about the difference in treating commercial animals versus companion animals. The focus on being a veterinarian for farmers is similar to James Herrriot's books though I believe Herriot glossed over many aspects of the practice to make it more palatable for animal lovers to read. Dr. Pol doesn't gloss over the realities of caring for patient's who exist to serve humans, mostly by providing food. There are many raw moments in the book that broke my animal loving heart because the care of commercial animals is so different than pets. Some of the animals Dr. Pol sees are technically fixable but to heal them would destroy their function and so Dr. Pol has to suggest they be taken to slaughter.

I think this is an incredibly honest book about the realities of veterinary medicine and an excellent book for students considering a veterinary profession. It is not a book for animal lovers who want warm fuzzy stories about the desperate struggle to heal sick animals. If you are an animal lover who wants warm and fuzzy tales of healing I suggest Herriot or Trout.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It has some very difficult moments and gruesome (though not particularly graphic) descriptions of care given to livestock.

I did enjoy this book but I had a hard time imagining who the audience was for it. I assume those who watch the show are used to Dr. Pol's honesty. It was a bit of a shock to me at first. I was expecting warm fuzzy stories about healing animals and, while there were some of those, there were also plenty of times animals lives were ended because healing them wouldn't be a good business decision.

I think this book was interesting and honest but proceed with caution if you have never watched Dr. Pol's show or are squeamish about the realities of the meat and dairy industries. ( )

If you've watched The Incredible Dr. Pol on NatGeoWild, you won't find much new territory covered in this book. That said, it is readable, interesting and oddly comforting. I recommend it, particularly if you're already a fan. ( )

This is one of those books that stick with you. There are those books that are great reads, but after they're finished they sort of flow out of your brain. Then there are those that you find yourself thinking about while you're lying in bed in the morning, or your putzing around the house, or driving in the car. You have become AWARE. This is one of those books. You've become aware and consider things just a bit differently. I won this in a GoodReads Review Giveaway, and I truly enjoyed it. It doesn't glamorize the vet's profession, but it does spotlight human empathy. Something I've found that seems to be in short supply. And it's a reflection of a real Life; never as clean, organized, or as crap-free as you'd like it to be. One of the fun things about this book is that it hasn't been "dressed up". As you read you can hear Dr. Pol's voice clearly speaking to you. This is a unique way of speaking if you've ever seen his show on Nat Geo Wild. Or if you read this book and then watch the series, you will find it very familiar. His personality clear comes through. ( )

As enjoyable as the TV series. Fills in a lot of background of Dr. Pol and the family. ( )

Really liked the nice, simple stories, am curious about the series. ( )