Secrets of giants : a journey to uncover the true meaning of strength / Alyssa Ages.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2023Description: xvi, 239 pages ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780593539408
- 0593539400
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 796.4101 A265 | Available | 33111011180391 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
On the verge of turning forty, mom of two Alyssa Ages has one item left on her fitness bucket list: to pull an eighteen-wheeler with her bare hands. To understand why she's so compelled by this goal and what it might mean to finally achieve it, Ages goes on an immersive journey into the world of strongman. She hoists kegs and lifts boulders alongside these superhuman athletes, and meets with sports psychologists, coaches, and scientists to understand how the pursuit and possession of strength can permeate every aspect of our lives, from building resilience and confidence, to finding joy in pain, to teaching us to handle adversity. Everyone wants to know they can do the impossible; few of us will ever try. Part personal narrative, part research mission, part chronicle of a midlife crisis, Secrets of Giants uncovers why physical strength matters, and how it teaches us that we're capable of more than we think.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
"Everyone wants to know if they could do the impossible. Few of us will ever try. Alyssa Ages was the strongest she'd ever been, able to flip Mack truck tires and walk with 300 pounds on her back. She felt invincible, until the day her body betrayed her, leaving her vulnerable and grasping for control. Rebuilding her strength slowly brought her back to life. She began to wonder: What if strength wasn't about how much we can lift? What if it was about how we manage life's struggles? In Secrets of Giants, Ages, now a mom of two, embarks on an immersive journey to the fringe of the weight-lifting world, the sport of strongman. She hoists kegs and lifts boulders in suburban parking lots, attempts to pull a 50-ton truck using only a rope, and occasionally frightens her neighbors by dragging a sled full of weights down her quiet tree-lined street. She meets a powerlifter-turned-boxer who shares how lifting taught her to become a master of the mundane. A ten-time World's Strongest Man competitor is brought to tears illustrating how the gym helped him survive an abusive childhood. A pro strongwoman muses on managing setbacks before stepping on stage to deadlift the weight of a baby grand piano. Psychologists, researchers, and coaches offer insights into the fascinating ways that the pursuit of strength can permeate every aspect of our lives, from building resilience and confidence, to finding joy in discomfort, to teaching us to handle adversity. Part personal narrative, part research mission, part reckless midlife crisis odyssey, Secrets of Giants uncovers why physical strength matters, and how it teaches us that we're capable of so much more than we know"-- Provided by publisher.