Shawn M. Finch, DVM

The self-assigned Read Every Single Book on the Veterinary Economics 25 Books List Project was so fun that I read the last two books really slowly because I did not want the project to end.  Then I realized that between friends and family loaning, giving and suggesting books, books the authors of the books on the lists recommended, and books I found in hunting down all twenty five books, I have an ENDLESS list of books to read this year!  Yay!

I wanted to list as many as possible in one place.  Now they are in a combination of on-my-shelf, on-my-nightstand, in-my-head, in-my-notebook, in-the-reference-section-of-the-books-I-have-read and in-cyberspace.  Very unorganized and overwhelming.  AND…when I am overwhelmed, I write a list!

So, you have seen the list of Books I Have Recently Read and Loved.

Here is the list of Books I Would Like to Read.  Anytime I try to put What’s In My Head into a list, things can get a little crazy, which makes sense, considering the contents of my head.  You’ve been warned. : )

What books would you add that you have read or would like to read?  Thank you for all of your recommendations this past year and In The Future!  This has been so fun!

What Clients Love by Harry Beckwith (Thanks Phil!)

The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino (Thanks Dad!)

Soar with your Strengths by Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson (Thanks Dad!)

Where Have All the Leaders Gone? By Lee Iacocca (Thanks Dad!)

SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

The Future Books by Malcolm Gladwell

Every Book Published by “Twelve”

The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem Van Loon (Thanks Brendan!)

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (the original edition)

Public Speaking and Influencing Men In Business by Dale Carnegie

Public Speaking for Success by Dale Carnegie

Lincoln the Unknown by Dale Carnegie

Five Minute Biographies by Dale Carnegie

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

The Great Bridge by David McCullough

The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough

Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough

Brave Companions by David McCullough

John Adams by David McCullough

1776 by David McCullough (Thanks Cathy-Friend!)

In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Eve Story by David McCullough

The Greater Journey by David McCullough (comes out May 24, 2011)

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Built to Last by Jim Collins

Teaching and Learning Communication Skills in Medicine by Dr. Suzanne Kurtz, Dr. Jonathan Silverman and Dr. Juliet Draper

1812 by David Nevin (Thanks Cathy-Friend!)

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell (Thanks Bryan!)

So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore (Thanks Mom-Karen!)

Heaven by Lisa Miller (Thanks Karen-Friend!)

Chicken Soup for the Soul - Power Moms

The Divine Life of Animals by Ptolemy Tompkins (Thanks Mom-Karen!)

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (Thanks Cara-I-Love!)

Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor (Thanks Cara-I-Love!)

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef (Thanks Sara-I-Love!)

The Dental Radiography book at work

The Five Minute Veterinary Something by Someone and Dr. Tilley - I will write it down and fix this entry!  (I have always loved this book, but I have never read it from cover to cover)

The Hill’s Veterinary Nutrition Book

The rest of the Marvin, The Golf Caddy Dog series by Harold R. Mann (This was to be an entire Marvin series, but I am not entirely sure the rest of the series yet exists in Real Life - I hope so or that it will exist soon as it was a fun book!)

Your Dog, The Owner’s Manual by Dr. Marty Becker

um.

This may be a longer reading project than the previous one.

Also, I need more suggestions from you.

I have always loved to read.  So has Russ.  It has been fun to see this trait passed down to both of our daughters.  Our oldest has been told at least once every school year that recess is not for reading, it is for playing.

Once at a party I picked up my friend’s JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association), and he said “Seriously?  It’s Friday night!”  I said something super cool along the lines of “Um, I hadn’t gotten my mail yet…I didn’t know this issue was out…I…um…” and then joined the party like a Normal Person.  I love reading. : )

In the July 2010 edition of Veterinary Economics, Tom McFerson wrote an AWESOME article called 25 Books for Your Summer Reading List.  I have finished the list!  Woo!  What a fun project.

I decided to take the project one step further and review the books I loved.  It is much easier to criticize a book than invest several months or years into actually writing one, so that is why I decided to only review the ones I loved and could give…

Five Stars!

✩✩✩✩✩

Here are links to the reviews of my favorites…

Freakonomics

Blink

Start-Up Nation

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Truman

Switch

Good to Great

Management Lessons from Mayo Clinic

Skills for Communicating with Patients, Second Edition

And some “update posts” about the project…

What I am Reading This Week:  Veterinary Economics

What I am Reading This Week:  Big Important Books

What I am Reading This Week:  The Same Big Important Books

Coming Soon on Riley and James

And some other books my daughter Abby and I reviewed during the year of the book-reading-and-reviewing kick…

Houdini Was…

Speaking for Spot

Marvin the Golf Caddy Dog

Anesthesia for the Pet Practitioner, Third Edition

The Complete Cat’s Meow

And HERE is a super-cool book shelf graphic from Shelfari.  I had seen it on friends’ websites, and NEEDED it for this post!  How cool is this book shelf??

So now I need a new project!

I have been keeping track of the books YOU have recommended this year and plan on reading all of them!  The ones you have recommended and I have read, I have loved.  What other books would you recommend?  I like almost everything!

Next Up on Riley and James…

Book Project Bunny Trails

Skills for Communicating with Patients - Five Stars! This may be the most helpful book I have read from the  Veterinary Economics 25 Books List.  It is an excellent communication book written for MD’s, though the authors have worked with veterinarians too, which I thought was cool.  It is a medical school textbook and is taking me FOREVER to read!  SO worth it though.  I will review it for you as soon as I finish it!

Summary of my Favorites from the Veterinary Economics 25 Books List - Very fun project…I am finishing the last two books.

Anesthesia for the Pet Practitioner - Five Stars! This will be a two part review, the first part here and the second part on Wagging Tail.  Anesthesia for the Pet Practitioner is a wonderful veterinary anesthesia book that I have used for years.  The third edition was recently published by Banfield Pet Hospital, and that is the one I am reviewing.  It is also the best one yet!

The Complete Cat’s Meow by Darlene Arden - Five Stars! OK, I just started this book, but it has a gorgeous Max the Cat cat on the cover and is written by one of my Very Favorite People AND Darlene mentioned me in the acknowledgements.  (Thank you Darlene!!)  What’s not to love??  Even though I am only a few pages in, I can tell it is also an EXCELLENT resource for cat lovers.  See, I can be objective! : )

Love Wins by Rob Bell - Just kidding!  Different blog!  I do love it though.  The topics covered in this book are ones I have been struggling with and studying Scripture about for the past few years.  Just reading the intro sitting with Abby in the bookstore allowed me to breathe a deep cosmic sigh of relief.  Not that Rob Bell is the end-all authority on truth, or even claims to be.  He IS, however, very good at making a person think, and tackling Ideas That Shall Not Be Mentioned head on.  At least one Christian leader has been fired over saying he liked the book.  But I am a vet.  I like the book.  And now…back to pets!

Why all the book reviews?

Life is still sad.  I miss Ebony Dog and Wuzzy Rat terribly.  I also miss Fuzzy Rat, Piggy Pig and Princess Gerbil.

Max the Cat is in the beginning stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.  Not always a big deal for an old cat, actually.  (You know, unless he or she is your cat, or…unless it is.)

But then, when Ebony first got sick, I was hoping that if and when we found the underlying cause of her Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia it would not be awful, but it was.  So I am still in a pretty rough season and having a sick cat is freaking me out a bit.  I am writing about all that, but trying hard to keep it upbeat here.

Even so, a Princess Gerbil Memorial is in the works.  She deserves one as much as the other four!  It is not her fault she passed away when I was too exhausted to write One More.  And she was super cute and kind of quirky, so I think you will like it!

And finally…

Happy Heartworm-Free May!

And then…

I dunno!  A happier season maybe?  Just an idea…

Happy Birthday Sal!  Happy Birthday Rhonda!  Happy Birthday A.C.!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRISCO CAT!!

Anyone else?  February 4?  Best day of the whole year?

cake that Rhonda’s niece and our co-worker Abby Vadnais made, 2009

Last year on my birthday, I posted fun links to songs and veterinary posts I love. I think that is an excellent tradition.  And “Second Annual” always sounds more legitimate than “First Annual.”  So…

Second Annual Riley and James February 4 is Awesome Day

Happy Birthday Friends!  May you be spoiled to just this side of rotten as I always am by my wonderful family, and may this be the best birthday in your whole life so far.

And everyone else…my birthday is awesome because of you.  To say THANK YOU…here are some fun links…

Cat Herding

This video is still hilarious!

They Might Be Giants - Older

My favorite “birthday” song!  The cartoon version is gone.  *sniff*  Puppets scare me, except Muppets, which, of course, are awesome.  I will ONLY watch other puppets if they are associated with TMBG and singing a TMBG song.

*3/21/11 update - I just found the “official” TMBG video and put that in the link.  Trying to be careful about that sort of thing.  I would be embarrassed if TMBG showed up at my door and arrested me for linking to an unauthorized video…but then I would get to meet them.

Prolific Studios

(Tell Sal HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

…and finally, a super cute picture of a piglet with a heart spot…Oh yeah!  I’ve got more where that came from!  I will post the rest of my favorites for Valentine’s Day!

I realize this entire post is bold, centered and in difficult-to-read colors.  Imagine that you took me out for a birthday dinner to one of those restaurants with crayons in glasses - Now move my water glass away from my left elbow and whisper to the other adults, “Let her continue!  She’s being quiet and she seems content!”

(Thanks!  I am.)

Joy to the World!

(Public Domain)

lyrics by Isaac Watts 1674 - 1748

music by George F. Handel 1685 - 1759

vocals by Su Smith

This started out being another play on Joy the Puppy’s name, but with Su’s help, became one of my favorite posts ever.  She helped me learn how to do the slide show and post my first youtube video AND did the amazing singing in the video.  Thank you Su!  You are wonderful.

Merry Christmas all!  I hope you enjoy our video!

Picture Credits:

Hills - Saddleback Mountain, West Virginia from Terry Cunningham ♥

Nature - River and moon from Kathy Andrews ♥

Heaven, floods, rocks, plains, truth, thorns from the Awesome Aunt Jeannine Menze ♥

Grace - Olivia ♥

Earth from Space from Free Use Photos of Photobucket (Thanks Tall Sexy Mailman!)

Bruce Hansen from Joyce : )

Lion and the Lamb from predatorpress

Dragon picture from pathlights

Rainbow Bridge from Ladyhawk

Crucifixion picture from dreamstime

Adam and Eve are Expelled from the Garden of Eden by Julius von Carolsfeld

Computer Genius bringing this project to the next level - Su and Russ ♥

I KNOW this is a pet blog.  But I need to follow up on my LAST un-pet-related post, for those of you who were worried there would not be a Peanut Baby Jesus preschool craft this year, and those of you who were worried there would be.  Several friends stopped by class yesterday to make sure Russ still had all ten fingers.  (He does.)

I may have been overly focused on Russ’ bleeding last year, because I was reminded yesterday of other details of that day that I had forgotten.  Last year, Russ did a very cool carpentry project in which he spent the four Sundays of Advent building a manger and then reassembling it to be a cross, all up in front of church while Pastor Scott preached.  It was very powerful and moving.

On Peanut Baby Jesus Day last year, Russ did his part in front of church for first service, started Sunday School, got hurt, made it to Urgent Care and back and did his part in front of church for second service without even missing a beat.  Someone said yesterday, “How is it that Russ did that entire manger-cross project without incident, and does carpentry as a career, but was felled by a tiny fake peanut?”  Indeed.

I was also reminded of another event from last year, probably as traumatic as The Injury.  A student brought her craft home, accidently tipped her manger, and her Mom, stepping forward to help her, smashed the peanut with her shoe.  I did not capitalize peanut because it was, of course, not the Real Baby Jesus, but only a representation.  And her Mom still feels kind of bad.  Her daughter started sobbing inconsolably.  They raced to the grocery store, bought a bag of peanuts, sharpied a face onto the cutest one, and replaced Peanut Baby Jesus in his manger.  Yesterday, Mom whispered, “I still have that bag of peanuts, just in case.”

You will be relieved to know yesterday went much better than last year, with all fingers and all peanuts safely home and intact!  Kids can spend this week processing the incredible Christmas Story as preschoolers do best, in a hands on, playing sort of way.  Success.

Many friends and family members have asked for a Peanut Baby Jesus of their own.  2011 - Peanut Baby Jesus Making Party for Grown-ups.  Bring snacks and drinks and safety scissors, leave your tools at home and take your shoes off at the door!  It’s gonna be awesome.

End of December 2010 Update:

A very small person who shall remain nameless (It was, after all, merely a misfortunate misunderstanding) ate her big brother’s peanut, not knowing it was not “just” a peanut.  Mom of the 2009 Crushed Peanut kindly offered her emergency bag of peanuts to Mom of the 2010 Eaten Peanut.  All is well.

I was just informed at our family dinner yesterday that we will not be repeating the Purple Christmas Tree of last year.  Actually, it felt like an intervention of sorts.  Mom and Dad made a big, wonderful dinner.  Dave and Sara were there.  Russ looked into my eyes and said, “We still have purple dust in the living room.”  Both daughters nodded silently.  (We don’t.)

So, I am sad to say, the purple flocked tree may be, instead of a new holiday tradition, only a memory.  Because I will only have a plain old pine tree to show you this year, and because this is an especially cute picture of all three dogs together, I have posted here my favorite picture from Christmas 2009.

Ebony, Joy and Noodle, Christmas 2009

“What Happened to Russ”

Also, perhaps only a memory…my favorite Sunday School craft ever:  Peanut Baby Jesus.  Russ and I teach three to five year old Sunday School at Westwood Church.  For the past several years, we have made Peanut Baby Jesus with the kids.  (We stole the idea from the awesome teachers of Two Year Old Sunday School after our oldest daughter came home with one years ago.)

Last year, we had one child in our class with a peanut allergy.  Being kindhearted, anti-anaphylaxis types, we thought it would be a good idea to use a shortened wooden clothespin for Peanut Allergy Kid’s Peanut Baby Jesus.

Russ is a carpenter…with no saws at church.  But there were steak knives.  Never say “whatever” when you are choosing appropriate tools for a task.  Russ tried to cut off the end of the clothespin, sliced his thumb, could not get the cut to stop bleeding (even with top-of-the-line veterinary intervention) and ended up at Urgent Care with several stitches.  He still has a scar.

Peanut Baby Jesus:  Materials: Bottom half of a disposable cup, squares of brown paper, craft hay, scrap of cloth, peanut, Sharpie, glue.  Assembly: Glue the brown paper squares around the outside of the half cup.  Fill the “manger” with hay.  Draw a face on the peanut and place the scrap of cloth over Peanut Baby Jesus.  Place Peanut Baby Jesus in his manger.

SAFETY NOTES: Use kids’ safety scissors to cut the cup in half and cut the paper and cloth.  Also, if you have a kid with peanut allergies in your group, choose a different craft!

Update on The Purple Christmas Tree, 2010:

Yay.  Thanks Russ : )

Update on Peanut Baby Jesus, 2010:

Click here!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent the weekend before Thanksgiving with our family in Ohio, yesterday with Mom and Dad, and the rest of the weekend will be spent catching up with the rest of the family.  I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

My imaginary friend, Dr. Amanda Brown, invited me to participate in Grand Rounds, a forum that is typically made up entirely of human medical doctors (not that we veterinarians are not both human and medical doctors, but you know what I mean…I never know what to call those guys.)

Anyways, this week, Dr. Brown was in charge of Grand Rounds, and I was out of town, but just look at the awesome group of veterinarians and…other guys…she gathered!  Anyways, she gathered a great group of doctors, and they came up with a great group of articles and blog postings about gratitude.

GRAND ROUNDS

first time on facebook, first time to include veterinarians, first time hosted by an imaginary person!

Last year at this time, I posted something for which I was grateful for every day of November on facebook and twitter.  This year, the month got by me…it was full of all of those things I should have been listing!  So here is my “catch up” list.  It’s going to be sweeping and general, random and overlapping so as not to leave anyone or anything out.  What an awesome thing to have to consider…

Thank you that as Creator and Sustainer of the universe you would not only bother with me, which in itself is impossible to wrap my head around, but also love me and save me and walk through this life with me down to the detail and minute and very smallest whisker - I know what breaks my heart breaks Yours - May what breaks Your heart break mine.

Thank you too for…

friends

family

pets

books

the opportunity to write what I’m thinking

people to share it with

the Awesomes of Blogathon 2010

my job

my career

my kids

Mom

Dad

Russ

our house

our neighborhood

the girls’ school

Westwood Church

my baby niece and baby nephew

my big kid nieces and big kid nephews

my brothers

my Family-I-Love (Jodi and I came up with that gem-is that better than sister-in-law Sara Jean?? :))

my extended family…I love that my coworkers say “You are related to everyone!”

my coworkers

Dr. Wittler

our garden

Omaha

America

my kids’ awesome heritage from the Grandparents I miss dearly back to the ancestors I do not even know

Here comes the part of grace where my friend Beth’s little brother would start thanking God for the ketchup and the salt and the napkins…

our bread machine

hardwood floors

the clicking of dog toenails and the creaking of kid feet

Max the Cat’s habit of getting between me and my book or me and the keyboard

my art table

my camera phone

stickers

Sharpies

notebooks and sketchbooks

Petie the Cruiser

walking bridges

and so on…

Happy Thanksgiving All

♥

Switch:  How to Change Things When Change is Hard

by

Chip Heath and Dan Heath

I loved it!  Five Stars!

✩✩✩✩✩

I have had friends AND coworkers make fun of me for reading every single word of every book I read, starting with the table of contents.  I need context people!  I started this book with a search for the relationship between the authors.  In case you are not as neurotic as I am (or in case you are), the last sentence of the “about the authors” synopsis on the back cover reveals that they are brothers.  Now I was ready to begin.

I often say I do not like change.  In the middle of change, I moan about it.  After change, I gripe about it.  A year later, I look around and realize that change was the best thing for me.  As a new change comes up, I complain about it…

The authors challenged that attitude almost right from the beginning (p.4).  I liked getting married…that was change.  I liked having both kids enter our life…that was change.  I liked moving home to Omaha…that was change.  In response to their challenge to rethink our attitudes towards change, I have decided never to say “I just don’t like change” again.  There.  That will not change.  Ha!

They explained how to motivate others or even ourselves by breaking down the components of change into our rationality (rider), our emotions (elephant) and the path to change.  While I was reading, I kept coming back to some of my own “What if” big change dreams…

What if kids in Haiti were not hungry?

What if puppy mills were gone?

I already obsess about this and other stuff, of course.  We all have our “What if” dreams, I guess.  This book made me think “What if…I could have something to do with the changes?”  And that is huge.

Also, this book made me cry, which of course, even given my overly sappy nature, leadership books are not supposed to do.  The story that got me was the story about the transformation of an underachieving high school to a very successful high school brought about by the incoming principal (p. 173-175). She changed the entire school’s outlook on learning by changing the school’s grading system from A, B, C, D, F to A, B, C and NY (not yet).

(Side note:  Comments in parenthesis - Five Stars!  ✩✩✩✩✩  If the authors write a book containing everything they say in parenthesis in this book, and add some equally smart alec material, I will pay anything for it.  I found myself flipping ahead to read their usually related, always hilarious, smarty-pants side comments.)

One more “This Book is Awesome” point, then I will just let you read the book for yourself.  Anyone who mentions FlyLady and Dave Ramsey, two of my favorite leaders and authors, in the same sentence (p. 134), gets five stars just for that.

Bunny Trails: The images of an elephant and his rider as a person’s sometimes dueling emotions and mind are borrowed from The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.  I have a feeling if these authors like a book, I will too.  So that’s on my “What’s Next” list.  Chip Heath and Dan Heath also wrote a book before Switch called Made to Stick which I assume is equally awesome.

Pile it on!  I’ve got plenty of bookmarks!  I’ve had bigger stacks on my nightstand!

This is number…something…of the twenty-five books I am reading in Veterinary Economics Leadership Series. As of this past weekend, I have all of the 25 books tracked down, and only seven more of them to get my hands on.  Thank you for all of your help with this fun project!

Woo!  We made it!  It is 5:00 am Central time which is when my Dad (THE official morning person) gets up which means it is morning, which means we made it all night!  Yay.  Now we just have to make it all morning too.

Good Morning Dad!!  First time I’ve said that first!  Ever.

Thank you Mom and Dad for loaning us the second computer and for supporting us and for supporting Bradyn!!

I was always the good kid in school.  I stayed in my seat.  I minded my own business.  I never talked out of turn.  (I rarely talked at all!)  Now I am going to be the kid who gets out of her seat and wanders around to all the other blogs while the bloggers are trying to concentrate.

This is where I would put all the pictures of hamsters in costume if I had thought through the idea better and borrowed my nephews’ hamsters like I intended.  (Why stop at Ham-Rabbit?  How cute would Ham-Lion be??)  Even though it IS officially morning, I doubt their Mama wants me knocking on their door right now, Sharpie in hand, asking to photograph their pets.  So I will come see what you other bloggers are doing.

K see you in a minute…

Clicking here will bring you to the webpage with information about Bradyn and an opportunity to donate towards the training of his service dog from 4 Paws for Ability. ♥