Member Reviews

• 
  • Rated 5 stars

  “This book was so interesting. Sam Sheridan wrote about how he trained for the UFC. He also talked about violence in America. ”

  Eileen F wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
• 
  • Rated 0 stars

  “Dear Reader,
  I recently finished reading A Fighter’s Heart by Sam Sheridan. It is a personal account of Sheridan’s experiences with the world of fighting during a 15 year period of his life. After graduating from college, Sheridan spent many years exploring the diverse forms of martial arts, and this book is an autobiographical account of his journey.
  I have always been very interested in MMA and other forms of fighting, which allowed me to grasp a better understanding of this book. I enjoyed being able to make connections to various aspects of the sport while reading and I feel as though this helped me enjoy the book much more than one who was unfamiliar with the sport.
  An interesting aspect of this book is the continuous repetition of the question, “Why should one fight?” Sheridan offers a number of responses to various people, all of which I feel gave an adequate response to the question. However, there was once answer that particularly had an effect on me. Towards the beginning of the book, one of Sheridan’s friends from college asks him this very question, to which Sheridan replies, “[I fight because] I am afraid of confrontation. I don’t like it when anyone gets mad at me, and I try to avoid angering anyone. It’s not big scary men, or women, or anything in particular. I don’t like pissing people off. I am afraid of angering others. But I want to be prepared in those situations.” (33, Sheridan) I feel as though this response gives a clear and accurate answer to the question. Above all, however, it appears to be a completely honest response.
  Although I found the book to be interesting and exciting at many points, there seemed to be long passages or even chapters that lacked action. However, they usually became important in understanding a theme or idea later expressed in the book. It was without a doubt a very motivational book, and caused me to want to get involved in many of the things Sheridan experienced. I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
  
  Sincerely,
  Alejandro Sisk
  ”

  Alex S wrote this review Sunday, November 2 2008. ( reply | permalink )
• 
  • Rated 3 stars

  “I found this book quite hard to read, perhaps because I am not a "fighter" - physically, and so can not relate to him in certain ways, but it is a great insight into fighting, explains the drive behind it, i am still at a loss to see why people fight though, as much as i understand it, why prove yourself in such ways? but hey, at least now I know its not all for blood lust and just beating the crap out of someone and that there is a more spiritual side to it. He seems like a really nice guy to, from what he's written. Again, it took me a while to read it and I really had to force myself to continue at times, but that could just be because I am not interested in fighting and I just wanted to read the book to see why people do, and after a few chapters it was more than clear why Sam Sheridan did. Lovely phrases used throughout the book though, very clever, ones I hope to remember.”

  Misty M wrote this review Friday, July 11 2008. ( reply | permalink )
• 
  • Rated 5 stars

  “This book is great. Sheridan is a strong, unassuming writer who has the "bug," a passion for fighting. This is not a book about improving technique or skill, but rather a glimpse into the life of people who love to fight - and an attempt to understand that love which to many seems irrational. Sheridan is insightful and if you love fighting you can relate to a lot of the questions and conversations he has with himself and the people he interacts with in the world of fighting.”

  Stephanie F wrote this review Thursday, February 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )
• 
  • Rated 5 stars

  “This is an incredible book about one man's journey of self-discovery to experiencing the life of a professional fighter. He delves into the intricacies of various martial arts such as Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and tai chi. Aside from his incredible stories of training and survival, he offers a rich narrative about a man who has been around the world learning about mankind's affinity with violence, machismo and being the winner. Awesome and highly recommended!”

  alexrherrera wrote this review Monday, February 18 2008. ( reply | permalink )
• 
  • Rated 1 stars

  “I thought this book was very disappointing. It pitches itself as the author's journey inside the world of fighting, but Mr. Sheridan spends most of the book injured and never really gets 'inside'...he spends most of his time on the side lines. This approach could have worked but Sheridan isn't a strong enough writer to make it happen. This fact came into stark relief for me when I realized that my favorite parts of the book were passaged that he quoted from other books/authors.”

  whiplock wrote this review Sunday, September 2 2007. ( reply | permalink )