Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog, describes his rough childhood in a tough Massachusetts mill town where he preferred punching bags to books. Hitting first and hardest against anyone who provokes him, he gradually starts to realize the limitations of violence, how most fights are more about proving something to the frightened boy inside than standing up for a higher moral code. The book also explores the complicated relationship Andre shared with his famous writer father. —Shawn Alff, CL sex & love editor