Dogs: Funny Side Up! [Paperback]

Nola Lee Kelsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

From Utah’s Best Friend Sanctuary (featured on National Geographic’s Dogtown) to the temples of Northern Thailand, the uproarious yet bizarrely educational tales recounted in this collection offer an outrageously fresh perspective on the world of animal rescue. Not a typical collection of warm and fuzzy shelter dog tales for the soul, the satirical wit delivers a wildly irreverent ride through a life spent among man’s best friends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dogs: Funny Side Up! offers the plight of animal rescue organizations throughout the world delivered by the author’s trademark infectious wit and explosive candor. Kelsey’s personal stories of her adopted dogs and her work as a rescuer blend funny with fury, heart-warming and humorous yet also eye-opening for readers as they discover the emotional and difficult work of rescue organizations.”  —Joseph O. Patton, publisher, Capital City Free Press

“Her satirical style will cause you to double over in fits of laughter.”  —Karen Yekel, Hot Springs Star

Review

"Delightful! Worldly insightful! . . . Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs.

If you have any interest in animals, you'll like this book. If you're involved with animal rescue organizations, you'll love this book. Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Dog's Eye View Media (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980232325
• ISBN-13: 978-0980232325
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In a nutshell, Nola Lee Kelsey is:

The author of ten books, most with a focus on philanthropic travel

The contributing author to enough titles that she has lost count

The Supply Chain Columnist for The VolunTourist

The Voluntary Traveler Columnist for The Epoch Times

A freelance journalist

A returning college student now studying Journalism and Mass Communication

Very tired


Outside of a nutshell, Nola Lee Kelsey is:

A zoologist, serial volunteer and disturbingly obsessed with traveling the world. As a bonus, she becomes utterly nauseous at the notion of being a time-clock punching employee housed inside a cubical. This delightful combination of personality quirks left her two options in life. She could be unemployed and broke or be a writer and broke. Kelsey opted for the latter.

With little money to travel on for now, Kelsey has channeled her infrequent flyer frustrations into a worthy outlet. From her home office, she has cultivated the fine art of collecting massive quantities of data and beating it mercilessly into book form, bringing her personal obsessions to the world. Her books and articles on volunteer travel are the children of this singular focus.

It is Kelsey's express hope to inspire other travelers to discover the joy of volunteering as an intelligent option for seeing the world. She believes travel must have a purpose in order to be truly fulfilling. In addition, one of her biggest thrills in life now comes from providing the opportunity for small NGOs/non-profits around the globe to showcase their volunteer needs alongside the larger programs. Only in this way can she truly help to connect the right traveler to the right volunteer opportunity and in some small way be of even more service herself.

All this interviewing of volunteer project hosts along with researching, collecting, molding and refining data - over and over again - has resulted in making Nola Lee Kelsey a leading expert on the diverse world of volunteer programs available.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful! Worldly insightful!, October 11, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

Delightful! Worldly insightful!

Quoting from the back cover:

"Welcome to a 'dog-gone' hysterical perspective born out of a life that has literally gone to the dogs. From Nat Geo's Dogtown to the temples of Northern Thailand, Kelsey's biting satire offers an outrageously fresh perspective on the world of animal rescue and a life spent among man's best friends."

My favorite chapter is titled So Ya Wanna Start a Sanctuary. Allow me to share the opening paragraphs with you:

"Many of us dream of starting our own animal sanctuaries. In my world you hear this fantasy so often you'd think shelters would be as common as pigeons in Balboa Park or Republicans in denial.

"After two decades of working at, and volunteering for, every ilk of animal rescue, in addition to attending seminars on founding sanctuaries, and driving past many more, I fancy myself quite knowledgeable on the basics of sanctuary operations. This is precisely why I don't start one."

If you have any interest in animals, you'll like this book. If you're involved with animal rescue organizations, you'll love this book. Nola Lee Kelsey, a consummate writer who knows her stuff, has a quick mind and sharp wit, and it's not all about dogs.

Kaye Trout
Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative!, March 19, 2009

By 

J. Solares (IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

This is not just a well written book about dogs - but a very poignant look at them. The abuse some of them have suffered at the hands of human beings is unforgiveable. The author really makes you think about the injustices, as well as the wonderful part of owning a pet. I have shared this book with everyone in my office! A great read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, laugh, learn, October 28, 2008

By 

Alan Anderson (Colorado USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs: Funny Side Up! (Paperback)

Although I am not particularly interesting in reading about dogs -- I read this book because I loved "Bitch Unleashed Revised!: The Harsh Realities of Goin' Country", also by Nola Kelsey. I am very glad I read "Dogs: Funny Side Up!". This book not only is filled with razor sharp wit and subtle wry intelligence; but, dog-gone-it, I actually learned a few things in spite of the fact that I normally read for fun rather than wisdom. The diverse spectrum of topics, settings, and situations keeps the essays interesting. I would give this truly original book five stars for people interested in the wide world of dogs, or four stars for the nonpet owners. Read it, laugh, gain new perspectives!