Booklist described this 2007 book this way:
Being a volunteer EMT is no small challenge, even in a town as small as New Auburn, Wisconsin. Perry mixes his tales of heroic rescues with his stories of small-town life. His book opens with his team attempting to rescue a teenage girl from a disastrous car wreck on a dangerous bend of road. As part of the volunteer fire department, Perry--along with his brother and mother-- pulls people from mangled cars and answers 911 calls from critically ill people.
He also relates how New Auburn got its name (after going through three others), and shares the lives of his fellow volunteers, such as Beagle, a man who can't use the town's only gas station because both of his ex-wives work there. He details the technicalities of being a volunteer--the many terminologies one needs to memorize, and also crucial, life-saving techniques, such as CPR and controlling a house fire by puncturing a hole in its roof. Tragic at times, funny at others, Perry's memoir will appeal to anyone curious about small-town life.
This giveaway is meant to focus on reluctant readers, non-readers, or those who do not have easy access to new books. Because these categories cover the vast majority of the population, one might think it would be easy to find a giveaway spot. In reality, it's not quite that simple. Any suggestions?
I recently got my confirmation for this years Worldbooknight. I am so excited about doing this a second time. I will be giving them away in the same spot as last year(I work at a feed elevator in a small town). I do wonder how many of the books I gave out last year were read.
ReplyDeleteYou do have to wonder how many were actually read, Kayo. I suppose that possibility comes with the territory when we focus on "non-readers" this way, though.
ReplyDeleteI am a member of paperback.com. Last spring I ordered another copy of The History of Love, as my son was enjoying the copy I loaned him so much I didn't want to ask for it back. I was surprised to receive an obviously brand new book, and then saw the info on the back explaining that it was a WBN copy. The good news is that paperbackswap just runs on credits for more books, but it hurt me that the recipient of The History of Love had not read it before listing it on the book club site. Only about 2 weeks had passed, the person must have listed the book right after receiving it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, susan, if the person listing it is the same one who received it to give away. Maybe there was a copy left over after the night and he/she passed it on this way? Still a shame, but at least it finally got to someone (you) who really wanted it.
ReplyDeleteOh I didn't realize there could be copies left over. If so, sending it to someone who requested it in exchange for another book would be something I approve. I just hated the thought of someone not giving it a chance.
ReplyDeleteSusan, there really shouldn't be any books left over but I know how hard it was for me to get all 20 of mine into appreciative hands. I don't think most of US, the avid readers of the world, realize how little the majority of the population cares about reading real books these days. The world has truly been dumbed down.
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