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William Gillespie
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Cows I Have Known Kindle Edition

by William Gillespie (Author), Sarah Gillespie (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 43 ratings
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Every so often a book comes along offering a fresh perspective from all others. “Cows I Have Known” by the new author William Gillespie is just such a book. As a non-fiction account of the cows that Gillespie raised, this book provides wonderful narratives with a wealth of insights. It opens with a reflective account of the author’s favorite cow. From there we the readers are immersed in raising beef cattle, and while most of the chapters focus on events in the pasture, Gillespie also takes us off the farm. The prose interweaves subtle lessons to vivid events that extend far beyond the pasture. Inadvertently the cows affect every bit of his life. The book follows along as the author grows, and accordingly Gillespie’s tone shifts. Gillespie avoids the self-deprecating humor that characterizes many animal stories; rather he focuses on the situation and lets the humor shine through. His humor sometimes bites. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and cuss as you read this book. Who knew that cows could be so interesting?
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  1. Print length
    375 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    March 13, 2017
  5. File size
    13289 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XKFJZWP
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 13, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 13289 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 375 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 43 ratings

About the author

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William Gillespie

William Gillespie

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Will keeps a full schedule between working on his family’s farm and inspecting coal mine reclamation for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It’s amazing that he manages to sit long enough to write at all; but write he does! To the casual observer, Will is a picture of Midwest country life; raised on a farm, drives a truck, typically has mud on his boots… However, there is much more to this author; for example, he’s a big fan of sushi, listens to NPR when he’s driving his truck, and laces up his running shoes to race with his girlfriend. Add on a graduate degree in civil engineering, a keen interest in forestry, and you’ve got the recipe for truly insightful books.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
43 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amy Steiner
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought the book for my mother-in-law. These are her praises for the book.
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Will Gillespie’s book, “Cows I Have Known”, gave me so much enjoyment. It brought back so many memories. I could relate relate to most of his stories, even though I grew up mostly with sheep. So much is similar to their care, problems, and odd things that happen.

I discussed many of the chapters with my sister, who is almost 87. We had lots of laughs, as we related to so many of the incidents.

I would recommend everyone read this book. I enjoyed this book as much as the James Herriot collection (which were great). I’m sure the older population would relate as I have with many chapters. The younger readers could learn a little about farm life and enjoy the life lessons contained in this book.

Get this book, sit back and enjoy. You do not need to be from a farm background to enjoy this book.

Nona Steiner
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Gary Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Beef! It’s not just for dinner!
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2018
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The odd title of the book is what caught my attention. I grew up in rural Illinois but I had nothing to do with farms or animals. As I grew up I gravitated to large cities and city life. And I currently live in the heart of a city. Yet the warmth and the honesty of this book kept me interested. I found myself looking forward to the introduction of yet another cow or calf personality along the way.
I admired Will’s work ethic. I appreciated his recalling (as an adult) the admonition of his parents when confronted with hostility. Will is honest and vulnerable about his life. I found myself rooting for him.
I read the book in two evenings. A fun read. Keep writing William.
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DiscerningOne
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully composed
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017
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Musically this book, Cows I Have Known, is Train's "Play That Song" with strains of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly"; it is happy melodies with sweet plaintive refrains. Gillespie's tales of a farm boy and his cows are celebratory. Entertaining! His stories are, also, wistful. Moving! The book is more than about cows; at times, it is as if Gillespie is singing of life with his words, any walk of life. Engaging! Softly, Gillespie imparts knowledge with his insights, sociological and ecological. Enlightening! Add Marjanovic's illustration to the mix. Endearing!
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Sally Black
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2020
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This is the best book I’ve read in years. This has all the good stuff of any great read - truth and rawness and humor and disappointments and regular life (for some people). It does happen to be about cattle farming and farm culture, but if anyone wanted to learn about that or just get nostalgic about their own life on the farm, it’s perfect.
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J. Pennock
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend "Cows I Have Known."
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2019
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I would recommend this book to anyone - rural, farmer background or otherwise. The author captures the reality of farm life and the amazing relationships farmers have with their animals. This is the only book I have ever read that reflexes what growing up on a farm is really like. Reading "Cows I Have Known" is truly a unique experience!
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Tim Loughran
5.0 out of 5 stars Reality Rural Living
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2019
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Cows I Have Known is entertaining and reveals a side to farm life few of us have the opportunity to experience firsthand. The subtle message for me came through Gillespie's natural lightheartedness. The world would be a better place if all of us looked back at our upbringing with joy and appreciation as this author readily does.
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Jan Hertz
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2019
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It provides a lot of insight, and some humor, about the author's experience growing up on a farm. For me, like a lot of Midwesterners, I am a couple generations removed from farming and it is interesting to see the daily trials and tribulations of farming, especially in dealing with cows.
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lisa k adams
5.0 out of 5 stars AWEsome
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2017
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Awesome book by an awesome writer.I enjoyed reading this and at times I felt I was actually there alongside Will,walking through the cow pastures doing chores. Looking forward to many more wonderful books from this writer,as his writing is for all ages young ,old and in between. The paperback is now available and I intend to buy copies for gifts.
Thank You !
 Cows I Have Known
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521118922/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_t2_kaNazbA47N91P
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