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118th out of 171 books
—
18 voters
Love Is the Best Medicine: What Two Dogs Taught One Veterinarian about Hope, Humility, and Everyday Miracles
by
Nick Trout (Goodreads Author)
A book guaranteed to touch anyone who has ever had a beloved pet…
From instant New York Times bestseller, Dr. Nick Trout comes another touching and heartfelt story from the front lines of veterinary medicine—the story of two dogs who forever changed the way he thought about life, death, fate and love.
Helen is an older cocker spaniel found neglected and abandoned in a restau...more
From instant New York Times bestseller, Dr. Nick Trout comes another touching and heartfelt story from the front lines of veterinary medicine—the story of two dogs who forever changed the way he thought about life, death, fate and love.
Helen is an older cocker spaniel found neglected and abandoned in a restau...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
March 2nd 2010
by Broadway
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Starting LOVE IS THE BEST MEDICINE, I had, if not "great expectations," at least high hopes. Nick Trout's TELL ME WHERE IT HURTS told me that his second book would be worth reading -- despite its pardon-me-while-I-yoan (yawn that sounds like a groan) title. If the author were not a veterinarian, I wouldn't be reviewing this book because I would never have touched a book entitled LOVE IS THE BEST MEDICINE written by anyone other than a vet.
The first half (or more) of Trout's second book made me a...more
The first half (or more) of Trout's second book made me a...more
This is the second book by Nick Trout that I've read (My first was "Tell Me Where It Hurts.") but this one didn't pique my interest the way his previous book did. Now, if I'm going to say that, then it seems only fair to the author that I say why it didn't hold my interest, but I'm not sure I can. The pacing in this book felt slower, and so the story did not progress as fast as I would have liked, but I don't think that's the entire reason for my "just okay" rating. I think my rating has more to...more
Nick Trout is a veterinary surgeon in Boston and here he tells the story of Cleo, a miniature pinscher with a broken leg, Helen, an elderly cocker spaniel who after a life scavenging on the streets gets taken home by a couple who shortly thereafter discover that Helen has lung cancer, and how the lives of these two dogs became connected.
I don't want to be too hard on this book because I think Dr. Trout is well-intentioned (and also because: doggies!), but late in the book when he says that he k...more
I don't want to be too hard on this book because I think Dr. Trout is well-intentioned (and also because: doggies!), but late in the book when he says that he k...more
I received this book from the publisher to review. I was glad that I got this book, being a pet owner. I enjoy reading books about pets and their owners, and how they affect our lives.
Dr. Trout is a veterinary surgeon, and this book focuses on two dogs who could not have more different lives...Cleo, the cherished young min pin who was the beloved pet of Sandi and Helen, a geriatric stray cocker spaniel who was rescued by Eileen.
Dr. Trout writes about the connections between these two dogs, hims...more
Dr. Trout is a veterinary surgeon, and this book focuses on two dogs who could not have more different lives...Cleo, the cherished young min pin who was the beloved pet of Sandi and Helen, a geriatric stray cocker spaniel who was rescued by Eileen.
Dr. Trout writes about the connections between these two dogs, hims...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Dr. Nick Trout, a veterinary surgeon practicing at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center, gives us the stories of two dogs and their loving owners, who had a profound impact on his life. The first is a pampered fourteen-month-old minpin named Cleo, who has just suffered the third leg fracture of her young life. The other is a rescued stray cocker spaniel, found by a kind-hearted couple in the parking lot of a restaurant in suburban Boston. At least ten years old, matted, filthy, and in dire need...more
Dr. Nick Trout a surgeon at Angell Animal Medical Center, located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The animal hospital is a first rate facility with the most modern equipment to be found. In this story Dr. Trout shares with his readers some fascinating insight into the world of animals. In a touching story about two dogs who changed the way he now thinks about life, death, fate and love.
The two special dogs who helped transform Dr. Trout were, Helen an older cocker spaniel found neglected...more
The two special dogs who helped transform Dr. Trout were, Helen an older cocker spaniel found neglected...more
This book touched my heart. Animals have such important lessons to teach us if we only pay attention, and Dr. Trout speaks beautifully for them. Personally, I was taught how to die with dignity and consideration of others by a parakeet named Clouseau. But this particular book resonated so strongly with me, because I was once adopted by an elderly stray tortoiseshell kitty I called Musette. She was only with me 7 months, but she changed my life. She was put to sleep in my arms to spare her more p...more
I recommended his first book "Tell Me Where It Hurts" to an acquaintance who was also a dog lover, and the next time I saw her she told me it was boring! This one is better, but I won't recommend it to her. Trout tells of his experiences at the Angell Animal Hospital in Boston. He is a good story teller, but sometimes the way he arranges chapters confuses me. He was born in Britain, and his writing style is hard for me to characterize, but I think it makes for a certain awkwardness or stiffness....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The first half of this book is superb. I had two really good laughs to the point that people around me wanted to know what was so funny and I really liked the way it was written, more like a novel rather than non fiction. It introduces the two main canine characters, Cleo and Helen, and their human parents and the lead up to their unfortunate medical problems. In between getting to know the two families there are funny stories about what is going on in Dr. Trout's medical facility. This is where...more
2 likes · like · see review
Dec 06, 2011
Christine
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dog Lovers
Shelves:
animals-and-nature
Truthfully, I wasn't very impressed with this book. After reading "Tell Me Where It Hurts", I kind of expected more. Not that this book was bad, and overall I think the general public will enjoy it, but for those of us who have worked at veterinary hospitals, or have had the kind of experiences he has had, I rather expected something less...wishy-washy.
These experiences often come with emotion, and the book was well-written, but in my case it was a little too focused on the spiritual aspect of a...more
These experiences often come with emotion, and the book was well-written, but in my case it was a little too focused on the spiritual aspect of a...more
I literally took 2-3 months to finish this book... It's not that bad, I just can't connect to the story and some of the writings are like in scientific terms - It can be a bit hard to comprehend sometimes. The first chapter is catchy, and I continued on.... then the next chapters seemed to disconnect me from the story and I just lost interest reading another chapter... I guess the transition is just too sudden!
But nevertheless, I really love some parts of the stories and how heart-warming they a...more
But nevertheless, I really love some parts of the stories and how heart-warming they a...more
Feb 17, 2011
Rose
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads,
my-library
Yeah! Thank you First Reads program, Crown Publishing and Dr. Nick Trout. I loved his first book and can't wait to read this one.
"...does a dog's tail beat to the rhythm of her own heartbeat, or to the rhythm of ours?"
I totally agree with Dr. Trout - Love is the best medicine. Anyone who has ever had their heart stolen and life infiltrated by a beloved animal will love this book. It teaches us that love is about living and enjoying every moment with your furry friend. They can bring amazing th...more
"...does a dog's tail beat to the rhythm of her own heartbeat, or to the rhythm of ours?"
I totally agree with Dr. Trout - Love is the best medicine. Anyone who has ever had their heart stolen and life infiltrated by a beloved animal will love this book. It teaches us that love is about living and enjoying every moment with your furry friend. They can bring amazing th...more
Author Nick Trout is a veterinary surgeon working in a large animal hospital in Boston. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be a vet, this is a good book to read. Dr. Trout weaves the stories of various cases and patients into this book in a very interesting entertaining way, except...the author spent too much time on the back story of a woman from a dysfunctional background at the beginning of the book. Seriously, I almost quit reading because I thought I must be reading fiction...more
I read Nick Trout's first book and really enjoyed it. My son had given it to me at Christmas. I came home a few weeks later and found it missing a big chunk. My new dog had eaten the book, which I had placed on the bookcase for display. I recently had my dog "Mowgli" in to see the infamous Dr Trout. He had leg surgery, twice! His back hind is very expensive for a rescue dog! Dr Trout was very nice and enjoyed my story of "Mowgli" eating his book. I thoroughly enjoyed his books and highly recomme...more
This was a well written book from the point of view of a veterinarian surgeon who used the story (a somewhat tragic, but heartwarming one) of a sweet doggy to transfer over skill and love and the dream of healing and a chance of life toward other dogs that he treated, to fulfill the wishes of this dog's owner. He just struck me as a very compassionate man who loves dogs, and this one dog/owner in particular really impacted him and changed him for the better. It was extremely sweet, and I loved a...more
I got this free through Goodreads First Reads.
The best I can do is 2 stars. The first dog in the book, a black cocker spaniel, from what I read is a puppy. Later in the book I find out it's an 11-13 year old mature dog. So that's the first confusing thing.
He does talk about other animals other than the two dogs and that's okay, because the story of the cat Henry is hilarious and better than anything else in the book. And there are a lot of stuff that's just boring.
The book was okay and I'm glad...more
The best I can do is 2 stars. The first dog in the book, a black cocker spaniel, from what I read is a puppy. Later in the book I find out it's an 11-13 year old mature dog. So that's the first confusing thing.
He does talk about other animals other than the two dogs and that's okay, because the story of the cat Henry is hilarious and better than anything else in the book. And there are a lot of stuff that's just boring.
The book was okay and I'm glad...more
I have a confession to make: I received this book for review from a goodreads.com giveaway (see what books are currently available for giveaway here), sometime last year, and I just now got around to reading it. I am an animal lover through and through, so I was sort of saving this one for a rainy day. In my experience, reading about animals of any kind usually brings me to tears (Where the Red Fern Grows is one of my all time favorites!). I haven't been in the mood that I could handle the emoti...more
I genuinely liked this book. The audiobook is read by Jonathan Cowley and he does a good job of helping you connect with the characters despite the fact that he is very British sounding and all of the cast of characters are located North Americans except for the doctor who is British himself. Cowley doesn't do any American/Canadian accents so it's a little weird to hear him say things that you want to hear spoken naturally, but its in his thick accent.
As a book I can tell you that the message of...more
As a book I can tell you that the message of...more
I am a dog lover, so I was interested in reading this book as soon as I first heard about it. I was excited to win this book through a Goodreads "First Reads" giveaway.
Dr. Trout is a veterinary surgeon, and we get to follow him behinds the scenes at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He cares deeply about his patients and their owners, and in this book he describes a few special cases that have had a profound effect on the way he lives and works. One of these dogs is Helen, an older cocker...more
Dr. Trout is a veterinary surgeon, and we get to follow him behinds the scenes at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He cares deeply about his patients and their owners, and in this book he describes a few special cases that have had a profound effect on the way he lives and works. One of these dogs is Helen, an older cocker...more
Feb 11, 2012
Jeannie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone and everyone
Recommended to Jeannie by:
myself
Shelves:
library-book
This was a beautiful read and I'm in love with the book and the author. Being the huge animal lover I am I knew I would probably like this book but I wasn't prepared to become as emotionally involved in the lives of the two dogs Nick has based this story around as I did. And deeply. All I can say is this book touched my soul and reaffirmed how precious life really is. His dedication to the animals he cares for just blew me away. What a wonderful person and a wonderful and talented vet. Highly re...more
Dr. Trout lays it on pretty thick; there's a lot of sobbing and miracles and souls connecting and hearts changing. Still, who can deny the sweetness? The point of this book is to underline the special way that humans and animals can connect, the way that we can learn from them. I wasn't a fan of his pseudo-mystical, over-emotional anthropomorphizing, but I am a fan of what he tries to accomplish through it.
I received a copy of this through Goodreads First Reads. As a total dog lover, and since I am married to a veterinarian, I was very much looking forward to reading this book. But while it was interesting, the book seemed to get bogged down heavily in the death of one dog under anesthesia prior to a surgery, and the death of this dog weighs heavily on all the events and all of the story in the remainder of the book. And it just seemed to be a bit too much in my opinion.
If you are a dog lover tho...more
If you are a dog lover tho...more
I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy read and took me no time to get through it. It's filled with sweet and sad stories of animals that Dr. Trout has worked with. As a dog owner I certainly understand what each of his clients went through. However, it was nice to get the doctor's perspective and some behind the scenes information. I am now looking forward to reading Dr. Trout's other book "Tell Me Where It Hurts".
Slow to start and I wondered why I ever bought this book, bit slow as it was to warm up it ended up a heart warming read and a must for any dog lover. It explored through the tale of two women and their dogs the issue of how dogs can help to keep a family together and how they manage to worm their way into your affections! Nick Trout also discusses other animals he has treated and their owners but focuses mainly on the tales of Helen and Cleo.
Very good but maybe sometimes he's a little "over the top"? He comes across as a little stuck on himself at times but at others actually shows the kind of emotion I wish more veterinarians would show. I enjoyed it a lot because I have a background of working in vet hospitals and am familiar with a lot of what he talked about. I did laugh and cry.......I would recommend this book.
After seeing this book in a goodreads giveaway I thought I would pick up a copy for myself. A story of a veterinarian who has two special patients who influenced his life, as well as their owners. The book is through the vet's perspective in theoperating room as well as the interaction with the animals owners. Based on others reviews I will pick up "Tell Me Where It Hurts" for a comparison. If you love dogs you will enjoy reading this.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. I think for me there was too much about what it is like to be an animal surgeon and not enough about the dogs themselves. I will say that the author seemed to be very in touch with his feelings and was not afraid to explore some of those hard-to-explain, less than scientific areas such as intuition and the wonderful bond between people and animals.
A charming vet book focusing on two patients-Helen, an unwanted sweetheart of a dog who spends the last two years of her life with doting owners, and Cleo, a very young minpin with brittle bones whose early passing gives the doctor in sight about hope and the nature of love. Reminicent of Herriot's books in modern times.
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I’m from England and I’m a veterinary surgeon working at the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, one of the biggest animal hospitals in the world. If I had to sum up the best part of my career in one word it would be ‘unpredictable’ because what’s great about coming to work everyday is the certainty of surprise. It might be a Chihuahua or a Great Dane, a Maine Coon Cat or an iguana. It might b...more
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![Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight [Acts] Pets](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320403863m/9593774.jpg "Ever By My Side: A Memoir in Eight [Acts] Pets")
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“Over the years I've come to appreciate how animals enter our lives prepared to teach and far from being burdened by an inability to speak they have many different ways to communicate. It is up to us to listen more than hear, to look into more than past.”
—
22 people liked it
“There are many reasons why so many of us choose to share our lives with a pet--it's the perfect antidote for loneliness, providing an endless supply of smiles and the certainty of unwavering companionship, and many of us have seen the way a pet can make a family feel whole.”
—
20 people liked it
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Jan 29, 2011 07:40pm