Nerves of Steel: How I Followed My Dreams, Earned My Wings, and Faced My Greatest Challenge by Tammie Jo Shults

“There’s a reason Southwest gives you two.”

So commented the author's son, Marshall, upon hearing his captain mom had had some sort of engine problem. Of course, he didn't realize then the "problem" his mom had survived was actually an engine blowing up, along with loss of key controls, tearing out a window, and cabin depressurization. The highpoint of the book is how Captain Shults coped with this onslaught of problems--and yet somehow, keeping cool the entire time.

The title of the book comes from the observation of an EMT after her safe landing. Noting her normal pulse rate, he complimented her on her "Nerves of Steel."

The author, ever modest, credits her flight crew for keeping the passengers safe, and turning a potential catastrophe into a safe landing. (One passenger, partially sucked out of the broken window, lost her life.)

NERVES OF STEEL tells the story of Captain Tammie Jo Shults, first as a young girl with dreams of flying, all the way to the captain's seat of a major airline. It was not an easy journey for her. She had to deal with the usual biases against a woman pilot, as well as flat-out nasty back-stabbing from those who just couldn't stand a woman in the cockpit. 

No matter what the obstacle, the author pressed on, patiently dealing with, and eliminating each obstacle as it surfaced. The Captain credits her Christian faith with giving her hope, no matter what the circumstances. She likens her love of flying to the famed Olympic running Eric Liddell, of Chariots of Fire: "In the script, Eric says, 'God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.' That's how I feel about flying"

NERVES OF STEEL is a sobering, yet inspiring message of perseverance, hope, and faith.  There are a lot of life lessons in this book.

I fly a lot on Southwest.  I will be on the lookout for Captain Shults. What a role model!