Why We Fight

November 15, 2018

Taking stock of his life in his 30s, writer Rosenblatt avidly pursued mixed martial arts (MMA) in a futile attempt to escape the blandness and repetition of the everyday, and to escape from his pacifist existence. Immersing himself in MMA videos led to working out and sparring in various martial arts and, after almost a decade, the opportunity to fight in front of hundreds of spectators. In recounting his journey, Rosenblatt riffs on varied topics such as the brain/body connection in the face of fear, the effects of alcohol on the brain, and the relationship between sex and athletic performance. In the end, by flirting with death in the metal cage, he achieves the transcendent experience of feeling truly alive. VERDICT Some readers might agree most with the author's admission of self-absorption, and others might question observations such as Jesus submitting to the cross in search of a transformative experience, but Rosenblatt offers much food for thought in this intellectual memoir blending sports and self-transformation. [See Prepub Alert, 7/30/18.]--Jim Burns, formerly with Jacksonville P.L., FL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2018
Rosenblatt was the editor of Fightland, a website that covers mixed martial arts, when he got the bug to take up the sport. It was a long journey to the ring for a 33-yard-old man who was overweight, smoked heavily, and drank too much. In this memoir, he uses his training regimen as a stepping-off point to discuss particulars of fighting, such as the development of the jab, a fighter's best tool but one mastered by very few. He also examines the nature of fear and the sources of pain from a physiological perspective. The culture of the boxing gym plays a big role, too, as fighters support each other, trading tips, critiquing technique, and commiserating when things don't go well. (Then they get in the ring and try to clobber one another.) As his first fight approaches, Rosenblatt resorts to the time-honored tradition of abstinence, and he also must drop some weight, making him horny, hungry, and angry when he climbs into the ring. A very entertaining and informative chronicle of a quixotic journey of self-examination.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)