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The Professor in the Cage
- Why Men Fight and Why We like to Watch
- Narrated by: Quincy Dunn-Baker
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
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Publisher's summary
When a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym moves in across the street from his office, Jonathan Gottschall sees a challenge and an opportunity. Pushing 40, out of shape, and disenchanted with his job as an adjunct English professor, part of him yearns to cross the street and join up. The other part is terrified.
Gottschall eventually works up his nerve and starts training for a real cage fight. He's fighting not only as a personal test but also to answer questions that have intrigued him for years: Why do men fight? And why do so many seemingly decent people like to watch? Gottschall endures extremes of pain, occasional humiliation, and the incredulity of his wife to take us into the heart of fighting culture - culminating, after almost two years of grueling training, in his own cage fight.
Gottschall's unsparing personal journey crystallizes in his epiphany, and ours, that taming male violence through ritualized combat has been a hidden key to the success of the human race. Without the restraining codes of the monkey dance, the world would be a much more chaotic and dangerous place.
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Excellent!!
- By Brian Flanagan on 05-11-15
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Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
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Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
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Motivation: Stories on Life and Success from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts
- By: Chuck J. Rylant
- Narrated by: Pete Ferrand
- Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a collection of intimate and sometimes shocking conversations about motivation with 12 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts. The end result is 12 fascinating and unexpected stories about overcoming adversity and achieving success in life and Jiu-Jitsu. Jiu-Jitsu has often been used as a metaphor of life, but you can replace Jiu-Jitsu with any sport, business or ambitious pursuit - the lessons are universal. What drives ambitious people is often shaped by our subconscious mind. We are not always aware of the influences driving our behavior, but you will discover underlying themes.
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Great stories.
- By Alex on 10-22-19
By: Chuck J. Rylant
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Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys
- By: Dave Barry
- Narrated by: John Ritter
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
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The American guy is not to be confused with a husband, father, hunk, or intellectual, says guy expert Dave Barry. Published just in time (the American guy faces extinction due to feminism, the men's movement, and stricter sanitation laws), this guide gives women helpful advice for understanding Him (or It) and offers men useful tips on remembering the names of their children and other dilemmas of life.
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I laughed all the way through
- By Alan Rither on 08-10-04
By: Dave Barry
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Unbeaten
- By: Mike Stanton
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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From the best-selling author of The Prince of Providence comes a revelatory biography of Rocky Marciano, the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.The son of poor Italian immigrants, with short arms and stubby legs, Rocky Marciano accomplished a feat that eluded legendary heavyweight champions like Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson: He never lost a professional fight. His record was a perfect 49-0.
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Great book, terrible accents in the reading
- By Ishmael Angaluuk Hope on 11-02-21
By: Mike Stanton
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The Sweet Science
- By: A. J. Liebling
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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This collection of A.J. Liebling's classic New Yorker pieces on the "sweet science of bruising" brings vividly to life the boxing world as it once was. It depicts the great events of boxing's American heyday: Sugar Ray Robinson's dramatic comeback, Rocky Marciano's rise to prominence, Joe Louis' unfortunate decline. Liebling never fails to find the human story behind the fight, and he evokes the atmosphere in the arena as distinctly as he does the goings-on in the ring.
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Liebling is a master wordsmith, Gardner an incredible narrator
- By Josh on 03-29-16
By: A. J. Liebling
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A Flame of Pure Fire
- Jack Dempsey and the Roaring '20s
- By: Roger Kahn
- Narrated by: Kevin Yon
- Length: 17 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Through most of the Roaring '20s, Jack Dempsey was the heavyweight champion of the world. With his fierce good looks and matchless dedication to the kill, he was a fighter perfectly suited to his time. In A Flame of Pure Fire, renowned sports writer Roger Kahn not only chronicles the thrilling, brutal bouts of the Manassa Mauler, but also illustrates how the tumultuous 1920s shaped Dempsey - and how the champ, in turn, left an indelible mark on sports and American history.
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Ambitious but poorly executed
- By Keith on 10-02-19
By: Roger Kahn
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Pin Action
- Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler
- By: Gianmarc Manzione
- Narrated by: Chris Lutkin
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Most of us think of bowling as a "sport" in quotation marks, and bowling alleys are places with disco balls, matching shirts, and funny shoes. But in the 1960s, New York City was the center of "action bowling", a form of high-stakes gambling in which bowlers - often teenagers - faced off for thousands of dollars every night. When money like that is changing hands, you can bet the pressure is on (and the balls are rigged), and losses come with dire consequences.
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Excellent
- By joseph azze on 03-16-19
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The Warrior’s Heart
- Becoming a Man of Compassion and Courage
- By: Eric Greitens
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Warrior's Heart, an adaptation of his best-selling memoir, The Heart and the Fist, Eric Greitens brings his adventures to life, sharing stories of friendship, struggle, and hard-earned wisdom. This remarkable book will inspire listeners to live every day with compassion and courage.
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Same book just a new name.
- By Rich on 04-16-16
By: Eric Greitens
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Breaking Free
- My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder
- By: Herschel Walker
- Narrated by: Andre Teamer
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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In Breaking Free, Herschel tells his story - from the joys and hardships of childhood to his explosive impact on college football to his remarkable professional career. And he gives voice and hope to those suffering from DID. Herschel shows how this disorder played an integral role in his accomplishments and how he has learned to live with it today. His compelling account testifies to the strength of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any challenge.
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For Sports Fans Only
- By Karen P. Smith on 04-07-11
By: Herschel Walker
What listeners say about The Professor in the Cage
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Hank
- 04-25-24
Combat Theory
Loved this book. Author was very honest about his experience and his skills, and had valuable insights into why we fight, combat psychology and theory, as well as a little humor mixed in. Definitely recommend if your a combat sports fan.
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- Ernst Robert Almgren
- 01-19-16
Entertaining, educational and gripping
This was one of the best books i have bought on audible. out of many on many different topics. The personal story was very honest and well told, the historical anecdotes were very fitting, not to long or to short, well founded and objective. The narration was great, well paced and engaging. A great book overall for anyone who are interested in fighting, bot for novice and medium experienced people like myself. The only thing that bothered me was the author complaining about his age, at 39 you are not an old man, i know people fighting since their 20s up to their 60s, i am myself 35 and i will fight my first mma fight this year. However the book was great and for those who like it should also purchase "the way of men" by Jack Donovan thst more deeply explain the foundation of masculinity.
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- ChrisM.
- 07-14-24
Very entertaining and informative.
This title was interesting to listen to because it felt like it was an actual documentary in audio format. The author has a very interesting perspective about martial arts.
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- Bearded Barista
- 05-12-16
makes you want to fight someone
... but in a good way. I have always wanted to do what Jonathan did for this book and it does make me want to get out there and try it even more now.
The writing is aggressive but it's real and intense. He talks and references how men really talk and sometimes it's rude but it's the last remaining scraps of manliness I think.
if you are thinking about doing mma this is definitely a book to read or listen to.
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- J. Marchetti
- 08-23-15
Contemplation on Violence
A true thinking man explores how & why our species never ceases to fight. A worthy listen. Well narrated.
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- Bikilli
- 04-11-16
Phenomenal.
Great book and great reader. I knocked it out in just a couple of days. Couldn't wait for my free time (making the drive to school each day) so I could listen to more!
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- julie
- 08-14-15
An entertaining quick read. Fun way to learn more about MMA and UFC.
A well written book with good comedy throughout. He occasionally seems to over-dramatize and exaggerate points. Some of his points are biased and he comes off as overly certain about topics that are still widely considered to be controversial.
I will say I am much more interested in MMA after reading this and I have a new found respect for it. I found myself watching plenty of you tube videos.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is competitive or enjoys competitive sports. I'd also recommend it to those who want a fun way to learn a little more about MMA and UFC.
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- kylan
- 05-27-16
Interdisciplinary
All sports bear the unnecessary weight of superstition, but mixed martial arts (MMA) moreso than any other. Partly this is owed to ‘the warfare analogue‘, native to every competitive exercise, being much less figurative—the loser of a fight experiencing, in as many cases as not, an end or preface to an end more approximate (and in closer proximity) to that of one’s life. Mostly, however, it is because martial arts are surpassingly the hard kernel of real-world, bona fide superstitions: systems and traditions of belief held orthodoxically or generically about the conscientious harness of energy with the body. The Professor in the Cage is author and scholar Jonathan Gottschall’s study of these collected and often contradicting combat disciplines, blow by blow, for fifteen months. Disciplines which, when set simultaneously in concert and at odds inside a steel cage, allow for seemingly limitless results, no matter how faithful an outcome may formerly appear.
The book, to its credit, is far from straight-arrow anthropology. Gottschall discourages the romantic notion, which devoted fight fans may entertain in an effort to pacify guilt or stigma, that it is one’s intellectual cupidity which principally drives his or her desire to fight, or (more likely the case) to watch fighting, and he holds it as unenlightened as to believe—as nonfans may—that it is a lack of intelligence or civility. The Professor in the Cage corrects for both these pandemic misconceptions, but not without correcting some of its own. Gottschall, upon first entering Mark Shrader’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy (located across the street from his English department office at Washington & Jefferson College), promptly finds his assumptions about fighting and fighters whited out.
Gottschall’s title, of course, implies novelty. The checker on the chessboard. Columbus discovering his New World. “The main objective of fighting sports,” he writes, “is to temporarily shut down the other guy’s brain,” so why, the reader wonders, would an academic join a brain-damage academy? Why join ‘the savages’? But one of the first lessons Gottschall learns is how unremarkable his lack of qualifications really is. (Even newly minted UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, works full-time as a firefighter outside of training.) Violence, Gottschall argues, is simply an appetite that all men have (and here he explores why men and not women, disproportionately, are thus disposed). Oftentimes it is those who were victims in the past, he points out, or whose present vocation is so far removed from even a whisper of such indulgences, that are more likely to strap on the gloves.
A writer able to present the facts with a fabulist’s flare, Gottschall uses mixed martial arts as a kind of literary chariot through man’s history of violence. Because, under these lights, surely, why men fight is not nearly the conundrum that “why don’t they“ is. As for why we watch, Gottschall believes the driving ecstasy of fighting is its being “a genre of staged tragedy”, such as bullfighting was for Hemingway and boxing for Oates. “If boxing is a sport,” Gottschall quotes Oates as saying, “it is the most tragic of all sports because more than any human activity it consumes the very excellence it displays.” Reflecting on, as in the introduction to this review, the simulational talent of an MMA canvas to manifest not only displays of athletic pyrotechny but the circumstances of said athletes’ demise—unconsciousness here generated by choking as well as striking—this is all the more apt.
“A fight,” Gottschall concludes, “is drama sweated to the bones—an enactment of the whole human tangle, with everything lovely and terrible on display.” And with mixed martial arts’ continued rise in popularity, per annum, those stage lights now double as microscopes. There is little tolerance on the modern fightscape for what Gottschall calls “the myth of the martial arts”, the notion that any of these disciplines represents the perfect and sacred schematic for mano a mano combat; the last twenty years have without question illuminated flaws and strengths both relative and respective. As does The Professor in the Cage—which, in keeping with the traditions it grapples, is an education on mind even moreso than body. This, however, in no way keeps the book from earning its title as one of the most engaging, down-to-earth examinations of sport and human violence one will find.
(Quincy Dunn-Baker's narration, by the way, is engaging from start to finish and absolutely perfect for the material.)
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ronald Stauffer
- 07-29-21
Connection Between Syntax and Strangling Explained
I bought this audiobook on a whim, with low expectations. But once the book began I cleared my schedule and binged on it. A lowly assistant professor, working for peanuts in a dead-end career was looking for more, HOPING there was more to life. So author Jonathan Gottschall (an old man of 38) screwed up his courage and walked from his cubicle to the shopping mall MMA gym across the street and signed up to go get punished every weeknight for his audacity to think that he could fight men half his age. With self deprecation Gottschall describes his spiritual journey into “fist-in-the-face Mondays, and deep reflections on politically heretical questions like “why do men like to fight, but women don’t?” He trains hard for 16 months to culminate in one fight, which will answer the question “Am i a ‘man’ or a coward?”
There is a fascination exploration of the ancient culture of “dueling” which continues unabated to the present day. (Betcha didn’t know that!)
Get the book; listen to it. You’ll learn something about yourself. And it might just hurt a bit.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Tim
- 08-09-21
Exlcellent Book - Will listen again soon!
If Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Pinker, and (MMA fighter) Randy Couture had a baby, he would be Jonathan Gottschall.
I thought I wanted a great MMA book that would teach me something new about MMA and help me understand why I and so many of my friends like fighting. I got that but I also came away with a deeper understanding of human nature, evolutionary science, literature, and some lessons on how to fight.
The writing is stellar. I was worried the professor-author would use some Creative Writing 101 tricks to try to keep me engaged. This is the real deal.
The narration is incredible! The nuance in the reader's voice had me convinced the reader was the author (it was not).
One of my top 5 non-fiction books. Highly recommended for MMA fans, fans of Pinker and Gladwell, and those interested in human nature.
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