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Jon Finkel

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://www.jonfinkel.com

Twitter

jon_finkel

Genre

Thrillers, Sports Biographies, Pop Culture

Influences

Michael Crichton, David Morrell, Robert B. Parker. Jack Carr, Peter Be ...more

Member Since

November 2011

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Jon Finkel is the author of Bear Brawl, a high-octane wilderness thriller about an ex-UFC fighter who sets out to hunt the rogue black bear that killed his mother.

Finkel’s books have been endorsed by everyone from John Cena, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine to Spike Lee and Mark Cuban. He was also profiled in The New Yorker for his writing and the community he has built around Books & Biceps, his popular newsletter celebrating books, strength, sports and adventure.

Bear Brawl marks Finkel’s move into fiction with the kind of story he has always loved: big characters, high stakes, relentless action and the wild outdoors. The novel follows Brick Bridger, a former college wrestling champion who is obsessed with getting revenge against the ro Jon Finkel is the author of Bear Brawl, a high-octane wilderness thriller about an ex-UFC fighter who sets out to hunt the rogue black bear that killed his mother.

Finkel’s books have been endorsed by everyone from John Cena, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine to Spike Lee and Mark Cuban. He was also profiled in The New Yorker for his writing and the community he has built around Books & Biceps, his popular newsletter celebrating books, strength, sports and adventure.

Bear Brawl marks Finkel’s move into fiction with the kind of story he has always loved: big characters, high stakes, relentless action and the wild outdoors. The novel follows Brick Bridger, a former college wrestling champion who is obsessed with getting revenge against the rogue black bear that killed his mother and put his brother in a wheelchair. Haunted by the attack and determined to settle the score, Brick trains, tracks and heads into the woods ready for a fist-to-paw brawl, setting off a brutal battle of survival between two apex predators.

Early readers have called Bear Brawl a “white-knuckled thriller” and “Jack Reacher meets The Edge.” USA Today bestselling author Stayton Bonner says Finkel “delivers a page-turner like no other.”

Edgar Award-winning novelist Eli Cranor calls Bear Brawl “the most fun you’ll have reading a novel this year,” praising its “raw authenticity,” expertly plotted action and heart-wrenching themes. And the New York Post’s Kirsten Fleming calls Brick “an action hero for our modern era” and the novel “a true blockbuster thriller with heart.”

Before turning to fiction, Finkel built a career telling the stories of larger-than-life athletes, entertainers and cultural figures. His nonfiction books include Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage; Hoops Heist: Seattle, the Sonics, and How a Stolen Team’s Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA’s Secret Empire; The Life of Dad; The Athlete: Greatness, Grace and the Unprecedented Life of Charlie Ward; and other books spanning sports, fitness and popular culture.

Finkel is also the founder of Books & Biceps, a newsletter and community for readers who believe a good life should include great books, hard workouts, memorable adventures and plenty of stories worth telling.

He lives in Florida with his wife, two kids and Labrador retriever. When not writing, he's a Top 10 Masters swimmer in the 50 and 100 fly, plays pick-up hoops, loves fishing, hiking, golf, reading, movies, football, basketball and his garage gym.

Bear Brawl publishes November 10, 2026 and is available for preorder now. Follow Jon to hear about new releases.
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Jon Finkel’s books

Average rating: 4.10 · 1,058 ratings · 148 reviews · 42 distinct works • Similar authors

	Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage 4.12 avg rating — 430 ratings — published 2024 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hoops Heist: Seattle, the Sonics and How a Stolen Team's Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA's Secret Empire 3.94 avg rating — 115 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	1996: A Biography: Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever 3.93 avg rating — 100 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Athlete: Greatness, Grace and the Unprecedented Life of Charlie Ward 4.50 avg rating — 22 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Greatest Stars of the NBA 4.09 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2006	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Greatest Stars of the NBA Volume 10: Kobe Bryant (Greatest Stars of the NBA #10) by Jon Finkel (Goodreads Author), Jennifer Nunn-Iwai, Tomás Montalvo-Lagos 4.47 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Dadvantage: A Blueprint for New Fathers to Stay in Shape on No Sleep, with No Time and No Equipment 3.50 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Life of Dad: Reflections on Fatherhood from Today's Leaders, Icons, and Legendary Dads by Jon Finkel (Goodreads Author), Art Eddy 3.35 avg rating — 17 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Greatest Stars of the NBA Volume 5: Allen Iverson (Greatest Stars of the NBA #5) by Jon Finkel (Goodreads Author), Louis Csontos 4.30 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2005	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Greatest Stars of the NBA Volume 4: Kevin Garnett (Greatest Stars of the NBA #4) by Jon Finkel (Goodreads Author), Jennifer Nunn-Iwai 4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Jon Finkel…

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Jon Finkel's Blog

The 15 Most Memorable Books I Read in 2017

Why most memorable?

Because “best” and “top” in my opinion aren’t really helpful when it comes to book recommendations. Some books make an impact. Some don’t. These did.

As you’ll see, many of these books were not published this year. A few were holdovers from last year that I never got to and a few more were books that I’ve always wanted to read that I finally made time for.

I started several more b Read more of this blog post »

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Published on December 29, 2017 07:26

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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

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The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to Nearly 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed

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Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life

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