Customer Reviews

All My Patients Have Tales: Favorite Stories from a Vet's Practice

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dr. Wells has brought the world and challenges of being a Veterinarian into your home in this wonderful and well written book about his experiences. I bought the book for my niece, but had to read it before she ever got it. She is in Vet school and bought more for her friends. My brother, a M.D., enjoyed it immensely. We ordered more for other members of the family and friends. It is not only stories about dogs (as the cover indicates) but animals - large and small - that Dr. Wells has helped. It is touching, warm, educational, interesting, intriguing and a most enjoyable read! Any Vet wannabes or just people loving animals will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

This book is so well written, and truly IS a modern-day James Herriot book, like I read in the other review. If you love animals, this is a MUST read. You will have a new appreciation for what veterinarians do on a daily basis, and the people that they come across, too. I highly recommend this book!

The title of this book is what first caught my attention; I loved the "play on words" with tales and the picture of those wagging tails on the cover!

Being an animal lover, I enjoy reading stories of people sharing their experiences with pets. My husband and I joke that our two cats are cheap entertainment as we watch them slide across our floor to bat at a toy, chase their tails or chirp at the birds outside. When I began reading Jeff's stories about his experiences with animals and their owners, I found I could not put the book down until I reached the last tale. Jeff is a wonderful story-teller; one moment, you experience the emotional heartache of owners and Jeff as a vet tending to a sick or injured pet, and the next, you are roaring with laughter at the antics of the pets - and owners!

A great read and wonderful book to take with you when traveling.

Kelly Johnson
Cornerstone Virtual Assistance, LLC

I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if, years ago, I had not read very similar books written by James Herriot. This book is written along the same lines - insecure vet meets contrary animals with insensitve owners - but Jeff Wells does not have the same level of writing skills of a James Herriot. But once I had managed to stop comparing the two vets, I enjoyed these short stories very much, although at times I wished they were not quite so short. The only real criticism I would offer is that Wells does not seem to know the meaning of certain words. He uses words such as 'sneer', 'smirk' and 'leer' quite frequently as discriptors and more often that not, they are clearly not used properly. For instance, when a owner stabbed his finger into an area that Wells had just cleaned in preparation for surgery, Wells said that he leered at him. Maybe he meant glared? He talks about one of his colleagues smirking at his inexperience, and another sneeringly asking him a question, implying a level of unfriendliness that was not in keeping with his descriptions of them. Other than the grammatical distractions and a paucity of detail, I found this book worth the read.

If you loved the wonderful stories and books that millions did by James Herriot, than All My Patients Have Tales is right up your alley. The front and back covers will make you smile; forcing you to dive into what lies between the two covers. The stories are touching and humorous. The perfect gift for anyone who loves animals.

Judith Briles, author of
The Confidence Factor
Money Smarts
Stop Stabbing Yourself in the Back

This is a very easy read and certainly illuminates the life of a vet! It's so interesting to hear the story behind the person. My wife and I both read this book in our spare moments each day. We always looked forward to to our opportunities to read about the next 'adventure', often sharing a chuckle between us! After the last chapter, we found ourselves wanting to read still further!

"A breath of fresh air" applies to Jeff Wells' collection of stories that demonstrate "why veterinary medicine is a true calling." Sure, he's sloshed through a lot of poop, been rained on by vomit, and reached into the abyss of numerous cows and horses, but he's also treated a leather clad chihuahua named Megadeath, released puppies stuck in their father's (?) birth canal, and experienced a lifetime of opportunities to laugh at himself. Read ALL MY PATIENTS HAVE TALES. Inhale deeply; you'll get a wonderful whiff of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL.

"Patients" is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It reminds me more than a little of James Herriot, without as much of the family stuff that I found a little tedious with Herriot. I can't wait to read more from this author!!!!

My 10-year old loves this book. Some of the words and subject matter are too mature for her level of reading. But, she skips over the parts she doesn't understand. She thoroughly enjoys the book. She wants to become a veterinarian-so this book helps her imagine what it is like. I gave her 3 or 4 veterinarian books for Christmas-but this is the one she has commented about the most.

I enjoyed the book very much! However, the reason I purchased two copies was that I currently teach adult reading and writing and was looking for material with adult interest. My readers are not reading at the level the book was written, so I was not able to use it for that purpose at this time. The vocabulary is very rich and I will be able to use it as the students I teach improve their skills. I have a new respect for veterinarians!