About
Frank Riganelli is being called an up-and-coming author whose writing has been praised as suspenseful and sophisticated. After writing articles that have been published and distributed by a professional organization, Frank was mentioned in a news story at msnCareers before turning his creative style to novels -- his debut novel praised as thrilling and a roller-coaster ride.
His life has been an interesting one for his age of 46, in which time he has travelled to a dozen countries and lived in several of them. He spent 15 years working in management positions of Fortune companies and as an instructor at the college level, before providing communication skills training in other countries. Some highlights of his background include providing tutoring services to a member of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Planning Committee; holding the position of director in an international language business; and being praised as the best trainer by a former student (corporate lawyer). He was a former Ghostwriter for a publisher, judged a short-story competition, has provided editing services for graduate research material at USC, and reviews books for a POD publisher. However his life has also seen some enigmatic events such as a planned attempt on his life, his forced flee from Canada for his safety, and a disturbing, staged incident which saw him assaulted by a group of 6. Frank is fluent in Italian, having taught the language at night school, and prior to leaving Canada he was a volunteer for Big Brothers and The March of Dimes, had met two former Prime Ministers, and was a senior member of his engineering society. He received a national award by the War Veterans Association on behalf of his father; who received several invitations to the Vatican, and was the recipient of a certificate of patriotism from the United Nations for his underground resistance efforts against the Nazis. Frank writes his fourth novel as he currently resides in South East Asia, unable to return to his home.
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
My intention in writing the book was to help create a better understanding of the workplace. As understanding is the first step toward improving, the book is a means to facilitate that first pass.
Some may take the impression that the candid accounts and topics spoken of are meant to be derogatory toward the workplace, and companies. This cannot be further from the truth. This attitude, while misinformed, serves the point that open and candid discussions on the subject are not always embraced with a positive attitude. Perhaps this is an insight into the cause of some displeasing workplace issues.
In my 20+ years in industry and providing training services, I always worked with the objective of helping improve the company I worked for. In writing A Business Diary, Part I, it’s my intention to have the same positive effect. As highlighted in the book, my contribution to the companies I had worked for totaled in the area of 1 million dollars, and that’s not considering the indirect benefits which are not considered in the figure.
Despite the candidness of the stories and their descriptions, which may come across as being lighthearted depending on the reader, the point of the book is a serious one. Companies like the ones mentioned in the book contribute to local economies; creating jobs and supporting spinoff industries. The people in the stories are part of something which contributes to their city, region, and even nation, on a macro level. For some, their job within a company is a matter of fulfilling their individual needs; be it the personal satisfaction of having a career, or the challenge of the work, and for others it’s a matter of having a livelihood which permits them to enjoy other aspects of their life.
The Discussion section after each story is there to show how to avoid the problems that are described in the stories. As one story in the book explains, the loss of an employee creates problems for the company, although it isn’t always evident. And similarly, for each problem that exists in the workplace, the effects of it on the workplace, company, and even the business are also there, although not apparent. It is not in the interest of anyone in the workplace to not consider and take seriously the problems found in it. This only serves to harm the benefits which the company has to offer its people and their community.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then competition is the grim reaper of jobs. The good news is that any time taken to consider what the book is saying, is time well spent.
Reviews
<span style="color:#111111;">Reveiw by a reader — </span><span style="color:#111111;">"I have carefully gone
through your book, A Business Diary, and I must say I fell in love with
it. You captured the mind of a reader like me. I don't want to sound
complacent but I have read a couple of business books, and yours has an
edge with the way you presented the facts as if I was reading a leisure
novel." And, "Bottom line, A Business Diary is one hopeful book I know
will go a long way to help people build good relationships at work."</span>
