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Vanessa Morgan

Vanessa Morgan

About

I'm a horror author and screenwriter. My first book, Drowned Sorrow, has been called 'the scariest story of the year'. The Strangers Outside, is now being adapted for the screen.

Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

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<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>

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&quot;Vanessa Morgan has the gift of pacing and spookiness&quot; - Scott Nicholson, author of They Hunger and The Farm<br /><br />&quot;A startling new voice in horror&quot; - Lucky McKee, director of May and The Woods<br /><br />&quot;The female version of Stephen King&quot; - Pedro Chaves, director of Reiki<br /><br />&quot;The scariest story of the year&quot; - Sword and Sorcery<br /><br />&quot;Drowned Sorrow is definitely creepy. Possibly even crawly. I wouldn't sleep in the same room with it&quot; - Self-Publishing Review<br /><br />&quot;A gripping horror novel&quot; - Crystal's Book Reviews<br /><br />&quot;An original twist to small-town ghost stories&quot; - Target Audience Magazine<br /><br />&quot;A racy thriller in the vein of Dean Koontz and John Saul&quot; - Dirk Vandereyken, author of Baour and Fates Worse Than Death<br /><br />&quot;This book made my weekend&quot; - Goodreads<br /><br />&quot;A good, creepy story&quot; - The Horror Fiction Review<br /><br />&quot;Increasingly creepy atmosphere&quot; - Monster Librararian