A Thousand Naked Strangers

A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back

De: Kevin Hazzard

Narrado por: George Newbern

A former paramedic's visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta's mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside catastrophe.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Kevin Hazzard felt that something was missing from his life - his days were too safe, too routine. A failed salesman turned local reporter, he wanted to test himself, see how he might respond to pressure and danger. He signed up for emergency medical training and became, at age 26, a newly minted EMT running calls in the worst sections of Atlanta. His life entered a different realm - one of blood, violence, and amazing grace.

Thoroughly intimidated at first and frequently terrified, he experienced on a nightly basis the adrenaline rush of walking into chaos. But in his downtime, Kevin reflected on how people's facades drop away when catastrophe strikes. As his hours on the job piled up, he realized he was beginning to see into the truth of things. There is no pretense five beats into a chest compression or in an alley next to a crack den or on a dimly lit highway where cars have collided. Eventually, what had at first seemed impossible happened: Kevin acquired mastery. And in the process he was able to discern the professional differences between his freewheeling peers, what marked each - as he termed them - as a "tourist", "true believer", or "killer".

Combining indelible scenes that remind us of life's fragile beauty with laugh-out-loud moments that keep us smiling through the worst, A Thousand Naked Strangers is an absorbing listen about one man's journey of self-discovery - a trip that also teaches us about ourselves.

©2016 Kevin Hazzard. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Hell of a book!

Working EMS in Georgia like the Author he hits it spot on. What an incredible display of what we do everyday and how we think! People don't understand that us EMS people are human and normal too! Thanks for such a good read!!! I think everyone needs to read this book..

Worth listening to.

Enjoyed listening to this audiobook! Great stories and the flow was nice!! I couldn’t stop listening to it.

Now one of my favorite reads

Kevin's storytelling puts you right there next to him, to experience the sights, sounds and smells of his experiences. Positively insightful for those considering a career as an EMT/Paramedic.

good listen

Being a paramedic I fully enjoyed listening to other stories, nicely done. I would recommend this to other EMS personnel.

Paramedic

I am a Paramedic and whole heartedly related with this book. All the ups & downs of being a medic. Great book.

Honesty

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and I believe a lot of it had to do with the narration. Excellent reader, great heartfelt stories. Humanity at its best and worst.

An honest view of a medic’s life

Why do paramedics do what they do and how do they keep doing it day after week after year? It ain’t easy, according to Kevin Hazzard. But it’s also a calling for those that stay. This is a personal book explaining what drew him to this work. He remembers many instances, some humorous, some not, but he doesn’t dwell on the sadness. Narration is very good. I recommend this book.

Interesting but short

3.5 stars.

Fast-paced and interesting memoir. An insider's vantage point into the life of a paramedic in a large city. Hazzard does an excellent job depicting the chaos of the job and the range of situations a paramedic might find him or herself in. His prose is engaging and vivid, and his personality comes through. The memoir feels a bit spare, though, when it comes to discussing his training or the larger issues facing the communities he serviced. I would have loved to see a longer memoir that delved a bit deeper, but obviously Hazzard was under no obligation to mix social commentary with his memoir. Still it seems like a richer narrative could have been realized with a bit more perspective.

witty

I wish there was more! author creates a descriptive image with each story that is told.

Hilarious

This is one of the funniest nonfiction books I have read. It is very witty and gives you a good perspective on what an EMT does. highly recommend