About
As a writer of science fiction novels and short stories, T. M. Hunter has appeared in such publications as Ray Gun Revival, Residential Aliens, Golden Visions Magazine and Lorelei Signal, and has twice (2007, 2009) received a top ten finish in the P&E Readers Poll. He currently has two novels Heroes Die Young and Friends in Deed available from Champagne Books, a short story collection Dead or Alive from ResAliens Press, as well as his novella Seeker and his new novel The Cure. Also, be sure to check out the first in his series of Aston West Triple-Shots (collections of three short stories). Learn more about T. M. Hunter and read free excerpts and short stories at AstonWest.com.
Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness
Description
<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>
Story Behind The Book
This book was actually born out of a brief mention in my first novel, Heroes Die Young. In that first book, I mention the two main antagonists in this one, Lars and Elijah Cassus. I sat around one day and thought about what those two characters must really have been like. From there, it became obvious these two had to show up in Aston's life again...and voila, Friends in Deed was born!
Reviews
The real strength of this second book in a series is that T.M. Hunter
makes the aliens, humans, and action so believable. I've never been a
sci fi fan, but I love Aston West with all his strengths and foibles.<span style="font-weight:bold;"> -- Midwest Book Review<br /></span>
