Animal Hospital [Paperback]

Stephen Sawicki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1997

Interweaving the story of the staff with the real-life traumas and triumphs of people and their pets, Animal Hospital is an account of one dramatic year inside Angell Memorial, a world-renowned veterinary hospital. This insider's view reveals the dedication and commitment of the staff -- the chief, who's more comfortable in an operating room than behind a desk, the tireless head of the internship program, a long-time pathologist facing the challenges of young up-and-comers, a tender young intern -- and invites readers to warm to the personalities of the animals they care for.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Readers are treated to a firsthand view of the variety and complexity of cases brought to one of the premier animal hospitals not affiliated with a university?Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. Given unprecedented access to the staff, journalist Sawicki adds a human-interest touch with extensive profiles of the professional, nursing, and administrative staff, whose technical backgrounds, personal lives, and future plans he discusses at length. Although the title suggests a book limited to a discussion of veterinary medicine, the insights into the personalities of the various staff members will interest people who like to read about dedicated individuals. For popular collections.?A. Louis Shore, DVM, Veterinary Consultant, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Boston's Angell Memorial Animal Hospital has served many famous clients, including Elvis, Mafia bosses, singer Tracy Chapman, horrormeister Stephen King, and convicted murderer Pamela Smart (the subject of Sawicki's successful 1991 true-crime tale Teach Me to Kill). Angell Memorial is an unusual institution: a large, sophisticated, multispecialty practice and training facility for new veterinarians that is also a subsidiary of the not-for-profit Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sawicki spent a year behind Angell Memorial's "Staff Only" door and tells the facility's story largely through experiences of a half dozen veterinarians, interns, and support staff, as well as several clients and patients. (He pays more attention to dog patients than to cat patients--perhaps because his own Angell Memorial patient is a golden retriever.) There are echoes of Tracy Kidder in Sawicki's approach, of the late James Herriot in his interest in human behavior as well as animal ailments, and for serious animal lovers, something of the sense of urgency of TV's ER in the health crises he re-creates. Will fascinate pet lovers--as well as young people who hope to become veterinarians one day. Mary Carroll --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556522819
• ISBN-13: 978-1556522819
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,058,728 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book, February 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal Hospital (Paperback)

Whether you are interested in veterinary medicine or just love of animals, this is a must read. Some of the cases make you laugh, some make you cry, but all in all the entire book is difficult to put down, once you've started it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Animal Stories, July 17, 2001

By 

Mark Palmer (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Hospital (Paperback)

I love animal stories, so I bought this book. But, it was so much more. The stories of the people who dedicate their lives to saving, or at least trying to save, pets were very moving. The book was well written and made for a fun read. I would recommend it to anyone who has ever had a pet.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Great Read, March 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal Hospital (Paperback)

This book is full of insightfull information on whats going on behind the closed doors of the Animal Hospitals. It has stories on the patients, the owners, and the DVMs. I give it 4 stars for it's thoughtful writing and stories. A must read on my list!