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Chrysa Smith

Chrysa Smith

About

I’ve been a magazine editor, communications manager and feature magazine writer for over 20 years--learning and writing about  everything from celebrity chefs and pharmaceutical products to resorts, homing pigeons and pot-bellied pigs. About three years ago, my love of words merged with my desire to see a little fun in everything-- resulting in a series of juvenile fiction books known as: The Adventures of the Poodle Posse.

I now spend much of my time penning dog tales and even more inspiring---in elementary school classrooms,encouraging children to pick up a pen and tell their own stories.   Member Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA), Independent Book Publisher's Association (IBPA)

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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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

I was a magazine writer till watching my very funny posse of poodles. For the past three years, I've been telling dog tales that tickle my funny bone. This book, with two tales (The Princess & the Frenchmen/No Dogs Allowed!) takes place in the garden and at the shore, where ordinary life events turn life with furry friends, upside down and lots of fun.

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Reviews

<p>'My class loved listening to the stories read to them by me and the school librarian. It fit so well when teaching little ones to write their own stories.Writers think about their own lives; something simple like having pets can generate ideas to write about. Can't wait to read these new adventures to my students.'  Mary Smith, First Grade Teacher, Colonial School District, PA<br /><br />'Chrysa Smith has a way with words and poodles---she has created three lovable dog personalities with top dog Woody, poodle princess Daisy and adventurous Archie....in adventures that young readers in grades two and three can enjoy'  Leslie Clark, Children's Librarian, Ocean City, NJ<br /><br /><br /></p>