I enjoy books about animals and especially memoirs written by vets. I have had the occasion this week, even though we are still being quarantined, to spend a lot of time at my vets this week because my dog has been very sick. She is going to be fine but it was appropriate I guess for me to read this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review. This book starts with the author as a young man and his first jobs as he is in high school and summers in college. He works in stables with thoroughbreds. The jobs are mental but he learns how to work and how to observe. He learns animals don't talk so you have to carefully and closely observe their behavior to figure out what is wrong. It is a good life skill for animals, kids, and people in general. He wrote he not only takes care of the animal he has to deal with the owner too. You have to have people skills.
Next, he goes to work at Lion Country Safari. I loved that place as a kid. My grandparents took me there. It was exciting. He almost died there. He was attacked by an elephant. He learned to be careful and never break the safety rules. I know there are a lot of people who feel there should not be places like zoos, safari parks, aquariums, etc. However, as long as there is poaching, big game hunting, habitat destruction, overfishing, and people, in general, there will be a need for these sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, etc. The author points out how else can these animals be seen, understood, and loved by people, and maybe people will try to save them. The author sounds his career at zoos and the San Diego Humane Society. He assists in making San Diego a "No Kill" city. Of course, working with animals he has many stories and I enjoyed reading about them.

If you are seeking a Christmas gift for an animal lover, from teen to adult, look no further. Dr. Mark Goldstein was a veterinarian, and happily tells us about his encounter with a bossy safari park elephant, who almost killed him for showing her bad manners. This Florida experience, related at the start of LIONS AND TIGERS AND HAMSTERS, sets the tone for the book. continues

A beautiful book on the depth of humanity and what it means to be human. Reminescent of Franz De Waal's works, Lions and Tigers and Hamsters opens up the every day person to what "animal people" experience firsthand.

I love this book! There are so many stories throughout the book of
Dr. Mark's life and experiences with many different animals in his life.
He had each of the stories listed by name, then he went on to tell the
story. I loved everything about this book, it's one of the best books I have
read in a long time.
Many of the stories in the book were times as a pet owner, I remember.
The dogs of Katrina, the stories of placing a few of the dogs with their owners and
how difficult it was for the dogs after what they went through.
I was thrilled to read about the women that donated large sums of money
without asking for recognition. That is a true animal lover! I would love to have been
able to see the place that was built for the animals. Rooms, instead of bars to cage
the animals in. It was described as a Campus with "cozy living rooms for dogs"
I have heard of Mark Goldstein, DMV for many years. I was involved with
rescue since 1996, so I have watched and read everything I can get my hands on since
that time, I was excited to read about his life. Really good book!


Thank you so much, Mark Goldstein. DMV, HCI Books, and NetGalley for
giving me the chance to read and review this Great book!

Permission was kindly given for me to read this book via Netgalley. My personal interest on reading this book is biased slightly by the fact that I am a Registered Veterinary Nurse. So biographies of this nature will always attract me. That is my only bias. However they still have to be well written and interesting.

Mark Goldstein's story will be familiar to many in the veterinary industry. He was interested and passionate about animals from an early age and it continued until and after he made it his profession. It's a vocational career and from the first chapter that is clear to see. Whilst recounting his memories and occasionally amusing stories the nature of the job and the hard graft required is conveyed. It's interesting to see the training and study undertaken in a different country and the types of cases that are seen. It's not all about cuddling puppies and kittens but perhaps further emphasis could be put upon that the whole team is what makes the practice work. The book also shows what changes and advances there have been in veterinary medicine over the years and it's good to know that this has contributed to increased care, welfare and lifespan of animals treated by vets.

I really enjoyed reading this and recommend it.

An Animal Lover's Delight!
I love this book. I have loved all sorts of animals since I was a child. I have also enjoyed reading about other's lives with animals. The book covers the lifetime of a successful animal lover and veterinarian. This man has had a wonderfully varied life from working on stud farms, wild animal parks, animal shelters, and zoos. He has great stories about them all. There are anecdotes about famous racehorses, white rhinos, elephants and so many more. He has had the life so many of us dream about. As his career moved from zoos toward animal shelters, his stories are more about domestic pets and charitable donations. I so enjoyed this book, I hope he writes more. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Both an informative and an entertaining read about Dr. Goldstein's career in caring for animals and their owners.

I’d like to thank HCI Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Lions and Tigers and Hamsters’ by Dr Mark Goldstein in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As a small boy Dr Mark Goldstein is captivated by animals both domesticated and wild and knows without any doubt that when he grows up he wants to be a veterinary surgeon. During his early years he manages to secure work experience at stables where he does all the dirty work but his career begins in the 1970s when he attends Cornell University and is accepted as an intern at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. He describes his work at Boston’s Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo, and when he becomes director of the zoo at Los Angeles which I found very interesting.

This is a fascinating book that gives an insight into the world of animal care and welfare. Dr Mark describes his time at ‘Elephant Island’ in Florida when he comes face to face with Donia the elephant matriarch who teaches him a painful lesson about not deviating from routine, resulting in a broken arm and her footprint on his body! He described the various animals he’s cared for, Frank the goldfish, George the German Shepherd and Harold the Hamster to name but a few, and the generous people he’s had the pleasure to meet. There are informative Q&A sections included where he gives his opinions on the reason behind the cost of veterinary care, and why it’s important to have zoos.

I love animals and derive a great deal of pleasure from visiting zoos, and reading this book has made me want to go to Boston and visit the Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo. Dr Mark has made a huge difference to the care of animals and I have a great deal of respect and admiration for his dedication to the care of all animals. I found some parts of the book hilarious, some sad, but all of it worth reading.

I am currently grieving the passing of my pet. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book, because I needed something like this. It didn't relieve me from my feeling of guilt and grief but made me understand. It made me understand that notwithstanding the cruelty of losing my pet companion so soon and so abruptly, I should cherish the life I had with her and that I was there till her very last moment. It made me understand that I shouldn't give up on all accounts of having another pet because of this loss. There are so many animals in need, who yearn for love and care, and who need us now. If I can provide and have strength for it, I can grieve while caring for another little being in need.

Dr Mark had a blessed life and career. It gave him ample opportunities to observe animals both wild and domestic, in captivity and in other people's homes, from the stance of a veterinarian, non-profit organization manager, and an animal lover, all at once. His keen observations made him realize that his profession requires not only to provide healthcare for the animals but comfort and understanding for the people who brought them in the first place. While there are (still) pet owners who regard them only as disposable properties, there were as many that Dr Mark met, whose lives were profoundly affected by the love they had for those pets in Dr Mark's care. I really enjoyed every anecdote Dr Mark shared, but I was touched the most by those he shared about those people, who agonized together with their pets.

It is important to note that this is not only a book of anecdotes for animal lovers, to read once and forget (I definitely won't forget any, that's how amazing they were!). This book also shares valuable inside information about zoos and non-profit organizations, about what should be their goals and how to achieve them. I didn't know much about the inner workings of zoos and non-profits, but now I do. I deeply wish all zoos and all non-profits are so benevolent and charitable. I am still wary of many of them, but at least now I know how they should work, and might offer my assistance to some in my area based on that knowledge.

Almost all vets specialize in either small animals, i.e. pets, or large animals, i.e livestock. A few specialize in exotic animals, i.e. those in zoos. Dr. Goldstein is extremely lucky in that he has worked in all areas. He has worked in a leading animal hospital, been director of two different zoos, and has been a leader in animal care, rescue, and adoption.

His wide-ranging background and deep love if animals feels this lovely book. Full of tales on animals and people who love them, it's also a memoir of his life.

I loved his writing style, which feels as if he was sitting talking to you and telling stories. I loved that he was willing to talk about his own foibles and errors. I also loved that, unlike any other book of this type I've read, he intersperses the chapters with short essays about topics concerning animal care and welfare.

It's a wonderful testament to a full and rich life caring for animals of all kinds.