I finished 'Blood, Sweat and Tea' by Tom Reynolds at lunchtime. I absolutely loved it.
'Blood, Sweat and Tea' is a collection of blog posts made by Reynolds (not his real name) about his work for the London Ambulance Service. Each post gives a fascinating glimpse into a service that's probably taken a little too much for granted and the people who use and abuse it.
This book's subject matter was what made it. The standard of English wasn't always spot on (I'm not sure if that's something to do with it's conversion to an ebook or the simple fact that the writer worked shifts, so probably blogged when exhausted), but the stories told and opinions expressed really gave a wonderful insight into what must be a very difficult job. I can't ever imagine doing something like that (I can't even watch 'Casualty' or those pseudo-documentaries about people's embarrassing illnesses), so to hear the voice of someone on the front line was genuinely fascinating.
I suppose that's the wonderful thing about blogging. So much of what we get told about things is either controlled by PR and marketing departments or chosen for it's shock value by media companies and journalists, so it's unlikely we ever get a sense of the real picture. Through an honest blog, you can find out about the personal experiences of other people in a way you couldn't elsewhere. I rather like that thought.
Because of its origins, 'Blood, Sweat and Tea' was an easy read (despite the subject matter!) and a real page turner. Because it was made up of lots of short-ish posts, I found it very easy to pick it up to read even when I only had a few minutes to spare. I laughed, I cried and I sympathised and was sad when I finished it. Just as well there's a sequel! Although, perhaps I should concentrate on the books I already have first!
