All Bob Harvey wants for Christmas is to give away a lot of books. Well, that and to bring a little cheer to wounded veterans. Oh, yes, and to rescue injured pets too. That's the concept behind his program Wounded Vets & Injured Pets. How does it all fit together? To find out, Do-Gooder caught up with Bob after his first visit to a medical facility for wounded vets, where he gave away 200 copies of his novel, Catalyst.

Okay, first: wounded vets and injured pets. Connect the dots for me, please.

One of the key characters in my mystery/adventure is a wounded veteran whose life is dramatically altered by the biophilia hypothesis: the human/animal bond. (I like to pronounce it bio-feel-ya, so its meaning to “feel life” is clear.) This hypothesis was put forth by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Harvard entomologist/socio-biologist Edward O. Wilson, in his landmark 1986 book Biophilia, where he defined the term as "the connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life," and argued it is "determined by a biological need, genetically encoded, and unalterable."

It seems our well-being depends on having access to nature and other living beings. Biophilia is most clearly manifested in our association with pets. Alan Beck, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, writes that pets are great stress relievers and help strengthen the human immune system, lower our heart rates and cholesterol levels, improve our motor skills, reduce depression, and give us a sense of joyful contentment.

That all sounds great. Where does the focus on injured pets come in?

Every eight seconds another cat or dog is euthanized in America. Sinfully the vast majority are adoptable, if we but had the will to change our ways. Many are rescued but in need of urgent care to survive the ravages of neglect and/or injury all too often inflicted by humans. We should care enough to save the lives of our best friends!

I agree. But what does all this have to do with vets?

If you are the oldest of the baby-boomer generation as I am, you can shamefully remember how Americans mistreated the returning Vietnam veterans. I believe we have created a BOOMERang Legacy: We have invented the disposable relationship. We discard other humans -- through divorce, neglect of the elderly, turning our back on those who protect us -- just like we throw away consumed products. We unfortunately do the same with unwanted animals and even the natural resources of our great land. Now our unnatural behavior is coming back to haunt us!

Our wounded hero veterans also pay a HUGE personal price to protect us! In the current Middle East conflicts there have been over 3,500 US military deaths and in excess of 28,000 casualties. Three hundred million Americans are incredibly fortunate, and should be grateful, to be protected by an active, volunteer military numbering just 2.5 million. We should care enough to support and thank our heroes.

What was your first visit to a vet's facility like?

I donated the first 200 books at a 60,000-square-foot outpatient clinic in Austin, Texas. The very large reception area seemed to stretch on forever. First, I realized many of the veterans had to walk with the assistance of canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, etc. Many would carry these wounds and the life-altering health-care impact for their entire lives.

Then slowly I began to notice a major difference in the demeanor of the vets/patients. In most hospital waiting rooms there is a sterile, cold silence; no one talks to strangers. Here the environment was friendly and interactive. Most were engaged in conversations, and a supportive camaraderie was quite evident.

The humble, little act of giving a copy of my book seemed so inadequate to the gifts they truly deserve.

Catalyst is set in an alternate world, where every human is required to have a pet. Why is that?

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 10, a fictitious college lesson plan that becomes all too real as the story unfolds.


How have vets responded to Catalyst?

When I mentioned the human/animal bond theme, most smiled. If they opened the book to my initial quotation -- "Honor all life as if the value of yours depends upon it" -- you didn't need words to see how it resonated on their faces. If we got to chat, I usually mentioned the book's life lesson: "To learn what you are willing to fight for." This statement brought a wide range of humbling reactions, far-off stares, and many heavy sighs that carried a burden only the bearer could measure.

What would be the ideal outcome for you of the Wounded Vets and Injured Pets program?

The optimum outcome would be that the 5,000 books I have committed actually get purchased. This way 5,000 wounded veterans get a gift of thanks and 100 percent of the profits from the program (after the costs of printing, warehousing, distribution, marketing, etc.) go to save injured pets across America. (During the ordering checkout process, those purchasing books get to recommend the animal rescue groups who should receive the donations.)

If you would like to purchase a copy of Catalyst for a wounded vet and help an injured pet in the process, just click here.

Celeste Fraser Delgado is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Worthy Causes.