The Value of Believing in Yourself by Spencer Johnson, MD

I had a copy of this book as a kid. I'm fairly certain it came from a thrift store called The Hodge Podge, but I don't know anything else about how I ended up with it.

A couple of years ago, I came across a copy at a yard sale for 50 cents and was so thrilled I wrote a blog post about it !

I can't say whether this book has had any impact on my believing in myself over the years, but I am fairly confident is fueled my interest in veterinary medicine and vaccinations! Over my many years as a vet tech, I'd encounter owners who didn't want to vaccinate their pet for rabies. Sometimes the reason was financial but it was usually ignorance. I can't tell you how many times I had a conversation like this:
                     Client: Why do I have to vaccinate my dog for rabies? We don't have a problem with rabies around here.
                     Me: No, we don't, because we vaccinate against rabies!
 Each time I had this conversation, I thought of this book! I'd think I know the story of Louis Pasteur inventing this vaccine and he did not spend his life doing that so people could decline the vaccine to save $17!

  *Side Note: Last summer I read a non-fiction book called Rabid, about the history of rabies in our culture. Fascinating and horrifying stuff - I highly recommend it if it sounds interesting to you!

So, to say this book was significant in my life is putting it mildly. I find it funny that there is obviously a series of these ValueTale books but this is the only one I have encountered in my life, and twice!

A Good Find

    One of my favorite summer hobbies is yardsaling. I've taken to getting up early on Saturday mornings, spending an hour or so cruising the neighborhood with a mug of coffee looking for treasures. This past weekend, I came across this gem for fifty cents.

      I snatched it from the pile immediately, glancing around to be sure no one else was scoping it out (they weren't). I had this book as a kid and I absolutely loved it. The most beautiful thing about this find is that I had recently been telling my boyfriend about the book and when I looked it up online, I found copies in good condition ranging from $25-$40! I rushed home to share my joy and he patiently sat through a complete reading. It's the story of Louis Pasteur inventing the rabies vaccine. This drawing of an infected dog was always my favorite page in the book.

       Perhaps this is where my passion for veterinary medicine started?

I've actually bought several books from my childhood at yardsales. It's hard to pass on them when they're so cheap and evoke such strong emotions and memories. It's interesting to look back and wonder if these books helped shape who I am or if I was drawn to them because my interests were already there. Either way, I'm thrilled to have this one for my collection and I'm looking forward to Saturday morning!