Much of the book examines the ingredients that make a hero. The first chapter might serve as a manual on the care and nurturing of heroes. It recounts how Welles Crowther grows up: a typical, red-blooded American boy in a typical family in a typical suburban town. He plays Pop Warner football, hockey, and lacrosse, does well in school, has lots of friends, teases his sisters, gets into mischief, and fights a bully or two. He goes on to college, continues his sports and social activities, and then joins the world of business.

What’s not typical about Welles’s life, however, is the extraordinary bond Welles has with his parents—especially the trusting relationship he shares with his father, who encourages Welles’s love for community and his eagerness to contribute and help others. And that love and eagerness don’t dissipate as Welles grows up—even after securing a job at a prestigious investment bank, he continues to dream about serving in the FDNY. So the text suggests that preparation is not enough to generate the will to step up and serve others. Rather, a hero must choose to be one.

In Welles’s case, he learned teamwork from engaging in sports, and the volunteer fire department showed him the importance of making a difference.