A memoir of the author's time working as a fireman in the Oakland Fire Department. Interesting, though if you have read "Report from Engine Company 82," which came out in the early 1970s, much of what you will read here is familiar. Many different slices of life working as a fireman; one of the best things about the book is the description of the equipment used by firemen, and how the equipment is supposed to work. ( )

The making of a fireman, from entrance exams, 12-week "boot camp", rookie and finally settling at a firehouse. Interesting and eye-opening, told from the first person, this book enforced my realization of just how big a hero being a fireman is. ( )

This is as close as you'll ever get to understanding what it's like to be a firefighter...without actually becoming one. Unger absolutely nails it in Working Fire. From the gruelling training in the academy, to the fear & excitement of your first fire and finally to the complex and sometimes outright antagonistic brotherhood of fellow firefighters...Unger lets the general public peek into the clubhouse.

Unlike other fire-related books...Working Fire tells the story of a well-meaning guy who "accidentally" becomes a fireman. Whereas other authors in the genre tend to pound their chests with bravado, Unger has a likeable, self-deprecating style. ( )

Too profane, but an interesting look into the life of an inner-city fireman. Certainly not a life I could lead, but certainly something I'm glad he does. They're the real heroes. ( )

Native Oaklander Unger provides an excellent sociological examination of the working class world of urban fire fighting. ( )