Welcome! You are reading Books & Biceps #302!

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BOOKS

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

I’ve never sat down and ranked the Top 5 reading experiences of my life… Meaning, the books that came into my life at the perfect time and place to completely and utterly transfix me, but I know one was the first time I read The Hobbit in middle school and the other was when I picked up Jurassic Park in 8th grade.

Wayyyy before the first movie and set of film trilogies, Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park book was a juggernaut! Who could forget this full hardcover front, back and spine:

When this came out at the end of 1990 this book was EVERYWHERE!

I was twelve and it felt like every single parent I knew had it sitting around the house… Like you couldn’t be a mom or dad or grandparent in the early 90s and not have this on your nightstand or bookshelf.

Once my dad finished reading it I grabbed it and read it in maybe 3 nights. The pacing, the characters, the action, the sort-of-believable science that we could bring back dinosaurs… and the dinosaurs themselves. Living. Hunting. Thinking. Stalking. I was mesmerized!

Then I went on a Michael Crichton tear. I read Sphere and Congo and then waited for all of his new books to come out over the years that were great, including Lost World and Timeline and Prey.

Crichton passed away in 2008 and left behind one of his life’s passions: a manuscript for a book called Eruption, about Hawaii and volcanos and a secret government agency and a “plot we won’t believe”… While this last description would sound lame for 98% of authors, it sounds phenomenal from Crichton.

Instead of leaving this story unfinished, Crichton’s widow reached out to one of the few other authors on earth on the same pop culture and storytelling level, James Patterson, to finish it.

I’d heard rumblings about this project since probably 2010…. And now, after nearly 20 years of rumors, the book is done and comes out this week.

Crichton. Patterson. Man, this should be good…

Really pumped to check this out.

And be sure to stay tuned for the Lupica, Patterson, Finkel collab you’ve all been waiting for*:

*We have nothing planned at the moment, but, you know, I could make time haha.

BICEPS

Austin Schlessinger is a longtime Books & Biceps reader and buddy of mine who’s our kind of dude. The guy can deadlift 600 pounds, he used to compete in the CrossFit Games and now he’s training for his first IronMan triathlon and sharing his journey.

I’ve never thought an IronMan was in the cards for me. I could do the swim tomorrow, but I simply don’t enjoy running or biking enough to train at the level needed to finish a race… Maybe I’d do a half IronMan one day and just gut out the bike (the thing I enjoy the least in regular triathlons) but either way, I’m always curious as to how people train for one of these and Austin is doing a great job through his newsletter, called Austin’s Analects.

In addition to workout thoughts and tips, he also shares what he’s up to, from real estate to family and fitness.

Recently, he’s been writing about fitting in his IronMan training while traveling and he’s learned a few solid lessons about training and overtraining that applies to most fitness endeavors. Check out his newsletter here and subscribe.

QUICK FLEXES

On Thursday I biked my son to elementary school for the last time since he’ll be moving up to middle school in the fall.

Things got a little misty and I had some heavy dad thoughts. If you’re a parent, this will hit home:

I did a Murph workout (1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run - no weighted vest) with my son on Memorial Day. He did a very mini-version but we got it done:

3 PREMIUM FLEX TESTIMONIALS

Here’s what 3 Books & Biceps readers who just upgraded are saying:

“You KNOW I need that sticker!  I’ve got two Yeti coolers at home, and I plan to make them fight over it. Only one can reign supreme in my garage and tailgate!! I really have appreciated reading the newsletter over the past six months. Looking forward to even further engagement and watching this elite club grow.”

“I am 67 years young, and just recently got certified as a Personal Trainer-I train clients at the local YMCA.  I am always looking for new training ideas both for me (I am a lifelong "athlete" plus I have stage four prostate cancer, whose ass I have been kicking for 7 years, in part due to my training and diet regimen) as well as new book ideas, so I am pumped to upgrade my subscription. Send the sticker to me (and the watch I am winning in the drawing-JK).”

If you love this newsletter, get value out of it, and believe in it, please upgrade to a paid subscription to support it. It would mean the world to me if you did.

We’ve got the first fitness challenge locked and loaded for next Tuesday’s Premium Flex issue.

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It’s all coming together. We’ve got workouts to challenge your body, books to feed your brain and dudes to chop it up with…

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BONUS → UPGRADE by June 4th and you can win this awesome Subnautica watch for Father’s Day from a Books & Biceps reader-owned watch company, La Touraine:

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Upgrade to a Premium Flex Membership right now.

THAT’S IT: 

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Sign up before 6/4 to win, save $$$ and support the Books & Biceps crew:

Time to Honor Our Meathead Agreement

In the gym there is an unspoken agreement that if a fellow dude needs a spot you jump in and help, one meathead to another.

If you enjoy reading this newsletter every week, let’s spot each other.

Let’s consider my writing and sending each issue of Books & Biceps my spotting you the best books, interviews and meathead content around.

Your spot to me is that you share this issue with ONE person who you think would like it.

That’s the deal. I spot you. You spot me. Just like the gym. Thanks!

Here’s your personal sharing link to get free stuff for every share:

STRONG LINKS:

1) I try to eat healthy, but I don’t ALWAYS eat healthy… And when I don’t want to eat healthy, and I want to know the latest tips, tricks and secret off menu items in fast food, there is only one place I turn to, the Fast Food Club. When you want to eat like crap in the best way possible, check it out:

2) Running sucks! But I make myself do it.

Lately, I’ve become interested in learning about the mechanics of running, prepping for races and more. This newsletter, The Rundown shares unique stories as well as stretches, nutrition tips and even cool upcoming races you might be interested in. You can join here.

3) Do you run a start-up? Have you ever wondered what tools and tactics the best founders use? This newsletter, Big Desk Energy, gives you deep insight into the ins, outs, dos, don’ts and definitely don’ts when it comes to starting a company - all with a little humor involved. Check it out.

4) Readers always ask me what supplements I take or what pre-workouts and protein powder I use. I’ve been using the same brand since they launched about a decade ago: Jym Supplements. I’ve known the owner and founder for fifteen years and it’s the best tasting, highest quality stuff around. Try my favorite pre-workout (Blue Arctic Freeze) and protein powder (S’mores) here.

Thank you all for reading! - Jon

PS:

DON’T FORGET TO UPGRADE 👇:

BONUS: Have you read these greatest hits?

1) This feature has been read by more than 10 MILLION PEOPLE:

How ESPN’s SportsCenter United a Generation in the 90s

2) This breakdown of iconic author Lee Child’s success was read by over 4 MILLION:

Did you know Lee Child started his Jack Reacher literary empire with $6?

PPS: You still reading Gus and Mallory? Thanks for getting through the whole thing! No skimming!

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