In the tradition of Studs Terkel, this collection of fascinating interviews shares candid stories from men and women who face mortal danger on the job.
Oral historian Tom Jones set out to discover why certain people pursue careers that routinely put their own lives at risk. In Risky Living, he introduces us to forty-five individuals—from astronauts to bounty hunters; NFL players to coal miners—who share their stories in candid and intimate conversations. They speak for themselves, in their words, and what they have to say reveals much about who they are, what they do, and why they do it.
Risky Living takes readers inside drag race driver Antron Brown’s car as he launches from zero to over 300 miles per hour; alongside world champion bull rider Justin McBride as he attempts to stay atop a 1,600-pound beast; next to storm chasing videographer Jeff Gammons as he painfully remembers Hurricane Katrina; right behind Navy corpsman Cameron Begbie as he recalls fighting hand-to-hand against insurgents in Iraq; inside the huddle with two-time Pro Bowl NFL player Kassim Osgood; into the swamp with alligator trapper Tredale Boudreaux; and on many other incredible-yet-typical days in the lives of ordinary-yet-extraordinary people.
