A determinedly pacifistic, if not outright cowardly, journalist accepts the task in his unfit forties of taking up a martial art and writing about his journey to his black belt. Thankfully, for the sake of both comedy and veracity, he gets nowhere near such a lofty aim and the story is all the more entertaining and fascinating because of it. Preston as a sharp eyed outsider is the perfect guide to all stops along the martial arts spectrum, from the mysticism of the traditional arts to the hard-nosed business PR of the Chinese Shaolin Temple to the ultra-physical extremes of the UFC. He has also got the good journalist's eye for a telling detail, always able to bring a fresh angle to any of the subjects he covers. As an unfit man approaching forty who is thinking of returning to MA this book has been a bit of an inspiration to me, Preston is very clear on his own failings and difficulties (often describing them in laugh out loud detail) but his sense of achievement also shines through. Highly recommended on many levels. ( )