From touching moments that make your day, to gut-wrenching feelings of hopelessness, the very worst that humanity has to offer, things that make you smile and things that make you vomit. The working life of a paramedic sees it all. Seldom do they experience the glitzy, life-saving flashes that the general public get fed on news bulletins or TV shows, although they do happen as well. Rarely will they complete a shift without one moment of despair, revulsion or loathing for another human being’s behavior. And hardly ever will a day pass without some incident that makes them question their own sanity for doing their job. All too often they are overlooked. In her book, Bits and Pieces: Moments From The Ambulance, Emily James looks back on her career and the moments that made up a sizeable chunk of it. The moments that the rest of us often don’t see or get to hear about, but which form the core of a job that is unlike any other. They are short, simple instants in time that nonetheless leave their indelible mark on those who encounter them.