Born To Fight

‘There's more than a few instances in this biography of UFC cult favourite Mark Hunt that make you shake your head in can't-make-this-stuff-up disbelief’ - Inside Sport A powerful story of sadness, hope, pride, honour and triumph from the real-life Rocky! Raw, confronting and honest, UFC champion Mark Hunt's inspiring autobiography shows it is possible to defy the odds and carve a better life. Born into a Mormon Samoan family, Hunt details his harrowing early life, his troubled teen years, and his angry youth with no apparent future. After being plucked from an Auckland street fight and dropped into his first kickboxing bout, Mark went on to achieve unprecedented success in Australian and New Zealand combat sports. In an ongoing career that has spanned the globe, Mark Hunt has been in some of the UFC, Pride and K-1's most memorable battles. But in some ways those fights pale in comparison to that which he has overcome out of the ring and cage. As fearless with his opinions as he is in the Octagon, Mark pulls no punches in revealing the highs and lows of his extraordinary life.

Twenty years ago scientists made some remarkable discoveries with genetics and the ability to perfect the babies we gave birth to. Ten years ago the governments of the world made a hard choice, earth or people. Nine weeks ago the choices they made came full circle. Fourteen days ago the truth of their mutations leaked out into the borderlands and other areas. Yesterday the worst thing they ever made learned about what she was. Today she's coming for them and she knows about the strengths they gave her. Tomorrow she plans on destroying everything. She plans on starting with her own creator. Her own father. Mature readers recommended

I took some good shots from him and then I opened up my arsenal and we traded toe to toe. I had a burning desire in me to win and started to get him on the back foot, when I put him down with my right hand. He got up and took the count and the ref waved us to continue. I went after him like a predator, and was all over him, lefts and rights smashing into his head. The crowd loved it...To the unsuspecting, Richy Horsley could just be an unassuming thirty-something character. Yet in reality, Crazy Horse, as he is better known, is part of the underbelly of the hardman scene. Boxer, street fighter and bouncer, there are few men tougher. So tough is he that he has even accepted a challenge from Britain's most dangerous prisoner, Charles Bronson, to be his first boxing opponent on Bronson's eventual release.Richy did not become one of the staunchest fighters in the land without his fair share of turmoil. Having lost his father at an early age, he channelled his anger through his fists as he became embroiled in run-ins with the law. It was boxing that saw him turn his rage into something more positive and his anger was used on his opponents in the ring.A true warrior in heart and mind, Richy's name is one to be feared and respected. His story shows that even in the face of overwhelming odds, it is possible to become a real champion.

Nadine Thomas's memoir Born to Fight offers a taste of what it is like growing up in a poverty-stricken, abusive home in rural Jamaica. The story merges humor, determination, and fearlessness and reminds you that "you cannot prevent where you are coming from, but you can control where you are going."

Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump are two of a kind, despite terms in office separated by more than a century. Both encountered a biased press and deeply divisive political environments after being elected with less than 50 percent of the popular vote. Each was viewed as an ill-equipped outlier and accompanied to office by first ladies ostracized by Washington's elite. Lincoln was known by those closest to him for his supreme self-confidence, inexhaustible ambition, mean streak, braggadocio, arrogance, vanity, and knack for thriving amid conflict. The same can be said for Trump, who can be better understood through the many parallels linking him to Lincoln. Born to Fight is the calm in the storm (or the fan for the flame). It dares bring together two apparent polar opposites, drag them through the harsh acumen of history and public perception, and lay them open to reveal two political icons amazingly alike. Evident on hundreds of levels, including the turbulent times they governed, Lincoln and our 45th President are revealed with such startling resemblance and clarity to spark renewed or even novel appreciation for these deceptively kindred American originals.

From Salford to St Louis, former professional boxer Wayne Barker fought every man who ever challenged him. In this brutally honest account of his eventful life, Wayne recounts how his parents left him in the care of the travelling community, where he learned to fight and journeyed throughout Britain and Ireland to take on opponents for cash. After being charged with attempting to murder a child killer, Wayne fled to America, where he found work in the gymnasiums of New York sparring with the likes of world champion Wilfred Benítez. His ability in the ring was noticed by promoter Bobby Gleason, whose gym had been graced by legendary boxers such as Jake LaMotta. Gleason set up a fight in Caracas between Wayne and former super middleweight world champion Fulgencio Obelmejias ('Fully Obel'). Wayne’s past eventually caught up with him and he was deported to Britain, where he served time in prison. He returned to the streets to earn a living from bare-knuckle fighting, before becoming a trainer and running a gym. Cancer claimed his life in 2012.

What if your struggles aren’t a barrier to thriving but an invitation into your most vibrant days? Discover how to live a life of joy and fullness, even in the midst of disappointment and broken dreams. How can you find a way forward when life throws you sucker punches, when you face obstacles that seem to snuff out your faith, when you lose someone precious to you? It is in the sacred space of pain and promise that we can begin to flourish. Even in the midst of disappointment and broken dreams it is possible to grow, be strong, and draw near to God. In The Fight to Flourish, Jennie Lusko draws on her experiences after the loss of her five-year-old daughter, Lenya, to show you that the ingredients for a fresh and thriving life are right in front of you. Jennie's story will help remind you of how much God loves you, even when life feels unbearable. With grit and grace, Jennie will help you: Discover that flourishing is not an impossible destination but a divine revelation of where you are right now Find relief from the weight of overwhelming circumstances by resting in the realization that God is fighting for you Trust that God is growing you in the gap between your expectations and your experience The word flourish is written all over you and your future. Discover the ongoing strength that Jennie has found and learn to reengage in life with renewed strength and confidence.