Synopses & Reviews
Get fit like 50 Cent: The phenomenally fit superstar rapper reveals his strategic six-week workout plan for achieving a ripped bodyand#151;and developing the mental toughness to stay in shape for a lifetime. Survival is a recurring theme of 50 Centand#8217;s lyrics, and his life. Thatand#8217;s why, with obesity rates soaring and fitness levels declining, he wants to give everyone an all-access pass to his premium plan for lifelong fitness. In Formula 50, the mega-successful entertainer and entrepreneur unleashes the power of metabolic resistance training (MRT), the key ingredient that has helped him achieve the famously buff physique that makes his music videos sizzle.
Through MRT, 50 Centand#8217;s fitness plan breaks down the barriers between traditional weight training and cardio workouts, accelerating fat loss while building muscle and improving overall fitness. Designed for a six-week rollout for total mind-body transformation, the Formula 50 regimen builds willpower while it builds physical power. This fitness book also focuses on nutritionand#151; readers will discover the unique dietary combinations that fuel 50 Centand#8217;s workouts. Coauthored with Jeff Oand#8217;Connell, health journalist and editor-in-chief at Bodybuilding.com (the worldand#8217;s largest fitness website), the book delivers a payoff that goes beyond six-pack abs and flab-free pecs: This is a fitness plan that boosts energy, endurance, flexibility, and mobility. The result is a body youand#8217;ve always dreamed ofand#151;and the mindset to attain the rest of your dreams.
Review
"50 Cent has become an incredible force in American culture. Given his background and everything he's gone through to come out on the side of success, he's the perfect voice to speak to such an important issue affecting our youth." - Russell Simmons
"I applaud [50 Cent] for writing this book for young adults about the terrible epidemic of bullying. He has the ear of his audience, and by sharing some of his own experiences, he is in the best position to help kids get through a frightening time and come out of it whole. As a mother, I thank him for teaching the basic human principles of kindness to one another." - Bette Midler
"50 Cent takes monster to new depths in this character who haunts and inspires. PLAYGROUND is both a sly and brutally smart novel." - Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of One Crazy Summer and National Book Award nominee for Jumped
Review
"Brimming with deep insight." -
School and Library Journal "Unrepentant, unpretentious, and authentic." - Publisher's Weekly
"Butterball's unrepentant, unpretentious, and authentic narrative voice is more than enough to carry the story." - Publisher's Weekly
"Eye-opening and compassionate ... great for discussions." - VOYA
"An instructive and inviting look into the psychology of a young bully." - Kirkus
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn't have much going for him. He's teased mercilessly about his weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to and wishes he still lived with his dad in the city. And now he's stuck talking to a totally out-of-touch therapist named Liz.
Liz tries to uncover what happened that day on the playground - a day that landed one kid in the hospital and Butterball in detention. Butterball refuses to let her in on the truth, and while he evades her questions, he takes readers on a journey through the moments that made him into the playground bully he is today.
This devastating yet ultimately redemptive story is told in voice-driven prose and accented with drawings and photographs, making it a natural successor to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Loosely inspired by 50 Cent's own adolescence, and written with his fourteen-year-old son in mind, Playground is sure to captivate wide attention - and spark intense discussion.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Butterball doesn't have much going for him. He's teased about his weight. He hates the Long Island suburb his mom moved them to so she could go to nursing school and start her life over. He wishes he still lived with his dad in New York City - where there's always something happening, even if his dad doesn't have much time for him.
Still, that's not why he beat up Maurice on the playground.
Now his school is forcing him to talk to some out-of-touch lady therapist, as though she could ever fix him - as though she could ever figure out the truth. No, Butterball's lips are sealed about what happened that day. But some tales can't help being told. And this is one of them.
Inspired by 50 Cent's own adolescence, Playground is a hard-hitting and inspirational story of the redemption of a bully.
Synopsis
A hard-hitting and inspirational novel about the redemption of a bully from international icon 50 Cent
Thirteen-year-old Butterball takes readers on a journey through the moments that made him into the playground bully he is today. Loosely inspired by 50 Cent's own adolescence and written with his teenage son in mind, Playground received wide critical praise--and is now poised to become a perennial classic.
About the Author
Curtis Jackson III (aka 50 Cent) is an internationally successful hip-hop star, actor, writer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame with the release of his albums
Get Rich or Die Tryin' and
The Massacre. He is the author of the bestselling books
From Pieces to Weight and
The 50th Law.
Lizzi Akana is an award-winning animator and designer. She graduated with honors from the Rhode Island School of Design and has since gone on to create artwork and animated content for television, film, advertising, and print. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.