Book cover of American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China

Book description

The raucously funny story of one young American's quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way)

Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in…

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Why read it?

1 author picked American Shaolin as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

East and West have massively different approaches to fighting. To how it’s trained, to what’s the goal of training… this book is about that contrast.

About the cultural shock experienced by the first American to study at the legendary Shaolin Temple, in China. That’s what my brain said, at least. But if I have to be honest, while I let Polly carry me through his report, I was mostly living the ultimate fantasy of any martial artist of my generation, which is becoming a Shaolin monk, just like those I grew up watching on TV. Thank you, Matt.

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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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