From the Fields to the Garden: The Life of Stitch Duran Paperback – September 24, 2010

I've become a huge fan of Zac Robinson's writing and his books keep getting better and better. His first book was a legit 5 stars, so this one would have to be 9 stars! But seriously, the quality and insightfulness of his writing is extraordinary. I've read several mma biographies, but this one takes the genre to a whole other level. The book very creatively doubles as a behind-the-scenes look at MMA through the eyes (and hands) of the "ultimate insider" and a truly inpiring Rags-to-Riches story on par with any of the classics. The bottom line is that Stitch is one of the coolest guys on the planet and the book left me with heart felt motivation to live my life more like the way Stitch lives his own - with abundant courage, positivity, and charisma!

I bought this book, after i heard how Stitch had been cut by D.W. and the UFC. I wasn't expecting too much from this book, but man was I pleasantly surprised! Duran has seen it all, and came from very humble roots. He is a testament to the American Dream. The "real" American Dream. I'm happy to have given some money to support Stitch. I'm sure there are hundreds of other great people in combat sports whose contribution goes unnoticed by the general public and hardcore fan alike. At least we get a great life story from one of them in, " From fields to the garden.""Comenzar la revolución , y la revolución comienza hoy ." Jacob "Stitch" Duran

If you're a fight fan, you would like this book. It's got a ton of great stories in it, both boxing and mma, and Stitch's life story is pretty inspiring. The book starts off talking about his childhood, and then he talks about going to Thailand for a year while in the air force and training Muay Thai, he shares some stories about opening his own gym, The American School of Kickboxing, and then he tells some stories about the fighters he has cornerned.It's an awesome book and once i started reading it I couldn't put it down. Stich is a badass. 5 stars.

This was a great book. I couldn't put it down. It is a great rags to ritches story. Stitch is the real life Mickey from Rocky. Being a fan of boxing and mma I was easily able to follow his stories.The only negative thing is if you are not much of a sports fan the stories of boxers and Mma legends are hard to follow. I live in CA so it was great to be able to identify the areas Stitch was at.Stitch has a great sense of humor in his storie. If you love sports or just want to read a good book this is for you. Keep patching them up Stitch.

Stitch is an integral and fascinating part of the boxing and MMA world, of this there is no doubt. What was really intriguing to read about was all the insights into the inner workings of a niche career and also into the minds of a lot of big names in both sports. Stitch's voice, as captured by the author Zac Robinson, is fantastic, real and it almost feels like you're listening to him tell you the story over drinks or dinner.The book is excellent reading and is a must for any Boxing and/ or MMA fan. What a legend.

I always liked Stitch from what ive seen and heard seeing him on countless fight cards. I could not have imagined how extensive his history in combat sports or how impressive his life story would be. Im a stitch fan for life! Shame on the ufc for taking him off their cards just for stating facts. The sponsorship issue is bad for everyone. I also now know the importance of cutmen thanks to this book about the best cutman in the combat sports game!

Stitch and Zac tell an amazing story. i had no clue that Stitch had such an interesting life and was such a valuable tool for the fighters. he has some great stories to tell about boxers and cage fighters. i do wish zac and Stitch would have elaborated more on some of Stitch's stories and relationships with the fighters but that is only a minor critique.

Being a fan of MMA and seeing a lot of Stitch working his magic around the cage I thought I would give this book a read hoping that there would be some really interesting behind the scenes stories.The book definitely did not disappoint me, but at the same time when I finished reading it I thought to myself that its one of those books that you could give or take. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was hoping for a little bit more out of it.Having said that, Stitch seems like one hell of a good guy who has lead a life far more interesting than the average person. It was a quick, easy read and fans of the sport might enjoy it. I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else though.

Jacob Duran grew up in a worker camp environment in California. Joining the USAF was his road out and he has become the undisputed best "cutman" in combat sports. But you don't have to be a fan of boxing or MMA to love this book. If you're a fan of people, this largely unheralded book is for you. The writing is captivating and the detail paints such mental images. No, I'm not talking about the bloodiness or injuries of combat sports, I'm talking about the visual details of people and places. His nickname, given to him for his mostly self-taught wizardry when it comes to combat injuries, may be Stitch but this tale is woven with detail, humour and truth. This book has the highest recommendation I can give it. Everyone, whether they are a fan of boxing, mixed martial arts---could care less about them---or maybe loathe them---should read this life story of a true success story. Fate may have placed Jacob in a position some would call an underdog but he never felt that way and became the beloved Stitch.

Great book and in sight to how a fighter gets ready and how Stitch calmed and helped a lot of fighters, would recommend to any combat sports fan

What a great read. A real insight into some of MMA's pioneering moments.

Stich seems like a really cool guy, however, the constant back patting he gives himself gets really irritating the deeper into the book you get. I can only assume that Stitch and Zac’s purpose was to put across just how important the role of a cut man is, although, I didn’t need to be reminded of it every single page or so. Plus, even though this is not a fictional book I still feel that in order to relate to the person the book is about then there needs to be some modesty, and vulnerability. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. However, the way Stitch is painted in this book he comes across as Mr Perfect, everything he touches turns to gold. And there are a couple of uncomfortable parts in the book where he seems to take far too much credit for when his fighter wins.Don’t get me wrong, the book as interesting and it definitely gave me a better insight as to what being a cut man entails. But, there was too much self-praise in the book, and this did spoil my overall enjoyment, and I’m not 100% convinced we got a honest insight into Stitch’s life. But again, to go back to my first statement he seems really cool, and I’d love to sit and have a beer with the guy and talk fighting, I think maybe Zac should have structured the book a bit better for Stitch.

This item was dispatched promptly and arrived in good time, exactly as it was described in the listing. Overall, I was very pleased.