Not Afraid: On Fear, Heartbreak, Raising a Baby Girl, and Cage Fighting

by Daniele Bolelli

Overview

This book is a meditation on facing fear, heartbreak, and mortality. In his own irreverent and inimitable style, Daniele Bolelli tells the story of his courtship and marriage, which would have been a sweet story had not all hell broken loose. Or as he puts it, "Hell was a ninja who entered my house without being seen. It all began in such an unremarkable way that it barely registered as anything meaningful. Little did I know that the experiences of the next five months would rip me apart and kill me. They would re-forge me into a different man. On that day, I became an unwilling traveler on a journey through the heart of fear. Every step along the way has forced me to face my fears time and time again."

It is the story of a man who in rapid succession has his wife die in his arms, loses his house and his job, and is left to care for his 19-month old daughter. Oddly enough, the best tools for coping with all of this were those he learned in more than two decades of martial arts practice. Not Afraid tackles this extremely heavy subject matter in a light-hearted style and with an attitude that acknowledges pain and suffering but denies them dominion over one's life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938875137
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Daniele Bolelli is a writer and college professor. He has also fought professionally in mixed martial arts and appeared in I Am Bruce Lee (2012). He is a frequent guest on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Adam Carolla Show, and The Duncan Trussell Family Hour. His own podcast The Drunken Taoist is regularly rated among the most downloaded worldwide in the "philosophy" category of iTunes. His other books include Create Your Own Religion. Visit him at www.thedrunkentaoist.com.

Editorial Reviews

"The honesty and authenticity in Daniele's writing is truly inspirational. Most books about life are written with kid gloves and give us old school clichés to handle adversity. Daniele has gone through some of the most difficult situations a father, husband, and all around warrior can go through. He gives us an honest look into the pain, heartache, and process of fighting back against things that would bring most to their knees. Everyone can relate to the feelings and thoughts Daniele displays. We can only hope to someday have his strength and conviction to come through and thrive!" —AJ Hawk, 2011 Superbowl Champion with the Green Bay Packers

Reviews

"The honesty and authenticity in Daniele's writing is truly inspirational. Most books about life are written with kid gloves and give us old school clichés to handle adversity. Daniele has gone through some of the most difficult situations a father, husband, and all around warrior can go through. He gives us an honest look into the pain, heartache, and process of fighting back against things that would bring most to their knees. Everyone can relate to the feelings and thoughts Daniele displays. We can only hope to someday have his strength and conviction to come through and thrive!" —AJ Hawk, 2011 Superbowl Champion with the Green Bay Packers

"A true warrior poet, Daniele bleeds on these pages with fearless vulnerability and uncensored humor. The narrative starts with the challenges of a 'sensitive little nerd' overcoming his fear to turn pro in the realest combat sport in the world, building momentum as it carries the reader through his epic struggle with the death of his true love. For those of us who know the author from his many podcast appearances, his written word is as raw as the spoken counterpart—It's like a little hologram of our favorite Italian reading the story in your head." —Aubrey Marcus, writer and CEO of Onit.com

"Bolelli is a genius warrior philosopher. What he talks about here is the opposite of a victim's mentality. By sharing the emotionally apocalyptic experiences he has gone through, he gives a gift to anyone who is struggling with the dragon of fear and sadness. For me to hear this story and to think of everything that happened to him, and then to think about my own little doldrums that I fall into—suddenly I'm invigorated. Everyone please listen, open your ears and open your hearts to the incredible, the brilliant and the super sweet Daniele Bolelli." —Duncan Trussell, comedian and host of the podcast The Duncan Trussell Family Hour

"Not Afraid, is an adventure story of the truest, deepest sort. In recounting his story with enormous courage, sincerity, and wit, Daniele Bolelli reminds us that real adventure always involves great risk and often, unimaginable loss. Life's toughest adventures aren't the mountains we set out to climb or the jungles we explore; they're the quiet challenges that come looking for us where we live. You've never read a story like this or known a man like this. I recommend both without hesitation." —Chris Ryan, the New York Times bestselling author of Sex at Dawn

"An inspiring life story about overcoming fear. This is a necessary task, no matter what you do in life. Whether you are an amateur or professional athlete, you will be able to draw many similarities to your sport. At the same time, this book gives us a great reminder to enjoy the ride while it lasts. Well done Daniele, you did it again!" —Bostjan Nachbar, professional basketball player

From the Publisher