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Rick LeCouteur
Inviting young readers to marvel at the wonder of nature's creatures
Rick's Blog
#bunyipsbooksbeyond
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Cut That Out! The overlooked editing trick (#358)
Growing up in Australia, where “proper English" was prized and verbosity often mistaken for precision, I was slow to appreciate the...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 232 min read
The Forgotten Workforce: Caring for those who care (#357)
She holds the weight of others' pain, Their sorrow, sickness, loss, and strain. With steady hands and steady grace, She hides the cracks...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 222 min read
Institutional Memory: The wisdom we leave behind (#356)
In an era that celebrates innovation, disruption, and fresh perspectives, it's easy to overlook a quieter, invaluable resource that too...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 202 min read
Sten-Erik Olsson: A memorable encounter (#355)
In 1986, I had the privilege of speaking at a distinguished veterinary conference in Lund, Sweden, dedicated to the intricacies of canine...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 193 min read
The Politics of Power: Lady Chu - a familiar story? (#354)
In the annals of Chinese history, where emperors often take center stage, the story of Lady Chu (also known as Lü Zhi , Empress of the...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 193 min read
Limbic Resonance: The unspoken human/animal bond (#353)
Have you ever sat with someone in silence and somehow felt more at peace? Or caught someone's yawn, even though you're not tired? ...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 183 min read
The Fragile Fortress: University leaders & corporate entanglements (#352)
At the heart of any great university lies a principle older than rankings, older than endowments, and older than the office of the...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 173 min read
Bangkok’s Great Mystery: The story of Jim Thompson (#351)
The Jim Thompson House Museum In the heart of Bangkok, tucked behind high hedges and shaded by towering trees, lies a house that feels...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 143 min read
Vanishing Acts: The black hole of children’s picture books (#350)
Every year, roughly 4 million new books are published globally. That staggering number represents the hopes and dreams of millions of...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 123 min read
When Bureaucracy Fails: What Social Security could learn from a Vet Hospital (#349)
Let’s imagine something absurd. Your dog is not well. Not just a little off. Something’s wrong. You try to book an appointment at your...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 124 min read
Suspending Belief: Veterinary tools that outrun the evidence (#348)
One of the more intriguing developments in recent years is the Equusir BEST‑BOX , a device marketed to diagnose and treat energetic...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 93 min read
Animals in Childhood Development: What animals teach children (#346)
In the modern Western world, animals play a central role in childhood. From the moment a baby is born, animals surround them in...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 84 min read
When the Halls Fall Silent: The rise and fall of veterinary conferences (#345)
There was a time, not long ago, when the annual veterinary conference was the heart and soul of the profession. Names like BSAVA , NAVC...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 83 min read
Speaking Truth to Power: A lesson from Cassius and Murrow (#344)
Cassius (the younger man pointing) and Brutus (the older man listening) from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar . In the winter of 1954,...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 72 min read
Speak Up, Even When It’s Risky: Why challenging power matters (#343)
There’s a quiet courage in standing up, not just for yourself, but for what’s right. Especially when the person you’re standing up to has...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 74 min read
The World Is Waiting: Turn the Page (#342)
Saint Augustine , philosopher, theologian, and one of the towering intellects of the early Christian church, left behind many timeless...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 62 min read
For Vets Only: Things we never say out loud (#341)
You know the look. The one you give your nurse across the room when the dog starts crashing. The look that says, “Get the crash cart -...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 52 min read
To Younger Vets: Don’t mistake the growl for bitterness (#340)
A colleague recently challenged me, good-naturedly I think, that I was starting to sound like a grumpy old retired vet , always going on...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 53 min read
Dropping the GRE for Vet School Admissions: Equity Boost or Quality Risk? (#339)
In recent years, many veterinary schools across the United States have dropped the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) as a requirement...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 43 min read
BSAVA Bows Out: But what happens to belonging? (#338)
After 68 years, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has announced that its 2025 Congress will be its last. Once a...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 43 min read
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