The Premise:
An adjunct English professor takes up Mixed Martial Arts
(MMA), AJ Jacobs-style*, in an attempt to discover “why men fight and why we
like to watch.”
The Good:
Prof. Gottschall has a good sense of the dramatic—teasing
his fight at the beginning—and maintains good pacing throughout. His
straightforward style makes the book easily accessible and overall the book is
a quick read. He has clearly done his research (much of it firsthand-to-hand;
couldn’t resist) and this book is a treasure trove of fight-related factoids. I
particularly liked the history of dueling and the exploration of the Martial
Arts (I was once a devout practitioner).
The Bad:
When Prof. Gottschall focuses on fighting, he is well
matched and delivers targeted facts, insights and knowledge. When he strays
into discussions on masculinity, gender and society, he seems to be punching a
bit above his weight. It’s not that he is necessarily wrong or right on any one
thing, but there are times when it feels like he is trying to make the facts
fit the fight.
The Verdict:
Read it. If you are a fan of boxing, fighting, Martial Arts,
MMA or ninjas, it’s well worth a read. If you aren’t, but want a voyeur’s view
into the motivations behind the maulers and brawlers, you’ll also want to check
it out.
