Gripping, honest and vivid confessions of a fighter
353530
Broken Pieces is a love letter to herself as she processes the pain of her past dysfunctional relationships with men. This is non-chronological, and the short chapters read like journal entries. Rachel is vivid, expressive  and honest with her own pain, the observations of what she has learned, and how she became a stronger woman. She explains how she was sexually abused as a child, how she was sexually assaulted in college and  and often emotionally, physically and sexually abused by boyfriends, but she does this in a poetic, raw and artistic way. I imagine that this book was very freeing for her and I can certainly see how readers who have been through similar pain would find comfort identifying with Rachel.
My favorite parts were these:

"Women have rooms inside of us men cannot fathom. It's where we store the depths of the hurt we've been dealt."

and,

"He became so good at holding my body close and then pushing me away as though he was punishing me for loving him. I didn't know when to gasp for air. And thus began my unknowing addiction."

and,

"In our tiny microcosm, where time melted as I fell deeper in in, where I became the girlfriend he wanted me to be, I should have known better. I knew that meeting a platonic friend would upset him, but I did it anyway. A small act of rebellion on my part, which earned me shards of glass on my head. But I also got back a piece of myself -- my strength -- through my defiance."

and,

"I blame myself. I take responsibility for allowing him to affect me. He wanted what he wanted, and I wallowed his desires to become a part of me.  Being vulnerable isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it is.  The woman I am today? She would never allow something like that to happen. No way. If I saw that manipulation, intentional or not, I'd be out of there. "

I am convinced that the author is a very strong woman. She makes it clear in the end that she is not a victim and despite the pain, despite the broken pieces, she will not allow her previous abuse define who she is today. The best part of this book is the sum of its parts: the honest, vulnerable confessions of a survivor, a fighter who is no longer afraid. I applaud her efforts in the writing and even though I am just getting to know her, I am very proud of the way she has come out of these events. I highly recommend this book for any woman who is struggling with abuse, is haunted by the past or who needs someone smart, articulate and strong to identify with.

A copy of this book was given to me free in exchange for an honest review.
152362
Sergey's account of his path towards wisdom and authenticity is one that has more than a few bumps along the way.  What I loved about his book is that it is an honest description of his struggle and commitment towards finding his soul's work.  Not a typical "growing up" story but one that is essentially about a man who feels a deep fire for something more and a willingness to pick up and start over multiple times, make mistakes, risk opening his heart and following his gut in order to find his heart song.  In addition, loved reading about Inca traditions and the way of the shamans and plant healers.  I recently took a trip to Peru that included some time with Sergey and ceremony with Huachuma (San Pedro plant).  His ceremonies are of the highest integrity and professionalism and his devotion to his path as a huachumero is impressive.  After reading his book I was better able to understand why he chose this path and the many events in his life that prepared him for it.
282237
One of the better biographies of a boxer and one of the few that reveals a positive relationship between a manager and prizefighter !
2648096
Great book by Scott Babb about his difficult early years and the founding and growth of Libre Fighting System.  The book is very well written, especially for a self published book and really keeps the reader engaged and interested.  Babb is brutally honest about his rough childhood and his own personal failings.  He is also spot on with the issues and problems so commonly found in mainstream martial arts.  Indeed - as he says (and I am paraphrasing) often the best instructors are people you never heard of teaching out of their garage or basement.
962057
Mark Hall's writing style is very engaging and offers a detailed account of the events in his life that enabled him to find his calling.  It is often said that some athletes are poetry in motion.  In this work, the athlete / author shares his life story while displaying his literary talent as he writes about his journey alongside other MMA legends.
2055088
Dr. Dahl finds the perfect balance of describing what it feels like to be an outsider in various aspects of her life.  From her childhood, to the boxing ring, to practicing medicine on the Upper East Side, she seamlessly takes us with her on an honest and humorous journey, which makes the book hard to put down.  Part of what kept me glued to each page was Dr. Dahl's flair for uncovering the truth in other people as well as herself, at times revealing the ugly side of human nature, but never letting that deter her from her success.  It is Dr. Dahl that is the real fighter in this book!
4352987
Good inside to a great  fighter. Should be read by all fight fans
2197027
The two main ingredients of a good biography are an interesting subject and a style that makes him come alive.  From this point of view, Fighter Pilot is flawless.
Forged by West Point first and by World War II immediately thereafter, Robin Olds comes through as the consummate fighter, strong in his ethos and his convictions but also replete with human passions and weaknesses.  The type of man who would rather fly and fight as a Colonel than push paper as a General, Olds belonged to a rare breed of military officer who was 100% warrior and 0% politician.  Today, he would have probably washed out as a Major, but at the height of the Viet Nam war he was among the few senior officers more interested in getting results than punching their own tickets.
However, the uncompromising Olds was a complex character who didn't just fight hard; he also played hard and when he played much alcohol tended to be consumed and property tended to be destroyed.  He freely admitted to having a brief affair with his secretary prior to his return from South East Asia.  Although he was passionate in his frustration with superiors and politicians in situations when lives or principles were at stake, he was also philosophical about not taking oneself too seriously.
In the end, the strengths of the all-too-human Olds are made more credible by his ability to recognize his own weak side and on occasion laugh at himself.  We will even forgive him if he has embellished some episodes and omitted others.  His aerial victories, his many clashes with the brass and the fond memories of those who still remember him are documented facts that will attest to how this book is not only genuine, but also written the way he would have wanted it.
A few pages into this book, I wished I had known Robin Olds.  By the time I finished it, I almost felt like I did.  On behalf of all the many readers who enjoyed their work, I'd like to thank Ed Rasimus and especially Robin's daughter Christina -to whom this must have been a true labor of love- for a job well done.  Five stars because six wasn't an option.
1663463
This is an amazing story of courage, honor, sacrifice, and coming of age. Michael Shanahan, an apparently somewhat academically underachieving south texas high school senior in the mid 1960's, is yet a highly capable young man who finds himself at odds with his stern, disciplinarian father, himself a decorated naval aviator, World War Two hero, and commander of a naval training facility in south Texas. Mike's close friendship with the rowdy, hell-raising, and less than patriotic Jim Nathan is but one source of his father's disapproval; and, the young man's conflicted feelings about his relationship with his father, his resentment of the naval aviator trainees under his father's command, his chagrin at failing to gain admittance to the U.S. Naval Academy (another source of disappointment for his father), and his own intense idealism, fervent patriotism, and deep concern for his fellow countrymen fighting in Vietnam, all combine to compel him to enlist in the army at the age of 18, with the goal of becoming a paratrooper. That his friend Jim has no intention of even submitting to the military draft only adds to Mike's angst.

Mike's intelligence and capability earn him recognition at each stage of the process of military training, and he advances quickly through basic and airborne training, and officer candidate school, eventually being placed in the elite Green Beret special forces. Along the way his own and his fellow trainee's dedication and sense of humor in the face of their harsh training is revealed in the author's taut, expressive prose. The description of his wry, stoic acceptance of the moderately sadistic hazing by the members of the company of Green Berets (in which he is installed as a newly minted second lieutenant and executive officer), all of them combat veterans, is particularly good. And although outwardly stoic, Mike struggles to reconcile his immature expectations of life in the special forces with the reality of the men and circumstances that he encounters.

Mike, at the age of 21, is placed in command of a Special Forces A Team camp near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, with the assignment of disrupting North Vietnamese Army supply routes and killing the maximum number of  NVA and Viet Cong.  He succeeds spectacularly despite corrupt and treacherous South Vietnamese army allies, and an inept Naval lieutenant who commands the naval personnel at the camp.

The action sequences will keep you reading until well after your bed time, and the descriptions of heroism and Mike's inner struggle to deal with the deaths of his friends and fellow warriors in the face of the non-committal U.S. military strategy, driven by perverse political imperatives, will inspire your outrage at the needless sacrifice of so many patriotic and honorable people.

I highly recommend this book.
4931029
Ronda has an amazing story! It's written in a very truthful and honest way. It was extremely easy to read. I read it in one day. It gives the reader an inside look at who she really is and the struggles she's had and not just the person you see on UFC. It's really inspiring.
4184364
This book outlines Duff's journey from an aspiring young Seattle punk to become one of the most successful bands in the industry. He touches on his childhood, his battles with his inner demons and his legendary journey from Seattle to LA. He talks about his influences generously and gives us an inside scoop on how drug usage affected him and everyone else around him.

I couldn't put this book down. It's an honest and well written interpretation of what it means to earn your fame. I felt like it should've been called Duff McKagan, the struggle of a lifetime. I read this whole book on the flight to Canada to shoot a wedding. A lot of things had came to pass before this trip departed and honestly my spirits weren't that high. I bought Its So Easy on a whim knowing that I had a long flight ahead of me and if I hadn't had to keep reminding myself that this was a real life persons account, I wouldn't believe a word of it. It was that deep.

The main notion of this tale is that success ain't easy. It's actually a terrifying hike and much like true punk, not everyone's down to ride or so Duff demonstrates when he recounts the transition between two former members and the arrival of Slash and Steven.
4737876
Walsh captures the inner storm that a fighter who is at the end of his career and at the end of his rope must face. A strong portrait of MMA's inner workings and of a man's struggle to redefine himself.
852271
A compelling account of the trials and tribulations of an elite footballer endeavouring to recover from a serious and ultimately career ending injury. He does not seek sympathy for his injury but writes with searing honesty about his attempted recovery and subsequent depression. His triumph over all his setbacks is truly inspirational and this book is a necessary read for all aspiring sportspersons
1154426
We seldom hear the life stories of people like Kenny Kahn, because people like Kenny usually don't live long enough to TELL their stories. Fortunately, this child of heroin-addicted, con-artist parents did survive, and he shares his tale with a frankness and humor that belies the hardship he experienced. It was the late Fifties in booming, optimistic America, and gangs, ghettos and junkies seemed an unlikely development in sunny southern California. But this was the harsh reality of the only Jewish teenager in the Ramona Gardens projects of East L.A.

Virtually on his own from age five, and living by his wits and creativity, Kenny found safe havens from a roach-infested home and gang-ridden neighborhood in school, library, sports - even Hebrew confirmation classes. Afraid to seek help from the authorities but in constant fear of his parents' raging addiction and neglect, he found outlets for his pent-up aggression on the football field and his thirst for affection with neighborhood girls.

Kenny sees it all: carnies, gang members, and people of every class, color and circumstance, with colorful names like Horseface Joe and No-Sox Bob. He learns about humanity from the bottom up, discovering that human goodness exists at every level -- sometimes in the most unexpected places. His perseverance and tolerance are fully tested during a serious bout with polio and a grueling rehabilitation period to regain his ability to walk. The battleground of his childhood years had prepared him well, and he fights to succeed and graduate at the top of his class. Today he's a prominent defense attorney who has helped bring justice to the lives of immigrants, minorities and indigents.

This book is a testimonial to gritty determination and personal achievement, by a classic American "self-made man." A promised second book will cover Kenny's college years in Berkeley, California, smack in the middle of the Vietnam-era social/sexual revolution. I look forward to the next leg of this incredible journey.
2031591
Inspiring book. Rousey writes bluntly and honestly and engagingly. She gives zero f***s what people think, and that is reflected in her writing. But her words also reflect her incredible work ethic, sense of humor, and determination forged through failure and pain. I loved this book and now I am a fan.
2103235
I really enjoyed this book.  It was my background in martial arts (I am a BJJ black belt and teacher with over 20 years of experience in grappling) that initially drew me to this book.
The shared experiences of lives spent on the mat will interest many in the jiu jitsu and MMA community.  However, there is more to this work than just BJJ stories.  These are reflections on life and the ways in which the human spirit faces, and rises above, challenge.  The lessons on discipline from Mario Sperry and tenacity from Franjinha alone make this a book worth reading.
Beyond that, one of the things that really stood out in these reflections was the raw candor.  As an author who has interviewed a range of characters, I know the difficulties of getting people to reach a place of honesty.  Chuck Rylant found a way of drawing out a stark sincerity that creates stories which leave a powerful imprint.
I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a means to overcome the challenges found in life.
-Adam benShea, PhD
262256
It doesn't matter what you think about Kevin Sorbo or his acting career. When you pick up this book, discard all you think you know. This is a memoir of a human being who dealt with some traumatic events in his life...and just so happens to have played Hercules on TV. The honesty in which Kevin talks about all the events that occurred during the past almost 20 years is both remarkable and brave. Shortly into it, you will feel a connection to Kevin and the voice will be one of a friend rather than a TV star.

His journey is one that many of us can relate to and his recovery is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. One might even say herculean.

When you finish this book, you will have an entirely different perspective on Kevin Sorbo, and maybe even about yourself.