Julien C. (jaimelesmaths) reviewed Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
It cannot be denied that EMTs and paramedics seem to have some of the most exciting jobs out there. Obviously, they put their lives on the line and face enormous pressure every day, and there's a natural curiosity towards the lives they lead. Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance capitalizes on this "inquiring minds want to know" factor and compiles a moderately interesting collection of true tales from a London EMT.
Unfortunately, as you continue reading the book, it turns out that EMTs' jobs are just like ours; most days are fairly routine, and it's only the exciting ones that stick out. For example, Mr. Reynolds's saga regarding a potential HIV exposure captures the reader's interest early on in the book. However, after that, the stories tend to fall into predictable patterns. "The patient was a X-year old male/female, complaint of Y (usually "fitting", where, surprise surprise, the patient is an alcoholic). I arrived in more/less than 8 minutes and surveyed the scene. It turned out to be/not be a call that required an ambulance. There was/wasn't a pulse and the patient was/wasn't breathing. I did Z. The patient lived/died, and I felt good/kinda good/bad about it."
While some of the patient stories are interesting, thought-provoking, or humorous, the posts where Mr. Reynolds talks about himself or takes the wider perspective are what really keep the book going. The book itself is a compilation of entries from Mr. Reynolds's blog "Random Reality", so it is technically available for free online. The author does a good job of selecting and editing the most interesting entries, but, aside from a desire to support this author, I don't know if the book content as a whole justifies the price tag. In fact, going onto the website (http://randomreality.blogware.com), I was quickly able to find some additional content that really should have been included. Additionally, the book could have incorporated more photos; the very few that were included felt more like afterthoughts.
My suggestion is to go check out the website, and, if you like what you see, buy the book as a donation to the author. (Or, probably better, somehow make the author a donation directly.) The writing scores high while the value scores low. Overall score: 3.5/5.
Unfortunately, as you continue reading the book, it turns out that EMTs' jobs are just like ours; most days are fairly routine, and it's only the exciting ones that stick out. For example, Mr. Reynolds's saga regarding a potential HIV exposure captures the reader's interest early on in the book. However, after that, the stories tend to fall into predictable patterns. "The patient was a X-year old male/female, complaint of Y (usually "fitting", where, surprise surprise, the patient is an alcoholic). I arrived in more/less than 8 minutes and surveyed the scene. It turned out to be/not be a call that required an ambulance. There was/wasn't a pulse and the patient was/wasn't breathing. I did Z. The patient lived/died, and I felt good/kinda good/bad about it."
While some of the patient stories are interesting, thought-provoking, or humorous, the posts where Mr. Reynolds talks about himself or takes the wider perspective are what really keep the book going. The book itself is a compilation of entries from Mr. Reynolds's blog "Random Reality", so it is technically available for free online. The author does a good job of selecting and editing the most interesting entries, but, aside from a desire to support this author, I don't know if the book content as a whole justifies the price tag. In fact, going onto the website (http://randomreality.blogware.com), I was quickly able to find some additional content that really should have been included. Additionally, the book could have incorporated more photos; the very few that were included felt more like afterthoughts.
My suggestion is to go check out the website, and, if you like what you see, buy the book as a donation to the author. (Or, probably better, somehow make the author a donation directly.) The writing scores high while the value scores low. Overall score: 3.5/5.
Scott W. (Rev) reviewed Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance on + 95 more book reviews
With the popularity of Blogs on the rise, and the critical success of recent books and movies adapted from online journals, the number of Blogs reprinted into book form is increasing steadily. The rush to fill any growing market usually dictates quantity over quality, and this can often make it difficult to find the exceptional materials mixed in among the shelf-fillers. Blood, Sweat & Tea is one of those few excellent translations from the Internet to the book shelf, and is well worth the search.
The book launches straight into the daily diary entries from Tom Reynolds' blog (randomreality.blogware.com/blog) without any real setup or introduction, and it is a credit to the clarity and honesty of his writing that this is not a setback to enjoying the book. No real explanation is needed beyond the blurb on the back cover.
Blood, Sweat & Tea is a collection of daily online diary entries by Reynolds concerning his experiences as an emergency medical technician working for the London Ambulance Service in East London. Reynolds' recaps of his time on the job clearly illustrate the ups and downs that go with such a demanding yet unappreciated vocation. He shares it all: humorous stories of false alarms and bizarre incidents, nerve-wracking brushes with the potential hazards of the job (such as the risk of exposure to HIV infected patients), frustrations concerning the politics and red tape behind the scenes of the medical services, and the emotional toll of dealing with life and death on a daily basis.
Never overly preachy, snarky, or flippant, Blood, Sweat & Tea is a tour through the trenches of on-site medical response units in the UK that will entertain and inform any and all interested in the topic.
The book launches straight into the daily diary entries from Tom Reynolds' blog (randomreality.blogware.com/blog) without any real setup or introduction, and it is a credit to the clarity and honesty of his writing that this is not a setback to enjoying the book. No real explanation is needed beyond the blurb on the back cover.
Blood, Sweat & Tea is a collection of daily online diary entries by Reynolds concerning his experiences as an emergency medical technician working for the London Ambulance Service in East London. Reynolds' recaps of his time on the job clearly illustrate the ups and downs that go with such a demanding yet unappreciated vocation. He shares it all: humorous stories of false alarms and bizarre incidents, nerve-wracking brushes with the potential hazards of the job (such as the risk of exposure to HIV infected patients), frustrations concerning the politics and red tape behind the scenes of the medical services, and the emotional toll of dealing with life and death on a daily basis.
Never overly preachy, snarky, or flippant, Blood, Sweat & Tea is a tour through the trenches of on-site medical response units in the UK that will entertain and inform any and all interested in the topic.
Nancy A. (Chocoholic) reviewed Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance on + 291 more book reviews
I read this book as a freebie, or close to it, on my Nook. It is apparently based on a blog maintained by a London EMT or paramedic (I'm not certain anymore). It's about 440 pages of Tom Reynolds responding to nearly every medical condition and an amusing, somewhat lighthearted look at emergency medicine in England. I enjoyed reading it.
