Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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
dark
fast-paced
fast-paced
a good read, just less informational that i thought it would be going in. it’s more about the feeling of becoming and being a paramedic than the actual practicalities of it, though it does go into that to some extent too
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5 but I'm rounding up. It was interesting but not amazing. It was definitely better than a previous paramedic memoir I read that spent half the time shaming the patients for their bodies.
(3.75/5)
This book was my introduction into the audiobook world, so I might be a little biased, since I might not have paid attention to 100% of the points he made. Also, I’m a little offended he said all doctors are once nerds that were bullied. But I digress.
This book is something I really needed, surprisingly, and it taught me a lot. These kinds of memoirs, the ones written by people who face daily what the majority never face once, are normally collections of funny stories and the occasional life lesson. This book, on the other hand, had a linear timeline, and I found it much more impactful than the common format. The author showed exactly how he grew by specifying the things he feared, how he felt, and how he changed, and the way that he periodically reflected on his growth made me consider the same things in my own life. I really appreciated his perspective that, no matter what, EMS is just a job. He talked about being a “tourist” in your own career, in feeling and maintaining excitement, in boundaries, in how to get along with others, and other valuable lessons that most memoirs are too shallow to really touch. A lot of it was things that I needed to consider before entering my own field of work. Moreover, it was startling, but important, to learn that the people we see as professionals are often not as passionate (or even close to as passionate) about their very important work as TV makes it seem. I’m just glad that the author and I agree on one important thing: that when you have an intense, demanding career, it’s the people that keep you there. But, I learned that even that love can fade, and that when it does, quitting isn’t wrong. Quitting can even be right.
Overall, this book had more depth than I expected, and the candor, however much it took me aback at first, was welcomed.
This book was my introduction into the audiobook world, so I might be a little biased, since I might not have paid attention to 100% of the points he made. Also, I’m a little offended he said all doctors are once nerds that were bullied. But I digress.
This book is something I really needed, surprisingly, and it taught me a lot. These kinds of memoirs, the ones written by people who face daily what the majority never face once, are normally collections of funny stories and the occasional life lesson. This book, on the other hand, had a linear timeline, and I found it much more impactful than the common format. The author showed exactly how he grew by specifying the things he feared, how he felt, and how he changed, and the way that he periodically reflected on his growth made me consider the same things in my own life. I really appreciated his perspective that, no matter what, EMS is just a job. He talked about being a “tourist” in your own career, in feeling and maintaining excitement, in boundaries, in how to get along with others, and other valuable lessons that most memoirs are too shallow to really touch. A lot of it was things that I needed to consider before entering my own field of work. Moreover, it was startling, but important, to learn that the people we see as professionals are often not as passionate (or even close to as passionate) about their very important work as TV makes it seem. I’m just glad that the author and I agree on one important thing: that when you have an intense, demanding career, it’s the people that keep you there. But, I learned that even that love can fade, and that when it does, quitting isn’t wrong. Quitting can even be right.
Overall, this book had more depth than I expected, and the candor, however much it took me aback at first, was welcomed.
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
A great read for anyone in the healthcare field, or for that person in your life who won't stop asking you to tell them about the 'worst' thing you've seen at work. Dark and witty, but a confronting read if you're not prepared to be faced with the grim reality of front-line healthcare in the US.
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
For those interested in a career as a paramedic or EMT, this is the perfect book, but it’s also great for those looking for an interesting read. Many EMT books focus on the blood and gore aspect of ambulance work, but Hazzard focuses on the ins and outs of his career, from his first job for a shady ambulance company to his final years working for a well-respected ambulance company that is undergoing major changes as it grows. There is blood and gore (this is a book about ambulances and the people in them), but there are many more stories about the camaraderie that develops as he and a succession of coworkers face the streets alone. – Lynn H.
From jawless faces mangled by power saws to death by broccoli, Kevin Hazzard's account of his ten year stint as a paramedic in Atlanta's beleaguered inner city takes the reader on a wild, page-flipping tour of the world of EMTs and paramedics and their journey from beginner's panic through veteran's burnout. The trip fascinates, instructs, and repulses in equal measure, and is a compulsive read. --Chris H.
From jawless faces mangled by power saws to death by broccoli, Kevin Hazzard's account of his ten year stint as a paramedic in Atlanta's beleaguered inner city takes the reader on a wild, page-flipping tour of the world of EMTs and paramedics and their journey from beginner's panic through veteran's burnout. The trip fascinates, instructs, and repulses in equal measure, and is a compulsive read. --Chris H.
adventurous
informative
reflective