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Thoughts on Fire: Life Lessons of a Volunteer Firefighter
They can walk through fire. They would sacrifice their own lives to save yours. In the tradition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Thoughts on Fire is a meditation on how to live a life that matters. Drawing on his dual life as a philosophy professor and firefighter, "Dr. Frank" begins a journey not just into the fire, but inside himself. The lessons of this voyage are not just about axes and hoses but hope, forgiveness and love. "As a professor and a firefighter, Dr. McCluskey shifts gears easily between the metaphysical and the macho, pontificating in a pin striped suit by day and plunging into a smoky, flaming house by night." - The New York Times "It is a book that you will want to read again and again. It is a remarkable story that you will want to share with those you love." -Dr. Robert Schachat, author of The Seven Conditions of Trust "Thoughts on Fire is a book that is at once entertaining and enlightening" -Dr. John Briggs, author of The Seven Life Lessons of Chaos
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
212 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 25, 2022
A great book showing the joys and heartbreaks of volunteer firefighting and contrasting it with classical university themes.
May 13, 2013
It’s unusual to find a firefighter and a philosophy professor in one. But the author of Thoughts on Fire, Dr. Frank McCluskey is just that. By developing a different mind set that every volunteer firefighter has, Frank was able to answer questions in philosophy that some people have been trying to answer for years.
One thing that I found different from all the other books I have read about firefighting is that, in this book you get both a philosophy lesson and some tips or stories about firefighting in one chapter. At certain points in the book it makes it a little hard to understand and it mixes up the entire flow of the book. The big thing to get used to is you never know if the firefighting or the philosophy is going to be first in the chapter, for me that was probably the main thing I didn’t like about the book.
Frank joins the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department which is no different than the normal rural, backcountry fire department you may find around here. It looks so much like any other building that “you might pass the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department and not even know it” (8). Just like most of the other volunteer departments across the country, the firefighters here are constantly cleaning, maintaining, and rechecking their equipment at the same time every week.
Since Frank is a philosopher, many of the things that he see’s can’t be explained and that is hard for him to get used to. Even though I am not a firefighter yet, I have heard stories my self that just don’t make any sense how they possibly could have happened. That’s what firefighters have to deal with though, they go into a situation and just do their best no matter how it got that way or how they got there.
A few things really surprised Frank about the fire service, but the biggest had to be how people reacted when they had been rescued from a near death experience. Most of the time the people seem grateful but they never say at the time or in the near future. Then you have the people that are totally upset at the rescuers because they come in to the house without permission. In these cases the emergency personnel take it with a grain of salt because they did what they were trained to do, not what the victim wanted them to do which is usually wrong.
The best part of the fire service for Frank had to of been connecting with all of the oldtimers who are unable to serve the community like they used. These men have many stories they wish to share with the younger generation so they need to “listen to those who have experience and take mental notes” (160). Just as Frank listened and learned from those who fought the battle with fire before him, I too have learned many lessons already from experienced firefighters.
If doesn't matter what your background is because firefighters come from every walk of life and all bring something special. Some may have a more complex way of thinking like Frank does while others stick to the beaten trail of the ones who have come before them. When someone needs help, it doesn’t matter what type of person they are, just that they know what they are doing and can provide the best services possible.
One thing that I found different from all the other books I have read about firefighting is that, in this book you get both a philosophy lesson and some tips or stories about firefighting in one chapter. At certain points in the book it makes it a little hard to understand and it mixes up the entire flow of the book. The big thing to get used to is you never know if the firefighting or the philosophy is going to be first in the chapter, for me that was probably the main thing I didn’t like about the book.
Frank joins the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department which is no different than the normal rural, backcountry fire department you may find around here. It looks so much like any other building that “you might pass the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department and not even know it” (8). Just like most of the other volunteer departments across the country, the firefighters here are constantly cleaning, maintaining, and rechecking their equipment at the same time every week.
Since Frank is a philosopher, many of the things that he see’s can’t be explained and that is hard for him to get used to. Even though I am not a firefighter yet, I have heard stories my self that just don’t make any sense how they possibly could have happened. That’s what firefighters have to deal with though, they go into a situation and just do their best no matter how it got that way or how they got there.
A few things really surprised Frank about the fire service, but the biggest had to be how people reacted when they had been rescued from a near death experience. Most of the time the people seem grateful but they never say at the time or in the near future. Then you have the people that are totally upset at the rescuers because they come in to the house without permission. In these cases the emergency personnel take it with a grain of salt because they did what they were trained to do, not what the victim wanted them to do which is usually wrong.
The best part of the fire service for Frank had to of been connecting with all of the oldtimers who are unable to serve the community like they used. These men have many stories they wish to share with the younger generation so they need to “listen to those who have experience and take mental notes” (160). Just as Frank listened and learned from those who fought the battle with fire before him, I too have learned many lessons already from experienced firefighters.
If doesn't matter what your background is because firefighters come from every walk of life and all bring something special. Some may have a more complex way of thinking like Frank does while others stick to the beaten trail of the ones who have come before them. When someone needs help, it doesn’t matter what type of person they are, just that they know what they are doing and can provide the best services possible.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews