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385 reviews for:
A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back
Kevin Hazzard
3.85 AVERAGE
385 reviews for:
A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back
Kevin Hazzard
3.85 AVERAGE
I never actually finished this completely. I was put off by the language and the lack of respect for life. Being in healthcare myself, I understand the need for morbid humor in order to deal with some of the grotesque aspects of the job, but I felt like the author’s humor went too far and completely neglected to acknowledge the LIVES that affect his. But again, I didn’t finish. Maybe he concludes in a more positive way?
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Been struggling to process this one. On one hand, the author’s perception of the communities he served as a paramedic was disturbing at times. He clearly held them as separate from himself, as a way to get his adrenaline fix. I think there was a lot of implicit racism in this mindset as well. On the other hand, he somewhat acknowledges this throughout the book and then as his reason for finally leaving the profession which was probably for the best. Also, I appreciate how honest and visceral the book was and the stories were genuinely gripping.
As medical field worker I loved the blatant emotion and pain exemplified in this story. Especially coming from a man’s perspective I was routinely impressed by the portrayal of routine occurrences for EMTs, paramedics, and other front line workers. The short stories that formed the big picture had lots of ups and downs that played on my emotions, and I loved that.
This book was equal parts interesting and kind of creepy. Gives you a great look into what goes on in the world that most of us have no idea about--use and abuse of 911 services, the disgusting scenes that ambulance drivers have to deal with, and so on. But it also reveals a guy--and, apparently, a whole bunch of other people--who are in the job for some kind of strange thrill it gives them to be constantly dealing with the crap.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
March 2016 Book of the Month Selection
Nonfiction, set in Atlanta
Nonfiction, set in Atlanta
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
Entertaining and thought-provoking. I enjoyed the story and learning about the author's journey through his career. The only thing I wish is that there were more stories about what he encountered on his shift and less about his schooling. The narrator was PERFECT for this book.