Title: Call Of The Wild
Author: Jack London

Why I Read This Book:
I use the time I have to read the classics that I’ve always wanted to read, but never had time to when I was free. Call Of The Wild appealed to me because I love animals and old stories about the West and Alaska.

What I Learned:
The protagonist in this third person tale is Buck, a 140 pound St. Bernard and Scotch Shepard mix, who lived a life of luxury in Santa Clara Valley. King in his own mind, Buck was the pet of a judge and several of his children who Buck played and explored with before curling up by a fire in his owner’s impressive home. Buck was prideful, however as with life, pride often precedes a fall. This perfect life for a dog abruptly ended with one of the employees gardeners, Manuel, stole and sold Buck off to be part of the gold rush craze, as people sought strong dogs to pull their sleds.

With the intention of “breaking in” a dog into submission, Buck experienced “intolerable pain” in the form of being choked with a rope, brutally beaten with a club, and flung into a crate. Buck’s pride was wounded and he did not eat or drink while his torturers ceaselessly taunted him. Buck was so changed in appearance and mentality that his own owner, the judge, wouldn’t have recognized him. Though Buck was brutally beaten, he was not broken.

Buck was sold to two French Canadian men, Franois and Perrault, who introduced Buck into their sled dog lineup. On their journey through Alaska, Buck experienced a dog-eat-dog world. Buck learned humility and dignity in transitioning into a draft animal. Other dogs stole his food, he witnessed dog fights to the death, realized his place in the hierarchy, learned to dig himself into the snow to keep warm at night, and had to fight off the alpha dog during a ruthless attack to the death.

In his naivety, he made mistakes along the way, but learned what he had inside of him, becoming resilient, observed, and erudite. He learned to love the hard work from being part of a sled dog team and adapted to the biting cold and bitterly challenging lifestyle. Eating undesirable food and finding ways to get water without scum and self-care awoke long-dead instincts and built up his creativity and experience.

However, when Buck desired to be the leader of the sled team, which would put him at the front of the line and the top of the hierarchy, it “destroyed the solidarity of the pack.” The “breaking down of discipline” caused even good-natured dogs to no longer be good natured and the squabbling with each other resulted in fights among dogs and rolled downhill to those at the bottom of the hierarchy. Buck did, after much retaliation and stubbornness towards his owners, get his wish.

Buck passed through multiple owners, teaching his time with humans is fleeting and superficial, until he met his last owner, John Thornton. John loved his dogs, however with Buck they developed a powerful bond, respect, and love for each other. Their firm trust in one another led to Buck winning $1,600 for John in a bet by pulling 20 50lb sacks of flour over a set distance. This stunt, along with his fierce protection of John, made Buck famous among people and earned enough money for John to pay off debts and leave on a quest to locate the “fabled lost mine” out East. John, Buck, two other men, and 6 dogs left in search of the mine.
Along their journey, Buck befriended a male wolf-the “wild brother”- and started spending more time away from camp and in the wild. He became more wild, his instincts kicked in and he changed physically and mentally, looking like a wolf and surviving on a 100% carnivore diet from hunting game and fish. Continuously challenging himself, he conquered bigger and fiercer animals until he spent days cornering and killing a moose buck until Buck won, staying by his kill for days.

When Buck eventually returned to camp, he found all six dogs and two men killed by Native Americans, who Buck released his crazed rage on. Buck understood the significance that he now defeated man, however he mourned for John, who’s tracks disappeared to a river. He knew John was gone. In his mourning, a pack of wolves, including his “wild brother” found him and Buck was integrated into the pack. He found his true home and the freedom he longed for, running ahead of the wolf pack, giving way to legends and myths.

How Will Reading This Book Contribute To My Success:
Buck’s journey and transformation is one I can relate to, as many parts are reflective of my own challenges in prison. Buck the dog’s adaptability and resilience in spite of his unchosen circumstance is an inspiring one. Enduring injustices and abuse, including brutal beatings, the protagonist strengthened himself, learned humility, and his pride was torn away. When things looked bleak for him, he maintained an attitude of survival.
In the midst of adversity, challenges, obstacles, Buck changed himself physically and mentally, thickening his skin and gaining self confidence. Doing what was necessary to survive, Buck became more observant, skilled, and persevering. His challenging environment among the other-sometimes dangerous-dogs developed him into a strong, self-respecting character. After everything, Buck came out, not as a victim, but as a victor.
When Buck rebelled and made moves to move up the hierarchy of the dog team, strife, quarreling, fights, and injury resulted. This is a reminder to me that sometimes when we demand more or endeavor to follow our dreams, we will consequently face more adversity and conflict. Buck remained firm in wanting better for himself, regardless of the affliction.

Buck became a strong, confident, self-respecting character in Jack London’s novel who was comfortable with who he was and earning freedom through his actions. While probably strange to some, I can look towards a fictional St. Bernard-Scottish Shepard mutt to draw inspiration and courage for my journey on my own path to earning freedom

Title: Eager
Author: Ben Goldfarb

Why I Read This Book:
I asked free books (to prisoners) organizations for books on beavers as part of my self-study on the wildlife I hope to rehabilitate and heal while working in veterinary care in Oregon after my release.

What I Learned:
Goldfarb fulfills his promise to teach us why beavers matter by covering an overwhelming amount of history. The United State’s history seems to secretly revolve around the fur trade, hundreds of thousands of pelts of which were of Castor canadensis. Goldfarb gave us a glimpse into what our country looked like before white man stepped onto its soil. America was built on the Fur Trade and even had an impact on wars and geopolitical history events.

The author took readers on an adventure throughout North America and to the UK where I learned of their family dynamics, how they build dens and lodges, and most importantly, how other species such as swans, frogs, butterflies, and so many others depend on them.

I learned why they’re disliked by farmers and are often killed. The relocation stories and people who judicially advocate for them inspired and thrilled me.

How Will Reading “Eager” Contribute To My Success:
Goldfarb provides valuable information for a future wildlife veterinarian, including their behavioral characteristics, damming instincts, and information about their teeth, digestive system, circulatory system, glandular secretions, their fur, eyesight, and most importantly their diet and natural predators.

I gained knowledge of many species’ latin names and vocabulary such as Cultural Carrying Capacity, Caecotrophy, Castoreum and much more.

Thanks to Goldfarb, I’ve written to conservationists he’s mentioned in hopes of networking and acquiring information and resources.

Title: All Things Bright and Beautiful
Author: James Herroit

Why I Read This Book:
I loved the first book in the series, All Creatures Great and Small, and wanted to know what happened to the beloved characters I grew attached to. Sadly, our library only has the first and second book in the series. I also wanted to continue reading from the perspective of a veterinarian, as I’m interested in wildlife veterinary work as a career. In the first book, I learned about veterinary work from the point of view of a livestock and pet veterinarian who lived in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s.

What I Learned:
Just like the first book in this series, I was blown away by the admirable character traits of the author and protagonist, James Herroit. In dealing with challenging situations – and even more challenging characters – Herroit maintained poise, grace, and patience even while readers gained access to his thoughts of stress, frustration, and humiliation. Herroit was gifted in keeping his composure and it seemed that he understood the principle that he didn’t have to take how others treated him personally-that it wasn’t about him, but about the antagonist-like characters themselves. His boss, for example, protected his own faults onto Herroit and in response to that, our protagonist was able to let it go and the reader was able to laugh about it later. Herroit, as always, teaches me to show grace in confrontation, judgment, and frustration.

For the animal care aspect of this book, I was intrigued and amazed at the ways veterinarians had to get creative in healing sick and injured animals in that time period. Some of the tools they used were basic kitchen and farm objects. Some vets in the book used these props to perform wonders while other vets Herroit gained counsel and knowledge from used the latest technology and a pristine working environment with plenty of staff to assist. I learned the names of parasitic organisms and illnesses that I had never heard of, their effects on the animals, and how Herroit was able to cure them. Another thing I learned, through Herroit’s storytelling, was how sometimes in veterinary practice, happy accidents happen. Herroit had numerous occasions where he would use medication or anesthesia that had miraculous effects on the animals’ healing-and often in ways Herroit hadn’t expected. Trial and error, I’ve learned in this novel, is another aspect of veterinary practice, at least in this time period. It was fascinating to learn how vets were very limited in their resources, materials, and medications during the 30s and that the medications and procedures we have today weren’t around then, showing the reader the devastation and sad effects of not having them.

How Will Reading All Things Bright And Beautiful Contribute To My Success:
Gaining appreciation for the work ethic of livestock and pet veterinarians and for the medicines and procedures we now have available to us will benefit me, in the possibility of me working in the world of wildlife veterinary medicine or conservation.

The whole picture of each chapter and story within this novel paints a clear picture for me as an aspiring wildlife veterinarian/conservationalist as it shows the difficulties and struggles, heartaches and victories, and how one’s personal life is affected when working in this field.

In emotional, mental, and social aspects of my life, I know I can think of the protagonist and how he humbly carried himself through difficult situations and challenging people who didn’t make his job any easier.
I hope one day our library will receive the rest of the books in Herroit’s series so I may continue learning and seeing where the characters go in their live

Title: The Music Shop
Author: Rachel Joyce
Genre: Fiction

Why I Read This Book:
At home, I collect vinyl albums by my favorite artists. Every morning when I wake up (if I’m not going anywhere) I turn the coffee pot on and put a record on. The first record I ever purchased: Love Is For Suckers by Twisted Sister. My local record shop became my favorite place to visit every Thursday and I became friends with the owner. It was a place I always felt at home.

What Did I Learn:
In answering some of the questions at the back of the book, I believe Frank was so dedicated to selling vinyl, even at the expense of his own shop, because of how special and unlike CDs, cassette tapes, or digital downloads records are. As the author said, listening to records becomes a full-participation activity, as you have to take care in placing the needle where you want the song to start and must physically get up to flip to the other side. Records have a full, rich sound and there’s a fragility to them, making them feel precious to the listener. For Frank, I believe it was also a nostalgia value since he secretly mourned the loss of his mother. Their only real connection and bond in life revolved around music and vinyl.

I believe Frank was drawn to Ilse because of her silence and mystery. She might’ve reminded him of his beloved music, which he learned from his mother, as music’s most signifying element is its pauses and periods of silence.

Frank’s gift for knowing “what people needed even when they didn’t know it themselves” teaches us that Frank was a character who could read people and was in tune with how people felt, though he couldn’t explain how. It was remarkable that he was able to look at a character and get a sense for their struggles. He’s a truly empathetic character.

How Will Reading The Music Shop Contribute To My Success?
The character of Frank inspires me to be a better listener – to value the silence not only in others, but the silence that’s all around us. Unfortunately, there isn’t much silence in prison. However it challenges me to find those silent pauses in the small things and to pay attention to what’s not said perhaps more than what is said.
The role of community in this novel was almost like a character all on its own. The residents and shop owners on appropriately-named Unity Street mourned the loss of businesses together, battled the destruction of their way of life together, and were a major part of each other’s lives. Simply being with each other, spending time in Frank’s shop or at the pub felt like family time.

What I enjoyed about this novel was how healing music is shown to be. When Frank picks out music for his customers, we see them transform, melt, or feel empowered. The music acts almost medicinal. I relate to this idea; as a drummer, I find playing or listening to music extraordinarily therapeutic. Music has an unmatched power that can change your way of thinking or processing information, identify or recognize things within yourself you didn’t know were there, and has the power to pull you out of the pit of despair and into a better attitude. Perhaps I can be more like the protagonist, where when I struggle to find the words to offer someone when they confide in me, I can locate musical healing that can speak louder than I ever could.

Title: Young Goodman Brown
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Why I Read This Book:
I’ve wanted to read one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works since I performed professionally as an adult in The Crucible and visited Hawthorne’s house in Salem along with his grandfather, Judge Hawthorne’s, grave. As my first story by Hawthorne, I really enjoyed it because of the mood and eeriness of the book and how fantastically descriptive it was.

What I Learned From Reading This Book:
Hawthorne has a particular mood for this story that comes alive on the page. I was able to experience the atmosphere in the setting. He uses character names and other motifs and details to foreshadow events or have different meanings. For example, the young wife of Goodman Brown, Faith, could be an ironic detail of the protagonist’s faith. “Poor little Faith,” which the protagonist used, was a play on words when Goodman Brown spoke of his wife.

The story starts with the young Goodman Brown leaving his wife for the night to do some undisclosed evil intention, to the unawareness of his young pretty wife of only 3 months. Brown leaves his little village and meets a much older man-a traveller-in the dark woods. Although the young man is vocal about not wishing to go any further and return to his wife (an internal struggle), he still continues on with the un-named man who holds a twisted old cane in the shape of a snake, which he repeatedly tries to persuade our young protagonist to take hold of. Brown’s internal struggle of turning back yet continuing on is an ongoing theme. The antagonist baited him to keep walking to give him the opportunity to convince the young man not to turn back. It was clear to me that this young man’s boundaries were not strong enough.

As they venture deeper into the dark and lonely woods, the older man, who Brown doesn’t wish to associate or be seen with, speaks of his involvement in his elder’s evil deeds and of their support for him, which reminded me of “Sympathy For The Devil.” Whether these are lies or truths isn’t certain. It’s clear that this character is the father of lies.

There are multiple sub-climaxes or rising actions leading up to their destination; they see an old woman with a Godly, good name in the town. When the woman sees the older traveller, we realize she’s a witch and a supporter of this charismatic and dark man and all that is evil. She mentions that she’s on her way to a gathering where a young man is to be taken into communion. The older man, who seems to appear and disappear with mystical qualities leaves Brown to hear the voices of the town’s minister and deacon conversing along the path regarding taking a young woman into communion during a gathering that, using tone instead of clear statement, is clearly a secretive and ungodly event. Brown then hears his young wife screaming in the dark woods among the encompassing whispers and incantations of saints and sinners from his town.

The reader, along with the protagonist, understands there is evil awaiting Goodman Brown, which is confirmed when Brown reaches a stone altar with a large congregation of saints and sinners from his town. He and his wife Faith, who is there now, are to be brought into a dark communion. Brown begs his wife to turn from there and to not go through with the communion.

Everything goes black and Goodman Brown comes to in the middle of the empty damp forest and returns to town alone. He sees the “good” members of his community-the deacon, the minister, the old lady who taught him as a child, all preparing for sermons, preaching to a congregation, and helping children-all Godly things and he views them now with disgust and anger. When he sees his young wife run to him eagerly, he ignores her and keeps on walking.

The story says that it had all been a dream, and yet Goodman Brown became bitter and cold, often scowling at the words of prayer. His view of others around him changed even until his dying day when his grave bore no written word of prayer or sentiment.

Throughout the story, the protagonist struggled with internal conflict, as I mentioned earlier, regarding turning from his evil deeds, yet keeping in step with the devil-like antagonist. Goodman Brown knew what he was going off to do was wrong when he left his wife and he knew it would hurt his wife if she knew. “…after this one night I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven” he said and it was clear to the reader that he felt himself justified in his wrong-doing, allowing himself to make more haste “on his present evil purpose.” He had even vowed while clinging to a tree that he would “…yet stand firm against the devil!” but his words didn’t match his actions.

As I mentioned before, I believe Faith’s name was symbolic, as there was a second play on words: “Faith kept me back a while” Brown had told the antagonist.

What I wonder still is why did the young, good man meet this evil devil in the woods in the first place? Brown knew the man was bad company and how others would view him for associating with him.

How Reading “Young Goodman Brown” Will Help Me With Success:
This story is a reminder for me how dangerous it is to not keep strong boundaries, for establishing weak ones won’t keep out the evil one, who not only attacks us, he *aggressively* attacks us.

It’s a reminder that we can stay what we will or will not do all we want, however it’s our actions that matter.
Hawthorne warns us of the damage that can happen within us (like how Brown had changed at the end of his story) if we don’t commit to doing good, focus on God, and let our guards down for even a moment. Brown’s grim look on life and others, even his loved ones that he ultimately hurt, is a consequence of his poor decisions, which remind me much of the poor decisions I once made that led me down a dark path, like the dark, dense, wooded one Young Goodman Brown had followed. I thank Hawthorne for his admonitory tale.

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Genre: Horror

Why I Read This Book:
I’ve watched old black and white horror movies since I was in a playpen. Ones with Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff (sp?), and Lon Chaney (sp?) movies became my favorites before I was in kindergarten and I was the only child or teenager in my age group who’s seen those movies, let alone knew the names of the actors. Bram Stokers Dracula with Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman is a movie I’ve seen many times, so as it’s a goal of mine to read the classic novels that interest me during my incarceration, I chose the novel I’ve seen converted into Hollywood films time and time again.

What I Learned From Reading This Book:
I wasn’t surprised that the book differentiated from the films I knew, however I didn’t expect it to be as different as it was. Instead of the handsome, aristocratic man who spoke English so well with an alluring accent, Count Dracula was terrifying, disgusting, and a grotesque monster. While he did speak English well with a Romanian accent, he had a long white beard and hair on his hands. Unlike the movie, there was no backstory of Mina and her ancestor being the princess to Count Dracula’s reign.

Jonathan Harker, the story’s main protagonist, is a solicitor’s clerk traveling in place of his boss to Count Dracula in Transylvania. Just like in the film I mentioned, the novel showed different perspectives from the cast of characters, therefore the book starts off with Harker’s journal entries as he travels, noting his interactions with the superstitious Romanian peasants fearful of the count Dracula. He isn’t superstitious, but accepts one woman’s rosary beads. As we see him being held captive in Dracula’s castle, he transitions into believing in the supernatural. There are no servants, yet everything is well-kept, leading Harker to believe that the Count is the one doing all the housekeeping. He sees and hears peculiarities including wolves howling, odd shadows, and seeing the count climbing the roof upside down. He finds Dracula sleeping in a coffin and runs into three vampire brides who drink the blood of a small child, to Harker’s horror. With Jonathan locked away in his castle, Dracula travels to London, the city he’s spent much time researching.

The people in London aren’t aware of Dracula or vampires, therefore they don’t have the knowledge or equipment to identify, let alone defeat him. Lucy is Dracula’s first victim and dies before coming back to life as a vampire. Mina, Jonathan’s fiance’ and Lucy’s closest friend, sees the beast we know to be Dracula feeding on Lucy on a cliff one dark night. Dr. Stewart works in a sanitarium with a peculiar patient, Mr. Renfield, who is obsessed with blood by capturing and consuming flies. Renfield graduates to larger creatures such as spiders and later begs for a cat. Van Helsing is summoned by Dr. Stewart and tries to help save Lucy from the unknown thing killing her slowly, then later gathers help from Lucy’s fiance’ and men who are in love with her to help him defeat the undead Lucy in a horrific scene. Jonathan eventually escapes the castle, marries Mina, and reunites with the group of unlikely friends with the plan to defeat Dracula. Dracula, angry the group is onto him, bites Mina while Jonathan is knocked unconscious and forces her to drink his blood which starts her transformation to a vampire.

How Will Reading Dracula Help Me With Success:
In his novel, Stoker uses wooden stakes, the drinking of blood, the crucifix, and more, showing how much research the author did into folklore. This shows me how important this kind of knowledge and research is when writing a novel of this kind, which is what I will require when writing my own folklore-inspired fiction novel.

Stoker’s use of details and tone created a creepy, terrifying mood. Details were so rich that it tickled all the senses. For example, you could hear the wind and picture the darkness and eerie shadows while smelling the mustiness of the old dark house in London Dracula used as a hide-out.

Though I’m not the biggest fan of the novel, what I appreciated was the power of friends when looking at the close-knit group that took down Dracula. Though very different from each other, they each had an important role to play in defeating the monster and were valuable to the group. It’s an inspiring message of the importance of having true friends to fall back on and inspires me to be valuable to mine.

As an aspiring fiction author (I’ve only published non-fiction), I was intrigued by how Stoker used narrative shifts. The story moved along through the character’s journal entries, reports, letters, telegrams, and documents. I love this idea and, while I’ve thought of writing one novel with this style, it was helpful to see how creative Stoker got with the process.

It was interesting that Dracula went after members of the group only. If his goal was to take over/rule London, it would’ve been wiser to attack Londoners at random. Attacking members of the group was his downfall, because only together could they defeat him. Perhaps the authors gave us the underlying message of what we can accomplish if we use our talents, value teamwork, and look out for our loved ones, and fight for each other with unbridled determination.

Title: 12 Rules for Life
Author: Jordan B. Peterson
Genre: Self-betterment/Nonfiction

Why I Read This Book:
A friend in my dorm brought me this book and said it changed her life, and she wanted me to read it too.

What I Learned:
In chapter 1, like in every chapter, Peterson pulls from many stories and concepts to inspire us to stand straight with our shoulders back. This means to accept the responsibility of life with “eyes wide open.” He talks about clients who were pushed around by others and put up with it for a long time. He got them to see their resentment as anger, then as an indication that something needed to be said or done, which basically mirrored what I learned in the Horizon Boundaries Class. I could relate to this; it was helpful in reminding me that my resentments are sometimes disguises for the anger with myself for allowing myself to be put down, used, etc, which thankfully I’ve learned how to minimize in recent months. I was mind-blown when reading about tyranny and how we, by making ourselves victims, produce and encourage tyrants in our lives.

In chapter 2, his message is “treat yourself like someone you’re responsible for helping,” which reminds me of how I’ve had to learn how to “mother myself” in adulthood without the wisdom, support, and guidance from a biological mother. “It is not virtuous to be victimized by a bully, even if that bully is ourselves” was a powerful quote I read. He writes that sacrificing yourself for others isn’t Christ’s “directive to victimize ourselves in the service of others,” which I believe people often get confused about. “If I am someone’s friend, family,…I am morally obliged to bargain as hard on my own behalf as they are on theirs.” This chapter reminds us we’re not just ourselves or our own possession, but that we belong to God. “…instead of narcissistically inflating their own importance, they don’t value themselves at all…” was a quote that hit hard for me, as this reflects the first 30 years of my life, cultivated by the abuse and neglect of a parent that formulated the issues within myself that ultimately led to my downfall. He goes on to describe people like I was: “…believe that other people shouldn’t suffer, and they will work diligently and altruistically to help them alleviate it. They extend the same courtesy even to the animals they are acquainted with-but not so easily to themselves.” I learned in the Horizon program classes I have always been a “fixer” and sought work dealing with sick and injured wildlife and non-releasable zoo/aquarium animals with the intent of providing care and educating the public about them. Peterson painted a perfect portrait of who I was the first 30 years of life and what I’ve been working to move away from.

In chapter 3, Peterson wrote about his friend’s cousin “Ed” from his hometown who didn’t improve in anything, including his circumstances or life. Not learning from our past dooms us to repeat the same mistakes. Some people, he believes, even have a “motivated refusal to learn,” which reflects the attitudes of some prisoners I see daily.

In chapter 4, he asks us “who are you?” and tells us to take stock. He compares this to buying a new home; there are hidden flaws, cosmetic or structural and therefore you need an inspector. We are to be our own “internal critics.” Peterson reminds me of Michael Santos in this chapter, as he talks of starting with the first step: asking who you are, such as the values Santos discusses in his lessons, and talks about small celebrations when we achieve a goal, however small. “What you aim at determines what you see.”

In seven, he talks about the listening person: Be a better listener. How he sees and listens to his clients and shows how he can be a better collaborator when silent is inspiring. Even silence, he teaches us, can be expressive. Carl Rogers understood how listening can transform people. One experiment is to speak for yourself only after you’ve restated the other’s ideas or feelings accurately. Too often, we are jockeying for position in conversations, not listening but planning how to respond. Often it’s even off-topic, and always about ourselves. People often think that winning the argument makes him or her right. The lecture I learned (which was insightful, as a former teacher and a recent teacher for other inmates) is a conversation as well; the lecturer speaks and the audience communicates nonverbally. Delivery of the emotional information is part of it. The lecturer (a good one) pays attention to the audience by watching their responses of a single, identifiable person. “You already know what you know..and unless your life is perfect, what you know is not enough” is one of my favorite quotes of his.

In chapter 10, he writes about objects in our lives and how we view them as more than that. I realized how psychologically dependent we are on these tools (and everything is a tool), such as how we feel and react when our car fails.

Chapter 11 taught me so much regarding assertiveness and resentment, which I had battled for so long. He expresses this in his female clients and how often I’ve allowed myself to be taken advantage of in the past. It was a truly helpful and insightful chapter for me.

How Reading 12 Rules For Life will help me with success:
It’s clear to me that the stories and metaphors that Peterson uses puts things in perspective for me regarding my past and present emotional or mental challenges. It was, as my friend claimed, life changing and a book that I will refer back to in times when I find myself slipping back into the negative emotions and urges, such as resentment, self loathing, and low self-esteem. I’m grateful to have read this book.

Title: All Creatures Great and Small
Author: James Herriot

Why I read this book: Because I have experience working and volunteering in wildlife rehabilitation – something I’m still very passionate about – I thought it would be a good decision to read a book like this one, which would open my mind to the life of livestock or family pet veterinary.

What I learned: Mr. Herriot, a veterinarian at the beginning of the 1930s in the Yorkshire Dales in England, forms very realistic characters: from his boss Siegfried and his brother Tristan, to their secretary Miss Harbottle, to the poor farmers whose livestock James attends to. Herriot shows us how he handles difficult situations (and personalities) with incredible patience and grace. There were many poor farmers, some of whom could barely afford their veterinary bills. Herriot showed compassion and empathy for these farmers, which was very inspiring. He and the farmers were sometimes able to work out compromises and exchanges of goods to pay off the vet bills. It was most interesting – and comical – reading about the abundantly-spoiled Pekinese, Tricky Woo, and his very wealthy female owner. I was able to see the frustration Herriot encountered when Tricky Woo would become ill due to being fed food highly inappropriate for dogs and due to no exercise. Herriot teaches readers how to handle frustrating clients, like Tricky Woo’s owner, with grace and patience as well as how he delicately gave his diagnosis, prognosis, and instructions for the owner to make changes to her beloved dog’s lifestyle and diet. Tricky Woo’s owner was vocally eager to adhere to Herriot’s instruction; however, she’d revert right back to the same ways that led her pet into poor health in the first place. This is a situation I can imagine is very common when working in the veterinary world – something I didn’t encounter with wildlife rehabilitation, as there was ever an owner to communicate with.

I was able to laugh at part of the book where the characters’ personalities clashed, as these were situations that most people experience. One of note was Herriot’s boss, Siegfried, who was a challenging man to work for. Siegfried would give very specific instructions regarding all aspects of the job, to which Herriot would follow carefully and completely. Unfortunately, most of these instructions led to failure and destruction, which resulted in Siegfried denying having ever made such a suggestion. I found these moments humorous, because I too have been in similar situations. In fact, this is nearly identical to the things that I and other incarcerated ladies deal with when it comes to prison staff. In my opinion, laughter seems to sometimes be the best way of healing from these types of frustrations.

How will reading “All Creatures Great and Small” contribute to my success: James Herriot is resilient in this book. He never gives up even when situations and clients are difficult. I laughed the most when he nearly crashed the beat-up vehicle he had to drive to his client’s farms and homes. As an aspiring novelist, he has taught me a highly effective way to write comedy, sometimes in subtle ways. He has inspired me to be a better writer. I’m on a waiting list to take a veterinary class (computer class), so I believe reading about very real experiences, like Herriot’s, will be beneficial. Wildlife conservation or rehabilitation is something I would like to get back into, possibly as a career; therefore, I wanted as close to “real experience” as I could get during incarceration. Reading books written by veterinarians, rehabilitators, and conservationists is a good decision for me to become knowledgeable about the field I’ve always been interested in and
would like to get back into. A couple of the characters in Herriot’s novel have inspired me in creating characters for a fiction novel my close friend and I are in the process of brainstorming for. Herriot’s writing talent easily captures my emotions and places me right in the story. He does this so well that I can easily visualize everything, from the atmosphere, the landscape, and all of the senses of the human body.

Title: Hope for Animals and Their World
Author: Jane Goodall
Genre: Biography/Non-fiction

Why I read “Hope for Animals and Their World”: I chose this book because environmental and animal conservation is very close to my heart, meaning I consider them great values in my life.

What I Learned: Reading this book gave me the opportunity to learn about animals I never heard of and wasn’t aware of their existence. I realized how often scientists are criticized and the hardships they face with people while fighting for reintroduction, breeding, and other aspects of returning a species to its native environment. In the case of the Black-Footed Ferret, I was appalled to learn how the scientists were criticized for not providing enough data – data they weren’t given permission to collect in the first place. This ferret, from Wyoming, faced many issues which were alarming to conservationists and were ignored by Wyoming’s own Game and Fishing. It was my understanding how there will always be some people, groups, or the government that will not understand or wish to assist in saving nearly extinct species; however, Jane showed me just how many more people there are than I thought who create obstacles or deny assistance to researchers and conservation scientists. “Old-time rangers with no understanding or patience with conservation Biologists” are among these people I read about. Such was the case with the wolves of Yellowstone. It became clear to me how hard the heroes mentioned in Jane’s book have to work to save the endangered species. Perilous seas, sharp rocks, and terrible living conditions are only a few of what Biologists suffer through. I learned of the people who’ve dedicated their lives to these animals and the personal discomfort they subject themselves to. I enjoyed their photos with their beloved animals. They view them as “living treasures,” as I do.

In greater depth I learned that habitat stability preparation and conservation is critical for the reintroduction of species. It became clear that trial and error is a norm in saving species and bringing them back to their natural habitat. I was inspired by the people who flew the ultralight planes from the Austrian Alps to Tuscany to show the Northern Bald Ibis where to migrate, and I cheered when they accomplished their goal. Jane has a way of telling stories like this one that puts you in the center of the adventure and makes us feel like we’re living it with the scientists. Lazarus Syndrome is where species once believed to be extinct have been recently found. In Ghana, Mis Waldron’s Red Colobus Monkeys and Lord Howe’s Island Phasmid are ones I’ve never heard of. The ominous, rocky black Ball’s Pyramid resembles Azkaban prison from Harry Potter and is the only place on Earth to find the phasmid insects, which are large, harmless, and fascinating! The harrowing dangers the researchers put themselves through to locate them is something to be admired. My favorite species mentioned were the Kakapo – the only flightless parrot saved from the brink of extinction by Don Merton – and the Vancouver Island Marmot. In a photo of Canadian logger Wayne O’Keefe holding a marmot named Iris, you can see the man’s heart melting. I became emotionally invested in the story of the Red Wolves and their success in the wild. Like with the Peregrine Falcons mentioned, I learned of their lineage and struggles. George Archibald and the Whooping Crane named Gee Whiz, Carl Sandfort wearing the Peregrine Falcon copulation hat, and other stories had me laughing and cheering when conservationists succeeded in their goals.

How reading “Hope for Animals in Their World” will contribute to my success: Jane inspires me by reminding us that “it’s never too late” to save species. “…These animals belong to the land” was Jane’s response to the question “Why save endangered/threatened species?” Saving them means protecting biodiversity; however, her book showed me that there are many who still simply “don’t get it” because they can’t understand the difference that losing these species will make. Scientists that work to save the phasmids received harsh criticism for saving a mere insect. I have hope for those who see the importance in protecting the environment and I learned of the different organizations that help the animals listed in Jane’s book. This information could be valuable in my search for an organization to volunteer or work for professionally one day. I’m drawn to the teamwork critical in the endeavors to save species I care about. In the back of her book, Jane lists the dos and don’ts to help animals and groups to contact for more information.

Psychologically, Jane inspired me to never give up on my dreams. Her empowering statement reflects Michael Santos’ teachings: “…what is most important is that you do something. Don’t feel that, because you cannot do all you would like to do, then it is better to do nothing” makes me believe that I can still do so much behind the razor wire to help wildlife, educate people, and plan for my future. It was said “Restrictions on DDT will never happen.” DDT was successfully banned thanks to scientists, Biologists, and conservationists – a reminder for me to not put too much stock in what some people will say can’t change. And most importantly, the story of how Andrew Bryant – the conservationist who devoted his life to the Vancouver Island Marmot – found himself in a logging boardroom presenting what he knew of the species and how the logging company was threatening them taught me a great lesson. At the end of his presentation, Stan Coleman asked “What do you want me to do about it?” In my future, when I advocate for prisoners and felons, I imagine I’ll be asked this question. In Andrew’s case, Coleman became the greatest advocate for the species, which taught me that those who seem like the greatest adversaries can become our greatest advocates.

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Genre: Horror

Why I Read “Frankenstein”: I was raised on the old black and white Horror films featuring Bela Legosi, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff. Unlike other kids my age, I knew actors like Lon Chaney, Abbott and Costello, and my childhood crush Jimmy Stewart. I knew movies like “Them!”, “The Monolith Monsters,” “The Fly,” and others by heart. While on my honeymoon in Bath, England, I was excited to see a plaque honoring the legendary Mary Shelley at The Pump Room. I vowed I’d read her iconic novel one day. When I first came to prison with nothing to do, all I did was read. It’s now my goal to read many of the great classics I’ve always longed to read, but didn’t have time to when I was free. Frankenstein was a novel I loved more than I’d expected, filled with many surprises.

What I Learned: As I sat in my empty cell reading this book, I couldn’t stop my shock the moment I realized this novel would be nothing like the old Universal picture when I exclaimed, “It talks!” It was at this point I knew I was in for an adventure. We learn that Dr. Viktor Frankenstein (not to be confused with the monster) came from a very good family and though they suffered loss, they had deep love for each other. Against the warnings from Viktor’s professors, he set out to make a creation, which as we know was an assembly of the body parts of the deceased. He ignores his family’s pleas for him to return home from college and instead puts priority in his own self-fulfillment. I’d expected the scene where the monster comes alive to be more thrilling and (no pun intended) electrifying as it is in the movies. I was disappointed, waiting for the line “It’s alive! It’s alive!” that never came, with only the monster’s eyes opening to see its world and creator for the first time. Viktor, upon his creation’s wakening, fled the room and ran from the monster, not because he was attacked or threatened, but solely because of how his creation looked. It’s frequently described as grotesque and horrifying to see. Thus, out of fear, he made the choice to abandon his own creation. His monster catches up with him later where it communicates with him.

The greatest surprise to me was that Frankenstein’s monster not only spoke, but was extraordinarily eloquent. In its longing to understand and be a part of the world it inhabited, it observed with keen focus the people around him. Not only was it eloquent, but it was also a deeply empathetic, self-aware creature. While watching a peasant family unnoticed for months, he was deeply moved by their love for each other, the changing seasons, and music. The lonely creature cried sorrowfully while listening to their stories and wished deeply to be part of their family. He expressed selflessness in doing anonymous hard labor for the peasant family and yearned to do good. This was not the Frankenstein’s monster I expected. He was beautiful inside.

Unfortunately, any time the creature was discovered or seen by humankind, he was instantly judged anddespised based on his appearance and chased off into hiding, causing him a loss in hope for doing good. This resulted in his fury, hatred, and him turning violent. In being perceived and treated by others as a monster, he became a monster. Not even having been given a name was a heartache that caused him dismay. He had very valid questions much like we ask at an early age. When it spoke to his creator, it spoke clearly of its feelings – something people often find difficult. It explained to Viktor, who should’ve been like a parent, that it was lonely and wanted a partner to love and be love. He promised that he would then go off and live away from
mankind in peace with his mate. Viktor agrees to make his monster a bride, however turns back on his word, once again fleeing from his responsibility and running away, but not before tearing the new creation apart on the operating table in view of his first creation. It was here that completely confirmed my earlier opinion that Viktor Frankenstein is the real monster in this story.

How Reading “Frankenstein” Will Contribute To My Success: It’s the continual abandoning of Dr. Frankenstein’s responsibility that made him pay the price: having his new bride, Elizabeth, murdered by the monster on his wedding night. Shelley warns readers against abdicating responsibility. Dr. Viktor Frankenstein didn’t think his plan through and was ultimately unprepared for consequences of what he unleashed in the world. It’s a valuable lesson to all of us who’ve made poor choices in life and ran out of fear from what we’ve done. Viktor was never under threat by the monster; however, he was relentlessly tormented by thoughts of assumption for what the monster “might” do. This reminds me of how I’ve often concocted in my mind the worst-case scenarios. I was truly renewed in Christ a few years ago and have since made the deliberate choice to trust God and worry less; however, fear and lies sometimes try to creep in. If I entertain these fears and anxieties, I’ll end up running from everything just as Dr. Frankenstein did. As for Frankenstein’s monster, we have all been this creature. We come into this world completely helpless, full of questions as we grow, wanting to do good, and being hurt by others. We can empathize with this creature. Being judged hastily by his outward appearance before the goodness inside him is something else anyone can empathize with. In this way, I understand that with society’s labels for me, I too will be often viewed by society in similar, if not the same ways as Frankenstein’s creature was. We can’t control how others treat us. Many people are determined to not see the goodness within us. However, we don’t have to become the monsters they think we are. We can choose to be peaceful, loving, and delight in the beautiful world around us.