Working Fire - by Zac Unger (Paperback)

About the Book

This remarkable memoir, by turns funny and deeply moving, explores one man's coming into his calling and his transformation from ambivalent Ivy League grad to skilled and dedicated firefighter.

Book Synopsis

Zac Unger didn't feel like much of a fireman at first. Most of his fellow recruits seemed to have planned for the job all their lives; he was an Ivy League grad responding to an ad at a bus stop. He couldn't keep his boots shined, and he looked terrible in his uniform. Working Fire is the story of how, from this unlikely beginning, Zac Unger came to feel at home among this close-knit tribe, came to master his work's demands, and came to know what it is to see the world through a firefighter's eyes. From the raw material of his days' work--alarm calls both harrowing and hilarious, moments of triumph and grief--Unger has forged a timeless story of finding one's path, and a rousing adventure about the bravery and sacrifice of everyday heroes.

On the web: http: //www.zacunger.com

Review Quotes

"An inside view of firefighting that vividly re-creates the excitement and fear intrinsic to it." --The Washington Post

"Filled with revelatory nuggets... that refreshingly humanize these courageous warriors." --Entertainment Weekly

About the Author

Zac Unger is a firefighter and paramedic in Oakland, California. He has written about his life and work for the online magazine Slate. He is a graduate of Deep Springs College, Brown University, and UC Berkeley.

On the web: http: //www.zacunger.com