Bruce Johnson
BOOK REVIEW FROM AMAZON.COM
When I first opened Heart to Heart I didn't know what to expect. I'm not a heart attack survivor. I know one person who's had a heart attack. It is highly unlikely that I'll have a heart attack in the near future. So how does one relate to a book that is all about heart attacks and survivors with no personal connection? Very easily, I found.
Bruce's writing style creates an intimate atmosphere which he allows the reader to enter. When reading the book I didn't feel like an outsider looking into a moment in time; I felt like I was a part of that moment. I laughed out loud at the humor, cringed during the painful times, and sighed in relief when things got better. I also found myself wondering, "How is he or she doing now?"
The book had a natural flow. I was carried from one story to another without feeling like I'd missed something. Bruce does an excellent job of explaining all the medical jargon, without it bogging down your brain.
The people in the book were very diverse in their living styles, economic classes, and their family/support structures and I think that set Bruce's book apart from others The variety of people that Bruce interviewed set a good pace for the book. It wasn't the same story being told using slightly different words. Each time it was a different person, a different story, a different perspective, a different outcome. Each person's story had its own unique flair, but the central theme was always there; heart attacks can happen to anyone.
The book also is also very informative because it shows what the warning signs are for heart attacks. It also gives useful advice for recovering patients from both patient and doctor perspectives.
One of my favorite highlights of the book was learning about Bruce's personal history and story. His story is an inspiration to all about overcoming obstacles and never letting life's situations keep you from seeing and reaching your overall goals. His track record proves that with determination, wits, and an eagerness to learn and better yourself, one can reach self-actualization.
I think this book is a great read. You don't have to be a heart attack survivor to understand the pain or be able to relate to people's stories. It's informative, funny, and serves as great lesson to heart attack survivors, past, present, and future.
BRUCE JOHNSON
Bruce Johnson has been a reporter and anchor for WUSA 9, the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC, for more than 30 years with an emphasis on politics and urban affairs. When not anchoring the weekend evening news, Bruce can be seen weekdays covering breaking news and uncovering political scoops in the nation's capital.
His work has earned him 19 Emmy Awards and a place in the Society of Professional Journalist's Hall of Fame.
In addition, Bruce has been honored by the DC City Council, the City's Mayors and hundreds of Community and Civic Groups for his volunteer work in the District of Columbia and Suburbs.
Special assignments have taken Bruce to many foreign capitals, including Moscow, Paris, Stockholm, Budapest, Tokyo, Dakar, Bangkok, and most recently, earthquake ravaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
In 1992, while on assignment for WUSA 9, in a tough DC neighborhood, Bruce suffered a sudden and massive heart attack. He was rushed to a nearby emergency room, stabilized, and then flown to the Washington Hospital Center where emergency angioplasty successfully unclogged an artery.
Johnson became convinced that he should use his near death experience and celebrity to examine the toll heart attacks and serious cardiovascular events were taking on people, their family and friends, and just as importantly, what people might do to avoid such fates and become more heart healthy. His efforts and those of his producers resulted in the three-part TV series that won national recognition from the American Heart Association.
More recently, Bruce wrote Heart to Heart, the book (RIGHT), brucejohnsonhearttoheart.com in which he reveals the stories of a diverse group of men and women, young and not so young who survived similar attacks.
"The power is in one survivor sharing his or her story with another survivor. We're trying to save lives with this book. There is no downside to people adopting heart healthy lifestyles, changing their diets and starting an exercise program with a doctor's supervision", says Johnson.
Bruce is married with three adult children, three grandsons, and Simba, the family Boxer.
When he's not working he can be found, reading, biking on his Cannondale Super Six, or traveling to the Lewes-Rehoboth beach, Delaware area along the Atlantic Coast.
