The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy Seal - Paperback

by Eric Greitens (Author)

In an inspiring, in-depth memoir from former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens--from his most harrowing encounters and brutal attacks to the lessons learned from his humanitarian efforts.

Like many young idealists, Eric Greitens wanted to make a difference, so he traveled to the world's trouble spots to work in refugee camps and serve the sick and the poor. Yet when innocent civilians were threatened with harm, there was nothing he could do but step in afterward and try to ease the suffering. In studying humanitarianism, he realized a fundamental truth: when an army invades, the weak need protection. So he joined the Navy SEALs and became one of the world's elite warriors. The Heart and the Fist follows Greitens's deployments in Kenya, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he faced harrowing encounters and brutal attacks. Yet even in the deadliest combat situations, the lessons of his humanitarian work bore fruit. At the heart of this powerful story lies a paradox: sometimes you have to be strong to do good, but you also have to do good to be strong.

Front Jacket

A piercing and inspiring memoir by a Navy SEAL for whom service means a lot more than his time wearing the uniform

Like many young idealists, Eric Greitens wanted to make a difference. Throughout college and after, he traveled to the world s trouble spots, working in refugee camps and serving the sick and the poor on four continents, from Gaza to Croatia to Mother Teresa s home in Calcutta, among others. Yet when innocent civilians were threatened with harm, there was nothing he could do but step in afterward and try to ease the suffering. He became a Rhodes Scholar to study the history of humanitarianism, in search of a better way, but all the theory in the world could not get past the fundamental problem: when an army invades, the weak need to be protected. So he joined the Navy SEALs and became one of the world s elite warriors. As an officer, he led his men through the unforgettable soul-testing of SEAL training, culminating in Hell Week recounted in these pages with remarkable detail and went on to deployments in Kenya, Thailand, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he faced harrowing encounters and brutal militia attacks. Yet even when he wore heavy armor and wielded some of the deadliest combat arms, the lessons of his humanitarian work bore fruit. At the heart of Eric s powerful story lies a paradox: sometimes you have to be strong to do good, but you also have to do good to be strong. The heart and fist together are more powerful than either one alone."

Back Jacket

Meet my hero Eric Greitens. His life and this book remind us that America remains the land of the brave and generous. Tom Brokaw
Like many young idealists, Eric Greitens wanted to make a difference, so he traveled to the world s trouble spots to work in refugee camps and serve the sick and the poor. Yet when innocent civilians were threatened with harm, there was nothing he could do but step in afterward and try to ease the suffering. In studying humanitarianism, he realized a fundamental truth: when an army invades, the weak need protection. So he joined the Navy SEALs and became one of the world s elite warriors.
Greitens led his men through the unforgettable soul-testing of SEAL training and went on to deployments in Kenya, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he faced harrowing encounters and brutal attacks. Yet even in the deadliest combat situations, the lessons of his humanitarian work bore fruit. At the heart of this powerful story lies a paradox: sometimes you have to be strong to do good, but you also have to do good to be strong. The heart and the fist together are more powerful than either one alone.
If you're restless or itching for some calling you can't name, read this book. Give it to your son and daughter. The Heart and the Fist epitomizes as does Mr. Greitens's life, present and future all that is best in this country, and what we need desperately right now. Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire
Vivid and compelling . . . a great read. Washington Times
A Hudson Booksellers Top Ten Nonfiction Book of the Year
A USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestseller
WITH A NEW AFTERWORD
Born and raised in Missouri, Eric Greitens attended Duke University and earned a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University. There he won a gold medal at the National Boxing Championships and earned a Ph.D. His research led to humanitarian work around the world. Deployed four times as a Navy SEAL, he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Today he serves as a senior fellow at Missouri s Truman School of Public Affairs. Greitens is the founder and CEO of The Mission Continues.
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Author Biography

Eric Greitens is a senior fellow at the University of Missouri and the founder and director of The Mission Continues, a charity that helps wounded veterans find work back at home. A former Rhodes scholar and White House fellow, Greitens served as a Navy SEAL until he was wounded in Iraq.