While You're Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian [Paperback]

Bradford B. Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2006

Veterinarian Brad Brown never knew what to expect when he was called out to a farm to deal with a sick cow or an injured horse. Invariably the cash-strapped farmer would say, "While you’re here, Doc" and rattle off a list of surprise medical chores that weren’t part of the original call. But whether he was trying to geld a spooked stallion in a blizzard or found himself in the middle of an all-out fracas involving a monkey’s abscessed tooth and a shotgun, Dr. Brown took it in stride, with great affection for his four-legged patients as well as his two-legged clients. James Herriot, Baxter Black, and E. B. White rolled into one and wearing rubber boots, Brad Brown gives us a wonderful set of stories from the life of a country vet.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Tales of animal doctoring in a small coastal town in 1950s Maine fill this new addition to the ranks of veterinary memoirs. Since he charged his clients by the miles that he had to drive to deliver his services, Brown often heard the "while you're here, Doc" line as farmers would add on "just one more" patient once the veterinarian had showed up. Whether chasing a stallion through a blizzard so his torn ear could be stitched--surgery done on the floor of the general store whose plate glass window the stallion had crashed through--or checking the sore tooth of a pet monkey after a merry chase in and out of the house (not to mention all the bite wounds), Brown pretty much saw it all in his years in practice. Full of laconic farmers, hysterical owners, and more feisty animal patients than one can imagine, these stories of backwoods veterinary care are sure to be popular among James Herriot lovers. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...gritty, hair raising, at times heart stopping experience ... plenty of comedy to lighten the ride...delightful, heartwarming memoir" -- The Lincoln County News, March 16,2006

"...hilarious and thoughtful memoir...many years as a large and small animal veterinarian...this book will make everyone feel better." -- The Times Record, November 24, 2006

"...humorous, compassionate stories of struggling farm life...told with Paul Bunyanesqe verve...reminiscent of our country's early pioneering spirit." -- Portland Sunday Telegram, August 20, 2006

"...mixes veterinary know-how with Down East storytelling, and each of his stories is a stand-alone gem..." -- Maine In Print, Summer Issue 2006

"...original, funny and hair-raising glimpse...veterinary practice ...crackerjack storytelling is as fully engaging as anything written by James Herriot" -- Central Maine Newspapers, March 26, 2006

"...stuffed with hilarious recollections of nearly a quarter century of dealing with all kinds of animals and...their owners." -- Yankee Magazine, May 2006

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers; First Edition edition (April 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482790
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482796
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #243,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars While You're Here Doc: Farmyard Adventure of a Maine Veternarian, March 21, 2006

By 

James "Amadeaus" (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: While You're Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian (Paperback)

This book is such a great read, full of humor and amazing life experience! Doctor Brown has a genius sense of humor and a wonderful heart. This book will have you laughing out loud but it is also an intelligent peek at the life of a very gifted man. Don't pass this book up, get a copy for everyone you know and get it in your libraries!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Animal Lovers Are In For A Treat, August 20, 2006

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: While You're Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian (Paperback)

I discovered this book from a review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. "Small farms and their close, personal way of living... come alive for us in Brown's humorous, compassionate stories of struggling farm life."
You get first-hand accounts of the doc trying to save an ox that's choking on a too large potato or rescuing a cow from a love-struck moose. It's all told with enthusiasm and wry humor.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, a great addition to my collection!, July 15, 2006

By 

vtfarmer904 - See all my reviews

This review is from: While You're Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book. It belongs in my collection along with all my James Herriot books! It is heartwarming and very funny. Also, Dr. Brown explains certain animal diseases and conditions in an down to earth, easy to understand way. I am a farmer and I found that I understand several diseases of our animals even better now. I only wish the book was longer. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was very sorry to get to the last page. I wanted to read more of those wonderful animal stories. I would like to thank Dr. Brown for writing such a great book, and I sure hope he considers writing another one.