Adam Bakken's frames of reference were God and his family, but most of all his father, John, who had taught Adam how to think and feel about family, and about God, and about everything else. John was a strong, intrinsically capable man of deep-seated faith, who, despite his wife's deep-seated emotional frailty, had imbued their four children with vitality and confidence. Carrying those gifts from John as both his preparation and his inspiration, Adam is at Princeton Theological Seminary studying to be a minister when his frames of reference are shaken. After struggling to cope with the aftershocks, Adam leaves Princeton, his friends and his family behind. But he soon discovers he cannot run away, because his history, the memories and the connections all travel with him - and every new experience reminds him of the past, forcing him to take stock again and again.

Have you ever heard of LA gym culture? Where the celebs go to get that sexy lower rectus abdominus love muscle to pop out with that private trainer, and wonder what goes on behind all the repetitions, relationships, eccentricities, huffing and puffing, and sweat? Hello, my name is Eric Jorgensen. I am a poet, a writer, and a certified professional trainer. I have been living in Hollywood for over a decade, and I love my profession. I have had the pleasure of meeting and experiencing a wonderful array of characters and personalities throughout the years that have influenced my own perception of Los Angeles and the preoccupation with health and fitness that is so prevalent in this city.