Report from Engine Co. 82
by Dennis Smith · first published 1972
50% recommend50% neutral
From his bawdy and brave fellow firefighters to the hopeful, hateful, beautiful and beleaguered residents of the poverty-stricken district where he works, Dennis Smith tells the story of a brutalising yet rewarding profession.
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…found to be so: The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand It's Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady - Robert Bly Report From Engine Co 82 - Dennis Smith The Universe Speaks in Numbers: How Modern Math Reveals Nature's Deepest Secrets - Graham Farmelo The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical…
on “Ask HN: What are some good inspirational and uplifting books?” ↗…Strangers - Koontz After Dark - Murakami It - King The Lord of the Rings - Tolkien The Hobbit - Tolkien Perdido Street Station - Miéville Permutation City - Egan Glasshouse - Stross NON-FICTION Report from Engine Co 82 - Smith Godel, Escher, Bach - Hofstadter How the Mind Works - Pinker The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Blank Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady - Bly Hackers: Heroes of…
on “Ask HN: What are some must read books?” ↗…Dawkins also helped reform my world-view in certain areas. Specifically it helped dispel any lingering credibility that I might have assigned to the "irreducible complexity" argument. Another would be Report from Engine Co 82 by Dennis Smith. That book (along with watching Emergency! on TV) as a kid had a direct impact in terms of steering me towards the fire service, where I eventually served 10+ years as volunteer firefighter…
on “Ask HN: What books have you read that have changed your life?” ↗…Douglas Hofstadter The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand It's Not About The Bike - Lance Armstrong Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes Charles Proteus Steinmetz: The Electrical Wizard of Schenectady - Robert Bly Report From Engine Co 82 - Dennis Smith Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind - Al Ries, Jack Trout and Philip Kotler The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk! - Al Ries and Jack Trout Re-Positioning:…
on “Ask HN: Which books you have read till now that were worth investing time in?” ↗In Dennis Smith's memoir, "Report from Engine Co. 82", he wrote that in South Bronx people would call the fire department instead of the police, because they didn't trust the police.
on “‘Do Not Resist': A look at the normalization of warrior cops” ↗Taking off on a tangent, the comment about firefighters and police reminded of Dennis Smith's 'Report from Engine Co. 82'. It described his life as a firefighter in New York City/South Bronx during the 1960s and early 1970s. What I recall most vividly from it was that locals would use the callbox to ring the fire department,…
on “Too Many Cops Are Told They’re Soldiers Fighting a War. How Did We Get Here?” ↗