The Cage: Escaping the American Dream - Softcover

Peterkin, Rollie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1514294206 ISBN 13: 9781514294208

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

Most people spend their lives trying to escape some kind of cage. Rollie Peterkin left behind conventional success and stepped into one.
When his college wrestling career ended in heartbreak, Rollie fell short of his dream of standing on the national podium. After graduating with an Ivy League degree, he tried to take solace in the lucrative Wall Street job offer that awaited him. He vigorously launched himself into his new career as a bond trader and grew accustomed to fancy dinners, expense accounts, late nights, and early mornings. Rollie was achieving all of his goals, but began to feel like something was missing.

During a trip to Peru, a chance encounter with a legendary cage fighter would inspire him to question the well-worn path to success he had always known. Soon after, Rollie plotted his escape and ultimately left behind the life of luxury to pursue a savage dream. Along the way he faced life-changing obstacles that he never could have foreseen in his wildest dreams. From yuppie Manhattanite to blood-soaked warrior in South America, The Cage traces Rollie's fight for meaning, substance, and true value.

About this title

Review

"Goddamn this story is exciting. I opened it up to take a look and figured I'd just read 2-3 pages, but then I spent the rest of the day reading it and I couldn't put it down. It's the first book I've read in two years not related to research for History on Fire."
--Daniele Bolelli, Author of Not Afraid: On Fear, Heartbreak, Raising a Baby Girl, and Cage Fighting and On the Warrior's Path. Host of History on Fire podcast
"Rollie Peterkin left a glide path to Wall Street wealth for the bloody, gritty, impoverished life of a South American cage fighter. This sounds crazy.  But what's crazier: Quitting an uninspiring job to chase a dangerous dream? Or how most of us live and die in cages of our own making--never thinking to fight our way out? I left this tale of competition, adventure, and primal fear feeling inspired to live a bigger and braver life." --Jonathan Gottschall, PhD. Distinguished Fellow, Washington & Jefferson College. Author of The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch

"Rollie's life is much like his wrestling style: wide open, contrarian, and unorthodox. But having coached Rollie, I know him well enough to never be shocked by his bold and daring adventures. This book speaks to how a single decision can cause a ripple effect in your life. One minute you're sitting behind a desk on Wall Street crunching numbers and the next you're stepping into a cage (in Peru, no less) to fight someone wanting to rip your head off. Truly a story of staring down fear and having the courage to follow your happiness and intrigue." --Kendall Cross, Olympic Gold Medalist, NCAA Champion, and Distinguished Member of The National Wrestling Hall of Fame

"Rollie and I have unknowingly been living parallel lives. We were born wrestlers, graduated to become professionals, and then left the professional world for the allure of mixed martial arts. Though I've only known Rollie for a short time, our shared passion for wrestling, fighting and Spanish has created among us a strong bond and mutual respect. His life was meant to be transformed into a book. I mean, really, who leaves Wall Street and an Ivy League education for South American cage fighting?!" --Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman, UFC veteran and author of Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1514294206
• ISBN 13: 9781514294208
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 298