<p><b>The absorbing, definitive account of CrossFit's origins, its explosive grassroots growth, and its emergence as a global phenomenon.</b><br /> <br />One of the most illuminating books ever on a sports subculture, <i>Learning to Breathe Fire </i>combines vivid sports writing with a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be human. In the book, veteran journalist J.C. Herz explains the science of maximum effort, why the modern gym fails an obese society, and the psychic rewards of ending up on the floor feeling as though you're about to die. <br /> <br />The story traces CrossFit’s rise, from a single underground gym in Santa Cruz to its adoption as the workout of choice for elite special forces, firefighters and cops, to its popularity as the go-to fitness routine for regular Joes and Janes. Especially riveting is Herz’s description of The CrossFit Games, which begin as an informal throw-down on a California ranch and evolve into a televised global proving ground for the fittest men and women on Earth, as well as hundreds of thousands of lesser mortals. <br /> <br />In her portrayal of the sport's star athletes, its passionate coaches and its “chief armorer,” Rogue Fitness, Herz powerfully evokes the uniqueness of a fitness culture that cultivates primal fierceness in average people. And in the shared ordeal of an all-consuming workout, she unearths the ritual intensity that's been with us since humans invented sports, showing us how, on a deep level, we're all tribal hunters and first responders, waiting for the signal to go all-out. </p>
Collection of short allegories based on a series of mystical and esoteric visions.
<p>"INCLINATIONS" by David B. Harrington<br />Book Review by Ariel Monserrat, Editor of Green Egg Zine<br /><br /> Our very own Green Egg poet laureate has written a book of poetry and it's been published! Anyone familiar with his work knows that he creates beautiful images with his words. While David loves to learn about other religions and has reverence for them, this book of poems is written from the view point of Abrahamic religions. It talks about God, Lucifer and angels. It may seem weird to review a book that has such a slant, but having read David's poetry in<em> Inclinations,</em> I greatly enjoyed the imagery and mysticism. He takes the reader through a series of visions that were shown to him by the holy ones. My favorite poem is "Living Butterflies" where leaves fall from the trees and turn into butterflies, inspiring the reader with wondrous surreal imagery. I would recommend this book to anyone, whatever their religious beliefs for its imagery and beauty of words.<br /><br /><br />Review by Grace Bridges of the Lost Genre Guild and Splashdown Books:<br /><br /> In the manner of Biblical prophets but with hints of modern science, David Harrington has constructed a striking and oftentimes disturbing series of narratives. I hesitate to call "Inclinations" either a novel or even fiction, though I confess I am not sure what it is meant to be. Is the declamatory style only reminiscent of the wild men of the Old Testament, or is there something else at stake here? It's full of images that flash by in a moment and then are gone, leaving the reader to consider what they might represent alot like the Book of Revelation, clearly not meant to be understood at face value: Celestial apparitions, kings and queens, plagues, symbolic animals and horns, angels and demons. The large-scale events described here are shocking and even venomous at times, while the exhortations to the reader are no less jolting. I wont pretend to comprehend the intent of all these "visions", though a few of them struck me as being theologically unusual and occasionally downright peculiar. This is a religious book and may prove inspiring to some.<br /><br /></p> <p>Review by Steven Fivecats, Editor of Yellow30SciFi<br /><br />David Harrington's <em>Inclinations</em> might well suit a time in history that for modern man has long been forgotten. On first read this book might be considered as one of the missing books of the Bible. This intriguingly mixture of poetry and prose quickly puts one in remembrance of ancient monks sequestered in monasteries in days gone by. The narrative and style follows such books of the Holy Scripture like Isiah, Jeremiah or Daniel. In fact, this might even be considered the 'Book of Tixen' if one were to label it such. In this small volume one will find the brief overview of the origins of angels and their rebellion against their Creator. However, the book departs biblical perspectives as it weaves stories of nymphs, mermaids and mystics. As with all ancient books concerning the mysteries and origins of life, <em>Inclinations</em> has its prophetic side and speaks of Judgment and Apostasy. It will be interesting to see what comes next from the pen of David Harrington. <br /><br /><br /></p>