Looking for a Fight

Rating:
Summary: Braver than me ... or crazier
Review: Either way, the product is a fantastic book. I'm just glad it wasn't me who had to step into the ring, so she could make the discoveries for me. Not that I have ever wanted to become a boxer, but it was exciting to read about. It was also scary to see what it turned her into. One part in particular involving a father and his son is a moment that is both hysterical and horrific all at the same time. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book. Thankfully, the rest of the book is equally captivating.

Rating:
Summary: An Inspiring Read
Review: I have to admit that when I pre-ordered this book from Amazon several months ago I was afraid that I would be bored by a memoir about boxing. I mean as far a sports go, boxing is WAY DOWN on my list of favorites. The concept of two people getting into a ring and punching each other until one falls down on death's door is less than appealing. However, Snowden is of one of my favorite female authors and I LOVED her previous book "Nine Lives, which, by the way, I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing. I've also read dozens of her magazine articles over the years and think she's an incredible journalist. Therefore, I had to order this book, no matter what the subject matter because I'm definitely a loyal fan.

As it turns out I LOVED this book, subject matter aside. Not only did I find her courage and dedication inspiring, but I also learned a lot about boxing and am actually looking forward to watching the next fight that airs on HBO.

Snowden entered the boxing world after a bitter and painful divorce seeking an outlet for her bottled-up pain and anger that accompanied the separation. "Looking for a Fight" is a memoir about her 10 month experience which was both emotionally and physically brutal, yet exhilarating and spiritually uplifting. I found myself literally squirming during the scenes where she gets punched in the ribs and socked in the nose, to the point where she had globs of blood hanging out of each nostril. What amazed and inspired me was that she stuck it out and kept coming back for more. But she didn't come back in a masochistic way, she came back because she wanted to achieve her personal best. And she did. But she also knew when it was time to quit.

Snowden's trainer was an interesting and evasive man named Hector whose professional ethics, were not very professional in the beginning of their relationship when he made an uninvited sexual pass at Snowden during a trip to Atlantic City for a boxing match. But on the positive side, I could immediately feel his remorse as he made a complete professional turnaround. Overall he turned out to be an outstanding trainer. He is the type of trainer I would want to have because he is both tough yet gentle. Hector is not one to easily offer praise so when he did dish it out he genuinely meant every word. His respect and admiration for Snowden grew as the months went by and I could tell he really cared for her as a boxer and as a *non-sexual* person.

Snowden is an excellent writer who doesn't waste words. The story is well paced and expresses a variety of emotions, a great sense of humor, insightful wisdom, strong ethics and incredible sensitivity and awareness to those around her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has always wanted to achieve a goal but has never had the courage to go for it, or, to someone who is struggling with the willingness to persevere through a tough, challenging situation. But all of that aside, I simply recommend this book to ANYONE because it's an excellent, thought-provoking, well written book. Five stars and "two-gloves up!"

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: I read in the Washington Post that this was an exceptional book, so I picked it up, and I was not disappointed. I don't know much about boxing (or at least I didn't), but I do know how hard it is to describe yourself and your feelings honestly. Lynn Snowden Picket does just that, revealing parts of herself to her readers that wouldn't otherwise be seen. She mixes humor, tragedy, ego, and humbleness into one fascinating story. Take the time to read this excellent memoir, and see for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, Brutal, and Fun!
Review: What I love about this book is Ms. Snowden Picket's ability to verbalize in such vivid detail her experiences inside the ring. It's always so disappointing to listen to boxers talk about the sport as they seem uwilling or unable to give any kind of visceral description of what fighting is like for them. What's fascinating is that Ms. Snowden Picket comes to their defense in describing why professional fighters cannot afford to reflect on their experiences honestly if they want to keep winning. The necessity for Mike Tyson to have a hypnotist is one of many examples Snowden Picket uses to illustrate this point. What also makes this book so engrossing is that it is not "just a boxing book", but rather, one woman's experience in an indisputably male dominated world that dramatically changed her. Beyond putting us in her gloves, she also puts the reader squarely in her life. I'm looking forward to her next book!