Caroline BurauCritiques

I've been at the other end of many an angry phone call in my own line of work at a furniture store, which you'd think would be a relatively calm operation: People want furniture, they buy furniture, we bring furniture. But as a manager, most of the people I talked to had issues that no one else could resolve. I had calls from racist clients who didn't want Mexicans to touch their things, calls from people who had convinced themselves that we had overcharged them, lied to them, damaged their home. When COVID hit, we made many calls repeatedly disappointing a public convinced that their furniture had not arrived because we had given it to someone else. I identified with Caroline Burau's need for apathy and detachment when responding to fury, with her position as someone whose job was widely misunderstood because it involved solving problems that no one thought should exist in the first place. I related to the call-center vibe of the dispatch office: The desperate need to learn the job incredibly fast or you'd have your ass handed to you on a plate, the inability to do anything as quickly as was expected, the fast-paced multi-tasking required, and the comradery that came with all of it. What I could not imagine is adding life, death, and actual criminal activity to the mix. My hats off to all the 911 dispatchers out there. I see you now!

I do not have a high opinion of cops or 911 dispatchers. In my Goodreads review, I briefly described calling 911 due to gunshots shortly after I moved here, and that the 911 dispatcher snapped at me. In the review, I called her a jerk. I described the current state of Seattle police forces in general and in my neighborhood, especially what's on the most recent ballot. The Goodreads review continues: Against this background, I read this book. To clarify, I don't live in Seattle. The author is such a skilled writer that I actually warmed a bit to 911 dispatchers and even cops. The author writes with warmth, intelligence, and humor. She also wrote about a horrible accident her daughter got into. During this chapter, her writing choices made it seem like she was downplaying her reaction. A few sentences gave away her real reaction, though. I looked up what the Jaws of Life are, and uh, I'm a bit squeamish. I totally flipped out. And the next chapter got me to crack a smile. This was a really interesting book and I learned a lot from reading it..

Have you ever wondered about who is on the other end of the line when you dial 911? What does it take to be the calm in the storm when faced with emergencies? Author Caroline Burau answers these questions and more as she tells it like it is by sharing stories of life in the hot seat. On a daily basis, emergency dispatchers across the country alternate between periods of boredom and chaotic activity. As first responders, dispatchers must be prepared to handle anything from reports of theft to multiple car accidents to horrific shootings to delivering a baby.

While all jobs have challenges, life as an emergency dispatcher can require sacrifice and perseverance, grit and assertiveness. The call centers are open 24/7, including holidays, and shifts can vary. Burau discuss the challenges of learning a new job while raising a daughter as well. She is also very candid about her previous drug addiction and how that influenced her desire to help people.

Readers will feel as if they are along for the ride as they experience the highs and lows of a job that few people think about, but depend upon when they are in trouble.

The Bottom Line: Burau’s book is a fast-paced look at the complex job of being an emergency dispatcher. As a former journalist, Burau’s writing is brutally honest, easy to read, and sometimes humorous. The anecdotes provide an inside look at what it’s like to be in the hot seat with lives depending on you. Recommended for anyone considering a career in law enforcement and rescue work.

For the complete review including Book Club Notes, please visit the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.

I first saw this book here on Shelfari. As a former dispatcher,myself, I had to read it. Little did I know I could have written a book abt my experiences!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.It is a very fast read. Her experiences and thoughts mirrored my own. As others have said here,I had my doubts abt her crack habit past and getting a job in a sheriff's dept., but she had a very short period of the addiction and a short criminal record,so that paired with her honesty would be reason enough for the dept to consider hiring her.Honesty and straightforwardness go along way with police! I had many similar experiences on the job.Dispatchers and police all have those certain calls that are never forgotten. No amt of therapy will let it go.
I laughed out loud when she thought that someone should call 911 for an emergency and then had the self realization/terror that she WAS 911. I had that moment too!
Very good read.
I think everyone should read this book,it will give you a deep appreciation of what dispatchers go thru to get the help a complainant needs.
Every word and emotion is the truth!

This was a really fast, mostly interesting read about a job that I've always been curious about the inner-workings of. I didn't really click with the author's writing voice but I loved the tenderness she wrote about her coworkers with. It's a good read if you're looking for information about what it's like to be a 911 dispatcher and not looking to read 200 pages of transcripts - like other books of its type.

Estelle Brown has an addictive personality ... her latest addiction is anything and everything sugary. Fed up with everything in her life, Estelle embarks on a 7-day Caribbean cruise that is anything but sugar free! The trial and tribulations that Estelle encounters on her journey will ultimately teach her life lessons about self-acceptance, love and happiness.

Sugarfiend is a wickedly humorous story with a lot of laugh-out-moments that will tickle your funny bone. Written in witty style, author Caroline Burau weaves a quirky tale told in the first person narrative by the sassy and sarcastic protagonist Estelle Brown. Estelle engages the reader to follow along on her journey that is full of trials and tribulations, it's not easy to kick a sugar addiction when chocolate, cupcakes, and everything sugary stares you in the face! It is a story about a woman with an addictive personality, self-esteem issues, and a penchant for self-depreciation, who could easily have self-destructed if it wasn't for her realistic and comical attempt to find happiness and self-acceptance.

Estelle Brown is a sassy, sarcastic, straight-forward lady whose comical side shines through as she battles with her Type A personality and addictive behaviors. She's a normal person that the reader can relate to, come on ... tell me you don't have a weakness for sweets ... or any addictions for that matter! I think she has a strong sense of character as she was able to admit that only she is to blame for her addictions, I think that is admirable. Even though she has battled with various addictions: men, alcohol, and food, her strength lies in her humor, it is her saving grace and makes her real in my eyes. There are times when I wanted to slap her and tell her to deal with her issues, but overall I couldn't help but feel for Estelle and stand in her corner cheering for her.

Rich in detail and vivid descriptions of an entertaining 7-day cruise; with a realistic and engaging supporting cast of characters; and some really witty and humorous dialogue and interactions; combined with a storyline that masterfully deals with a difficult issue, makes Sugarfiend an entertaining and compelling read.

Sugarfiend is a story that takes a realistic look at a person who is a work in progress. Told in a humorous style, author Caroline Burau engages the reader to take a look at the imperfect and humanistic side of life, while providing some thought provoking life lessons.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/10/sugarfiend-by-caroline-burau-a...

Being on the other end of the radio, I have utmost respect for dispatchers. They truly understand feeling helpless yet knowledgeable to be helpful. As a chaotic (or hilarious) situation unfolds in their earpiece, I am sure everyone of them desire to leave their tiny, dark room to assist the caller.

While this book had a few descriptions of these instances, Answering 911 spends more time discussing the job as a whole and being a single parent. It was well written and not unenjoyable.

This memoir is a fascinating look into what it's like to be a 911 dispatcher. Burau's job is a difficult one, entailing long hours of boredom periodically interrupted by moments of intense stress and fear. As a dispatcher, she is many miles away from the scene of the crisis, yet she is living that crisis moment by moment with the caller. Sometimes, she never finds out the ultimate outcome of a 911 call. That's just part of the job. In addition to the stressful stories of armed robberies, suicides, and accidents are the humorous stories: a person calling to complain about their neighbor's clarinet practice, the woman who wanted the police to babysit her kids, and the person who got lost and called 911 for directions. This is an absorbing sneak peek into a job that most people don't know much about.

Inside look at a 911 call center. The set up was unique, as far as I can tell. Any police department that I have ever known has their own dispatcher take the 911 calls (much like her job in the end of the book). Interesting look at the stress that the dispatcher's handle and some of the kooky calls that come in. A few years ago, I interviewed with a police department for a dispatch position, this book made me kind of glad that I didn't get the job. I don't know if I could have handled the stress. But I would have truly enjoyed knowing everything that went on in the neighborhood.

I've wanted to read this book for ages, but never seemed to be able to find it in any physical bookstores or libraries. Finally I gave up, and bought it online.

It was worth the wait. Real-life stories from less-than-common careers have always fascinated me (other books that fit those criteria: "ER Confessional" and "Kitchen Confidential"), and "Answering 911" was every bit as interesting as I'd expected it to be. I liked Caroline Burau's way of writing and appreciated that she didn't feel the need to always tie the stories neatly together or draw up a moral, as they stood nicely on their own.

One thing that quickly became very obvious to me was that this is not a job I'd be able to do. It would be utterly impossible for me to "leave work at work", and I have come to have the greatest respect for the personnel manning those phones.

Fascinating account of what it's like to be a 911 dispatcher, with personal autobiographical information intertwined.

A memoir about a woman working as a 911 dispatcher. I laughed out loud a few times. A fun, quick read by a Minnesota author.

Ah. So **that's** what life as an emergency dispatcher is like.