Jennifer DeShon and I wrote a piece for Fire Rescue Magazine about My Lost Brothers by Brendan McDonough and his account of being the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Crew that perished in 2013 when a brutal wildland fire claimed 19 men. This was an exciting, fascinating, and incredibly tragic story about a lost young […]

“There are things that upset us. That’s not quite what we’re talking about here, though. I’m thinking rather about those images or words or ideas that drop like trapdoors beneath us, throwing us out of our safe, sane world into a place much more dark and less welcoming. Our hearts skip a ratatat drumbeat in […]

The Station Ready Rookie; Firefighter Preparation Beyond the State Skills Test is a slender gem of a book. Simple. Concise. Direct. And yet it is chockfull of wisdom and common sense. It lays out practices essential for anyone who wants to excel in the fire service. If firefighting is just a paycheck and an ego […]

I absolutely loved this book. Smokejumper by Jason A. Ramos and Julian Smith is a whip fast, fun, and fascinating read. It is also, at times, deeply sad. As a firefighter myself, I’ve always been intrigued by smokejumpers–the fittest and most elite of wildland firefighters. Not only do they parachute out of planes to get […]

Nerve is an entertaining and fascinating read. Taylor Clark is able to distill scientific research and convey it with a storyteller’s flourish.  Here’s the publisher’s description: Nerves make us bomb job interviews, first dates, and SATs. . . . It paralyzes seasoned concert musicians and freezes rookie cops in tight situations. And yet not everyone cracks. […]

Safelight is the spare, haunting story of Frank, a young paramedic and amateur photographer working the streets of New York in the 90s.  It is a time of crack wars and blazing neighborhoods, and Frank responds to a constant stream of carnage with disconnected apathy, shooting meticulous pictures of the injured and dead while his […]

The most effective way to engender transformation is by addressing all aspects of our being: physical, mental, and spiritual.  One reason I am drawn to Buddhism is that for 2,500 years, Buddhist monks have been systematically studying the mind and developing a system for transforming consciousness through physical, mental, and ethical steps.  The Buddha’s 8-Fold […]

If you want to read a literary book on firefighting or small town living then this is the book.  Population: 485 is a hilarious and moving collection of essays written about New Auburn, Wisconsin; a town of, yes, you guessed it–485 people.  Not only is Michael Perry a skilled writer, he is also a volunteer firefighter/emt, and […]

I am only halfway through The Combat Position, Achieving Firefighter Readiness by Christopher Brennan, but I thought I would share my thoughts since there is so much to say about this fantastic book.   The Combat Position is a fluid read that addresses the mind, body, and spirit as it applies to firefighting warriorship.  The […]