Appointments at the Ends of the World: Memoirs of a Wildlife Veterinarian

by William B. Karesh

Book Overview

In vivid, breathtaking detail, an intrepid wildlife veterinarian records his wide-ranging experiences caring for wild animals and delivers a powerful message about how to preserve a world that belongs... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446675997
• ISBN13: 9780446675994
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

I'd love to read it again

I read this book when it first came out three years ago, and I still think about it. His stories about the wonderful animals around the world touched my heart and I would highly reccomend this book if you enjoy reading about animals.

An excellant book on WILD LIFE

"APPOINTMENT" is the best book of the century, I did not want to put it down. Not only did I find this book educational, but amusing as well. DR. Karesh explains to you in his book what he is doing and why? he also gives you a little bit of history of the country he is in. I found this book so facinating that I met with DR. Karesh in his office at the BRONX ZOO.DR. Karesh is a fine writer, and hope to see another book of his travels in the wild.I take my hat off to you,you are a caring individual who cares about the WILD LIFE and wants to keep it from going EXTENT. RAY Raimist

By far, my favorite book!

As an aspiring wildlife veterinarian myself, this book was a truly inspirational work. Karesh's sense of humor comes through at its best, keeping the tone extremely interesting and constantly flowing. Unlike similar books, Karesh does not bog us down with the "gloom and doom" encountered in his accounts, but he makes a point of it being there. His detailed accounts are very educational and entertaining, although at times technical. However, he sometimes leaves large gaps in the story line... perhaps done on purpose as a way to show the system and conditions under which he has worked and what he has done for the animals. Some friends have actually been disappointed with this book, thinking that it would be much like James Herriot's cute and romantic veterinary stories. While Karesh's line of work is romantic, his prose is not, and his accounts are quite graphic- such as the okapi with its head infested with maggots that looked like cigarette butts. While this book lacks in furry, cutesy cuddliness, it is superbly complimented with humor, smart sarcasm and extreme respect towards wildlife conservation efforts.

A fabulous book for anyone interested in animals

This book gives a wonderful picture of the plight of wild animals and the wildlife veterinarian. As a small animal vet in the US, I was fascinated by the accounts of animal care. As a travel enthusiast it was a great travel dialogue. As an animal lover, the conservation aspect of the book was informative. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals.

An engaging memoir by a committed conservationist.

"Appointment..." is a very pleasurable read. The writing is straightforward, not splashy, and entirely engaging. Karesh has provided a look at his unique role in the conservation community and placed it within the context of larger goals. He offers clear understanding of the vast pressures on the environments of threatened and endangered species all around the southern hemisphere, an understanding look at the people who live there, and a glimpse at the dedicated biologists who have made work with wildlife their lives' focus. Karesh includes very interesting "sidebars" to provide a little more information about some of his topics. These are very nice additions to the text. The many photos (black & white interspersed throughout the text with nice line drawings and a color section in the center) enrich the experience. The photos are not "professional" and their immediacy and sometimes casual quality increase the connection between the reader and the experience, I believe. Karesh comes across as unassuming, kind, and extraordinarily competent, and with a generous sense of humor. He does not take his work lightly, though. Travelling continually, his skills and experience as a veterinarian are helping provide data critical to the understanding of the health and management needs of indigenous populations of animals and their ecosystems. At the same time he is helping to establish a level of competence in the local scientific communities to sustain the research and to support successful conservation strategies. Karesh does not paint a pretty picture of the status of wildlife, but he does offer an optimistic forecast if each of us accepts the challenge to make a difference. I highly recommend "Appointment..." to those who enjoy stories of wildlife "up-close," who are interested in wildlife research trends and challenges, who enjoy outdoor adventure with a practical bent, who wanted as kids to be veterinarians (and really still do), who welcome subtle inspiration, and who want to get to know someone who seems like a really nice guy.