New teacher and hammer thrower in training, Mark Patterson, fumbles through his first year as an educator and describes his first real success with the hammer after writing of the steep learning curve: "One morning I hit twenty-five (meters). The whole motion was like a dream. I felt smooth. I was a dancer. I was one with the hammer. It was wonderful." Likewise, his students start to respect him, and he begins his journey of finding joy in the teaching profession. The hammer throw metaphor works perfectly. Patterson is brilliant and talented in physics. So, why not reach for the top and attend medical school? After applying because it seems like what society would want from him, he finally admits to himself what brings him the most satisfaction in a career, and it isn't medicine.

Readers may not all relate to being physics wizards, but most can relate to societal and parental expectations. Finding one's adult professional footing is often treacherous and as angst-ridden as senior year, with the uncertainty of what will happen after graduation. Kirchner isn't just a master of the extended metaphor. He also excels at writing fluid and believable dialogue, even including the accent of his Russian hammer-throw coach. Additionally, he is a master at writing humor. The result is a book that is laugh-out-loud funny. An example of this in the book is when a colleague advises, "Remember, the best discipline is if the kids are never quite sure if you're capable of murdering one of them in the classroom or not." The story moves along rapidly, and the ending is as unpredictable as the protagonist himself. Kirchner leaves his readers satisfied with the surprising ending in a book that is guaranteed to please.

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