Hamish Pillay

About

Hamish Pillay was born in 1978 in

East London in the Eastern Cape

of South Africa. He studied at

Rhodes University before pursuing

a career as a marketing consultant,

specializing in events and talent

management. He worked for the

ICC 2003 Cricket World Cup, prior

to which he was employed by Justin

Nurse’s satirical, controversial

Laugh-It-Off Promotions. In

writing The Rainbow Has No Pink,

his first book, he seeks to publicize

some of the more bizarre aspects of

the former apartheid regime and highlight how “the reality is that

apartheid is not over”.

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>

Story Behind The Book

It took me 4 years from first hearing about the true story behind the abuse of young conscripts in the South African Defence Force. Many of the perpetrators of these abuses never faced any charges and some still live and practice medicine in the free world today while their victims live tortured lives with no hope of justice prevailing. This novel is work of fiction but is inspired by actual events that took place in South Africa during the 1970's and 1980's

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<div>“We have looked the beast in the eye. Our past will no</div><div>longer keep us hostage. We who are the rainbow people</div><div>of God will hold hands and say, ‘Never again! Nooit weer!</div><div>Ngeke futhi! Ga reno tlola!’”</div><div>Archbishop Desmond Tutu</div><div>The Truth and Reconciliation Hearings</div><div>April 15, 1996–July 31, 1998</div>

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