Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Self-help, personal development & practical advice
Weblink
www.herschwilson.com/

FIREFIGHTER ZEN

Hersch Wilson

A Field Guide to Thriving in Tough Times

Hersch Wilson spent his life walking toward, rather than away from, danger and suffering. In this unique collection of true stories and practical wisdom, the firefighter shares the Zen-like techniques that allow people like him to stay grounded while navigating danger, comforting others, and coping with their personal response to each crisis.

As in Zen practice, firefighters are trained to be fully in the moment and present to the heartbeat at hand. Each of five sections in the book applies the firefighter's experience to everyone's daily lives. Readers learn to maintain perspective and equilibrium - even in the midst of crazy times like we're experiencing now, worldwide - and how to prepare for adversity as well as aftermath and recovery.

In addition to decades as a volunteer firefighter, Hersch Wilson is also a writer, speaker, and consultant. He's worked extensively with leadership teams from Kodak, IBM Japan, Altria, the CIA, and Kraft Foods, to name a few companies. He's co-written national business bestsellers with Larry Wilson, including the award-winning Playing to Win!: Choosing Growth Over Fear in Work and in Life (in its 14th printing).

Available products
Book Published 2020-05-26 by New World Library

Comments

A page-turner that also happens to be packed with wisdom. Wilson is an exquisite storyteller who writes in succinct, engaging, evocative prose. Firefighter Zen organizes its stories of suffering, courage, drama, humor, and triumph not chronologically but rather into a set of tightly connected lessons for living life well. The book never disappoints; story after story is pitch perfect.

Inspiring, helpful, deeply meaningful, and moving. Much more than a practical guide for maintaining health, peace, and wellness during the trials of life, Firefighter Zen is also a testament to living a life of fulfillment by finding purpose through compassionate service, mercy, and usefulness to others.

Hersch Wilson's Firefighter Zen is an up-close-and-personal look at the courage, humanity, and great heart required of those among us referred to as first responders. Deeply compassionate and wise, this book belongs on the shelves of all those who respond to the world of tragedy, their hearts filled with the wisdom of service to others. This book is a beacon of light not only for first responders but for all of us striving to live more meaningful lives. As an engaging testament to how important it is to be strong, to be brave, and to keep showing up, Firefighter Zen contains numerous stories that will take you into the heart of a greatness and grief you may have always admired but not clearly understood.

Gripping, eloquent, and insightfully written, Firefighter Zen offers an inside glimpse into the unpredictable and chaotic life of a firefighter, reminding us there is no safety in avoidance and the best way out is always through. Full of heart-pounding 911 calls and timeless spiritual truths, Wilson's book describes the many challenges and intense hardships firefighters and EMTs endure, but also offers a blueprint on how to thrive, maintain our humanity, and find transcendence on the other side. And with first responder PTSD and 'mental injury' at an all-time high, this beautifully crafted book is as nourishing as a cool oasis in a stark desert.

Firefighter Zen is one of those rare books that draws on firsthand experience and ageless wisdom to convey life's immutable lessons. Hersch Wilson uses clean, elegant prose to tell stories that are at times light, dark, funny, tragic, and compelling, and always instructive. This book is a must read not only for anyone in a profession required to answer emergencies but for all of us who at times experience life's unrelenting, tragic, and sublime beauty and want to think more deeply about it.

Hersch Wilson's deceptively simple mantra - be brave, be kind, fight fires - contains not only great wisdom but also a call to action. The internal peace you're looking for is to be found by serving others out in the world. This book left me both revitalized and inspired.

Unflinchingly honest... full of the bittersweet wisdom of hard experience.

Wise and practical, simple yet profound, Firefighter Zen is filled with tales of everyday endurance and frailty. As a parish minister (and first responder) acquainted with grief and healing, I highly recommend this field guide to negotiating life's alarms with calm, clarity, and courage.