To Swallow a Toad is a 1st-person account of a teenage boxer who enters the New York State Golden Gloves competition. We are offered a brilliant view into the psychology of a fighter as we follow the hero through his fights and tortuous workouts. However, we also experience the hero's daily struggle to cope with the problems of dealing with his dysfunctional family, fitting in socially, and growing up. We find that underneath the tough outer shell of a fighter lies the fragile ego of a young man. Few books have offered such deep insight. This book instantly struck a chord in me, because perhaps we are all like the hero in some way.