BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we interviewed Jake Rauf about his writing and soon-to-be released book, Gains & Grappling: The Hardgainers Bible, an intense, high-energy, performance-focused nutrition guide aimed at fighters, grapplers, hardgainers, and strength athletes exhausted by restrictive dieting and overcomplicated fitness advice (Read the review here.).

Who and what ultimately inspired you to become a writer?

I never looked at myself as some traditional “writer” sitting in a quiet room trying to sound fancy. For me, writing started more as storytelling. I like people who have a strong voice and aren’t afraid to sound like themselves.

Action Bronson was definitely a big influence. His food books and shows have this wild mix of cooking, personality, humor, and chaos that made me realize a cookbook doesn’t have to be boring. It can have a voice. It can be funny. It can be raw. It can feel like the person who made it.

Jiu-jitsu also inspired it because the sport itself teaches you to be honest. You can’t fake it on the mats. You either put the work in or you don’t. I wanted the book to have that same honesty.

What in particular attracted you to this genre?

Food and training go hand in hand. If you’re serious about getting stronger, recovering better, gaining weight, or just surviving a hard training schedule, food becomes part of the process.

I was attracted to the cookbook genre because I felt like there was room for something different. A lot of cookbooks are either super polished and fancy, or they’re basic fitness meal prep with no soul. I wanted something that sat in the middle of food, fight culture, and real life.

This book is not about pretending to be perfect. It’s about getting calories in, enjoying your food, and building yourself up one meal at a time.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

A lot of the research came from living it. I’ve worked long physical days, trained jiu-jitsu, experimented with different meals, tried to gain weight, tried to recover better, and figured out what actually works when life is busy.

I also pay attention to what athletes and fighters actually eat, what hardgainers struggle with, and what people can realistically cook without needing a personal chef or a giant grocery budget.

For this book, the research was less about sitting in a library and more about trial and error. What meals are easy to make? What tastes good? What can someone eat after training? What helps someone hit protein and calories without feeling miserable? That’s the kind of research that shaped the book.

What life experiences have shaped your writing most?

My writing is shaped by work, training, and not having everything handed to me. I come from a blue-collar background, and I know what it feels like to be exhausted at the end of the day but still want more out of life.

Jiu-jitsu shaped it too. There’s something about getting humbled on the mats that changes how you look at everything. It teaches patience, toughness, creativity, and problem-solving. You learn pretty quickly that growth is uncomfortable.

That same mindset went into the cookbook. It’s not just about food. It’s about building yourself up. Physically, mentally, creatively — all of it.

What’s next for you?

I’m building Dead Roots Fight Co. into a larger creative brand. The cookbook is one piece of it, but I’m also working on apparel, more books, fight-culture content, and original media through the website.

I also have a children’s jiu-jitsu picture book called Ridge and the Path of Jiu-Jitsu, which is a completely different lane but still connected to the same world of martial arts, discipline, and personal growth.

Long term, I want Dead Roots Fight Co. to be known for books, gear, storytelling, and a real connection to the fight community. I’m just getting started.

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