Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices

by John Quiñones

Heroes Among Us reminds us all of the courage and dignity it takes to stand up for oneself and those around us. By chronicling such bravery, John Quiñones captures America's can-do spirit and shows that through the slightest good deed, each one of us harbors a hero within.

Texas native and veteran ABC journalist John Quiñones has traveled the world and the country reporting on hundreds of stories during his illustrious career. Long ago he realized that the stories he was most attracted to had one thing in common—a shared focus on the goodness inherent in ordinary Americans.

According to John, truly heroic individuals are people who make difficult choices, even in the face of danger, without giving in to fear. They don't expect fame or money for their efforts—they're just doing the right thing. They are compassionate and courageous, and our world would be a far worse place without them. They rarely get the recognition they deserve.

Heroes Among Us means to change that.

Along with reporting the many stories of heroes he's met, John also shares his own touching personal narrative of his rise from humble roots as the son of a laborer and a house cleaner to his life as a network anchor. His is one of the most American of stories.

Heroes Among Us, in its stories of selflessness, strength and bravery, offers inspiration, ultimately challenging each of us to learn from the great deeds of our neighbors and, in turn, to follow in that same heroic spirit.

This is a book to cherish, one whose wisdom will be felt for years to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Full name, John Manuel Quiñones;

*Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications from St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas.
*Master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.

*co-anchor, Primetime
*correspondent, Primetime Thursday
*correspondent, 20/20
*co-anchor, Downtown
*general assignment correspondent, ABC News, Miami Florida
*anchor-reporter, KPRC-TV, Houston Texas
*news editor, KTRH radio, Houston, Texas
*reporter, WBBM-TV, Chicago Illinois

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a book full heartwarming accounts to lift my spirits. That wasn't exactly what I got. I appreciate Quinones's definition of a hero: Anyone who serves others in the face of social pressure and/or physical danger. I also like the quotable quotes he's inserted from famous people. However, there are not very many tales of heroism large enough to balance the huge, gaping horrors recounted here. We could and should focus on the few that are saved, and those who battle valiantly against insurmountable odds. It's good to read about those who simply stand up for the right in small ways. But in this book, there are a few accounts that made me feel very happy. Mostly I've been left trying to cope with the the information of almost unspeakable situations around the world. I now am worried that every spoonful of sugar I eat came from child slave labor in the Dominican Republic. I can't even tell my husband about the children living in the sewers in Bogota, Columbia. So, this is a good book meant to make you think, but you've got to go in with a strong stomach.

[Terryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinones artfully and clearly illustrates that heroes come from all walks of life in all parts of the world. Most heroes are of the unlikely sort. From little heroes like a 7 year old boy who watched over 4 younger children for thousands of miles during Hurricane Katrina to big heroes like the millionaire who walks in the sewers of Columbia to help save the lives of homeless children. Arthur Morey’s calm baritone brings each story to life melodiously. Interspersed between hero stories are biographical snippets about Quinones’ life, ‘What would you do?’ quizzes with answers, and inspirational quotes from famous people. A must have for library audio-book collections.

[Xenia Lal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of extraordinary stories of courage by everyday people. The best thing I liked about the stories Mr. Quinones tells his readers is that his stories are about people from across the demographic board; his stories are about children, young people, old people, people from different racial backgrounds who live in the US, people from all over the world.....I was impressed with so many of the stories especially the ones that took place in the US when they occurred during some of the most poignant events in our recent history, i.e. Hurricane Katrina, the collapsing of the Minneapolis bridge in 2007.

[Melissa Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I've been thinking about heroes and role models for children recently (in light of Lance Armstrong, Blade Runner, etc.). I liked that these people are ordinary people doing extraordinary things - I think that I want to teach my children to admire outstanding skill but to look for more in terms of role models. If you want to read about people who don't make the news but are remarkable, this is a good place to start.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Quinones travels the world looking for the extraordinary in people. Each chapter captures a hero doing ordinary things. Many of the stories would make great additions to talks or lessons. Sadly, it came from the library so I'd have to buy the book to get the full advantage of using his stories in ways to make us all feel better about being human.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I get really sad about all the bad things that are going on in the world, but this book proves that you don't have to do much to make a difference in someones life. I loved it.

[Synful · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was about to start reading this book, I made the mistake of reading some reviews. A lot of them can be summarized by one that, paraphrased, said they didn't like it because it had too many POC and they couldn't relate. Whether they were that blatant about their... ideas or pussyfooted around it much more than that, it explains why the average rating for this book is relatively low for a book filled with heroic acts.

This book was written some 15 years ago, so I did keep wanting to stop and look up people mentioned to find out how they were doing or if there were later details to their stories. Other reviewers have mentioned the heartbreaking story of the "throwaway" children living in the sewers of Bogotá and it is one of the standout stories of this compilation. I can't imagine how previous readers have read stories like that and still thought, eh! I can't relate!

If anything, I'd say many of the stories left me wishing they'd had more detail, but if Quiñones had taken the time and space to do that, this book would've been massive! The periodic "what if" scenarios throughout the book are very much what some people probably expected of this book, probably being more familiar with Quiñones from his "What Would You Do?" show rather than his extensive, decades-long reporting from Latin America and Hispanic communities. Those little scenarios felt a little elementary school-teaching tools, but eh. I think I only disagreed with his opinion on those once or twice.

Recommended for an easy read to learn about many heroes, most of whom also happen to be POC.

[Cheryl Licata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction book is a compilation of people's stories from around the world. The very young and the older citizens experienced conflict around them and leaped into action to help. Age and gender were unimportant as the heroes responded. Wanting to help themselves and others was the common denominator in all the stories. The book's author, John Quinones, is the star of the TV show "What Would You Do?" The show and the book are both inspiring.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as well-written as I hoped from a journalist (it seems like it was dumbed down for a general audience and some of the terms Quinones used are outdated) but I did ugly-cry in the bath at his retellings of one hero's good deeds.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice stories about good people

[Felicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of this book and was super excited to read it because I love the show John Quinones has on TV called -what would you do-
Unfortunately most of the stories in this book I found hard to relate to and therefor not as exciting or inspiring as I hoped. A lot of the stories were about Hispanic families living in very poor areas who felt that every white person with money hated them and would "chase them out of the rich neighborhoods unless they were pushing a lawnmower" (that's not an exact quote but he said something just like that in the book.). I lived in what I would consider a middle class neighborhood next to white people, Hispanic people and African American people, so to me people are just people. Not that racism doesn't exist because I know it does it just doesn't seem like something I would emphasize in a book trying to highlight average people acting in heroic ways. Also a lot of the stories contained way too much detail about history that just went on and on and on before he finally got around to the story. There were some stories that were really fun to read and made me want to be better and do better but it was just a small portion of the book. I am glad I read it I needed a break from YA, but I wasn't sad to be finished so overall an ok book to read but not one I would put at the top of my to read list and not one I would buy.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved his show "What would you do" and thought I would get a little choked up when hearing these stories, but since they are such small snippets it's hard to get a real sense for the people he is talking about. Just so so...

[Erica T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good collection of stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Quinones defines heroes and then proceeds to give multiple examples. The stories come from many countries, in major well known events and unheard of situations, rich people and poor people. There are little quizzes at the end of each chapter giving examples of real-world situations and options on how you might respond.

I'm rating this a little lower because it felt like there was a bit of an agenda behind some parts. I did feel like it made me really think about how much I help others and am willing to put myself out for others. Overall a good book, although be warned that a few of the stories describe pretty bad situations that people are in.

**Some discussion of people living in/escaping from prostitution.

[Loralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good stories about ordinary people who accomplished incredible things: saved a neighbor from a burning building, drove to the World Trade Center on 9-11 to see how to help, fought to preserve South American rainforests, and many more. The author is so excited about all of these incredible people that he also spends a lot of time pointing out how amazing they are, and how all of us have the power to make extraordinary choices--all true, but it kind of slows the book down, especially as an audio version. If I'd read it in print I would have been able to skim all these repetitions. A few of these stories, such as those dealing with people who escape prostitution, are not for kids, but otherwise my kids enjoyed listening in the car.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ABC news reporter John Quinones profiles several people who are making a difference. From those who rescue people out of burning buildings or floodwaters, to a woman who saved Jewish children during WWII, to a man working to help homeless abandoned children in South America, there are so many stories of people who are heroes.

I liked the 'What Would You Do?' section, with occasions that might call for a little heroism. But my favorite parts were about Quinones himself - his time spent as a migrant farm worker, his dedicated parents to pushed him to get an education.

I'm not giving it more stars because the stories were not very detailed. But it is worth reading.

[Amy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like the show 'What Would You Do?', that John Quinones hosts, then you will probably enjoy this book. It's a rather eclectic assortment of stories of people he met in his travels who inspired him by their choices to make even a small part of the world a better place. It's light, simple, and flows pretty quickly.
Some graphic descriptions of violent matter, adult themes of drugs, prostitution, etc., I don't remember seeing any profanity.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I loved the idea for the book, I just didn't think it was well written. I cry at the drop off a hat for a well told story about heroes. This book did not even bring me near tears. The quizzes at the end of the chapters were quite juvenile too. I forced myself to finish it only out of respect for the heroes about which the book was written, not because I liked the stories.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many wonderful stories of ordinary people making a difference. There were stories about big tragedies and little heroic moments, stories from America and all around the world. Reading about these heroes makes me want to be heroic and opened my eyes to the many ways I can help others. A great encouragement to anyone who is tired of only seeing and hearing about the bad things happening today.

[J]

I like heroes.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting compilation of people John has encountered throughout his life. A little sappy, but interesting. Set up to be a guide book for people who want to step up and be a hero.

[Janet Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast, feel good read, but tends to be a little preachy at times.

[Javier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a lot of stories of heroism from ordinary, normal people. Many of the stories are heart wrenching.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the best written book but the message is a good one. I would give the writing not more than a 3.