Rescues

Lesy ( Wisconsin Death Trip ) here looks at nine people he considers heroes, whether their courageous deeds were performed in a moment of crisis or have persisted over a lifetime. He writes about two men who were stabbed trying to protect others from assailants; about a man who risked his life in the voter registration drives in Mississippi in the 1960s; about a quadriplegic activist for the handicapped; the parents of an autistic child who refuse to institutionalize him and about two Congressional Medal of Honor winners, one who delights in reliving his wartime bravery, while the other can scarcely recall his. The stories themselves are moving and inspiring; unfortunately, Lesy's pop-psychology efforts to analyze his heroes actions are less successful. (Jan.)