The Animals and Their People: My Stories

During his long years practicing veterinary medicine, Dr. Ed Mapes witnessed hilarious and heartbreaking moments alike. In this book, Dr. Mapes recounts stories that will ring true to any animal-lover. While he treated animals with different medical problems, Dr. Mapes knew he also had to learn their personalities and the individual traits of their owners, their "people", to successfully handle each case.

Although countless other veterinarians have published books about their experiences in the profession, The Animals and Their People: My Stories includes an uncommon perspective. Through his love for sailing, Dr. Mapes has discovered many similarities between the professions of veterinary medicine and sailing. His experience as a sailing instructor, competitive racer, and offshore sailor adds a unique touch to his stories. An expert storyteller, sailor, and veterinarian, Dr. Mapes weaves these passions into an emotional, comical, and profound book which keeps the reader anticipating the next tale to be told.

About the Author:

Dr. Ed Mapes practiced veterinary medicine from 1980 until 2001, and then from 2010 until 2020. During that time, he was an associate veterinarian at three practices, owned three practices, and served as a relief doctor. Voted Best Veterinarian by local organizations, Dr. Mapes has been a member of various veterinary associations, and he was president of the Macomb County Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Mapes, a divorced father of one, currently lives in Texas where his son Eddie attends college. There, Dr. Mapes is a greeter and usher at the First Methodist Church in McKinney. Dr. Mapes plans to move back to Michigan soon, where he will be closer to his mother, sister, and brother who all live in his hometown of Troy, Michigan.

Dr. Mapes enjoys scuba diving, physical fitness, sailing, and skiing black diamond hills with his son. As a sailor, Dr. Mapes has achieved the highest rank of instructor in the American Sailing Association, teaching all levels of sailing. In addition to the three sailing books he has had published (Ready to Sail, Further Offshore, and Safer Offshore), Dr. Mapes has also written several courses that appear on the website NauticEd.

With a burning interest in the environment and the ravages of climate change, Dr. Mapes is also a member of Climate Reality, through which he gives presentations on the need to change habits to curtail emissions leading to global warming.