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She's A Beast

A Physical Education (Book Pre-Order)

$27.90 USD
$27.90 USD
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~HARDCOVER EDITION, ARRIVES MAY 6 from Grand Central Publishing~

Written by the creator of the “She’s a Beast” newsletter, this mash up of memoir and science writing is the rare story of a woman finding joy in a body that, for so long, she considered her enemy.

A Physical Education traces Casey Johnston’s journey of calorie restriction and obsessive cardio—making herself small in almost every way—to finding healing through the (unexpected) practice of lifting weights. As she progresses, carrying groceries and closing heavy doors become easier. As she diligently practices checking in with how she feels, she begins to question not only how she has treated her body, but how she sees herself and the world. This growth also fuels a deeper understanding: how the mainstream messaging she received about women’s bodies has seeped into almost every other area of her life. 

Combining wit, rage, and a reporter’s eye for detail, Johnston recounts how she learned the process of rupture, rest, and repair—not just within her cells and muscles, but within her spirit.  A love letter to the science of female strength, this is a book for anyone who’s ever longed to return home to their own body.

 

Reviews

“This book performs power from the inside out. It reminds us: when we turn away from the cultural messages that we must be young, beautiful, and thin—false fictions that ask us to destroy ourselves—we might learn to turn toward hundreds of other forms of beauty, erotic power, senses of self. Where Casey Johnston takes her body, there is joy, release, revelation.”―Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water and Reading the Waves


“A Physical Education is a profoundly engrossing journey of how one woman stepped into her power, literally and metaphorically. Casey Johnston is our Virgil through the weightroom, seamlessly blending memoir, history, and science. In lucid prose, Johnston shows how strength training is an exit ramp off the hamster wheel of diet culture and antidote to the shame and isolation so many women experience. Full of heart and humor, this book made me want to get stronger.” 
 ―Elizabeth Greenwood, author of Playing Dead and Love Lockdown


“A thought-provoking memoir about falling in love with weightlifting—and, perhaps more importantly, learning how to unapologetically take up space in the world.” 

―Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim and On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters


“I can't stop talking about this book. A Physical Education is for every woman who ever dieted, looked at herself in the mirror and hated her stomach, or cried when she stepped on the scale, which is to say: every woman. This book is both a rallying cry and a testament to what happens when a woman finds her strength. Read this book and get free.”
 ―Lyz Lenz, author of New York Times bestseller This American Ex-Wife

About the Author

Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weightlifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021.

Read more about the book here.

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