Mr. America: The Tragic History of a Bodybuilding Icon (Terry and Jan Todd Series on Physical Culture and Sports) Kindle Edition

I've read a little over 50% of this and so far it's very good - VERY detailed.I thought I knew a lot about Bob Hoffman and the Weiders - especially their 'fight' over bodybuilding and their contests. However I've already learned more about that than I thought I knew and much more detail about the bodybuilding world in general. I also learned a great deal about many of the characters who ran the contests and competed in the early days. From the 1960's on I knew most of what's there but before that I only knew their names.This book is much more than a Hx (history) of the Mr America contest - the details for that are very good BUT where this book really shines is the details on the people involved. It's very obvious that the author loves bodybuiding and the people involved in the sport.I used to share that love but the drugs pushed me away and now my level of interest, though still fairly high, is not what it was 30 years ago. And now, the ONLY way to win is have good genetics COUPLED with a very high drug usage. As a pharmacist, I often wonder why people take the drugs as they - apparently - simply don't understand the dangers involved. I bet in 20 years or so you will start to see what the drugs do to you from the NFL and other big time sports.I would rate this very enteraining book a very high 9.0 to 9.5 out of 10 stars - VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!If after reading the 2nd half of the book I change my mind or have more to add I will do so.**********************************************************************EDITED 2/19/15 -OK - I finished this over a week ago but have been too lazy to edit this review!The last 60 or so pages the book dives into the steroid mess - and - 'kind of' takes sides - blaming the Weiders more than Hoffman. As I was still lifting pretty big time then (starting in the early 1960's to today - albeit not as intense) I don't believe it's quite that cut and dried. There is no question the Weiders (especially Joe) knew about the drugs - heck in the Weiders book, 'Brothers of Iron' Joes admits as much - even going as far to tell the story about when Larry Scott retired after winning his second Mr O he announced his retirement from the stage with an admission of steroid usage and it being part of the reason he was quitting.BUT Huffman's hands aren't clean either - all of his guys (bodybuilders and Olympic lifters) used steroids from the late 1950's forward. I have met several of the York guys and they ALL admitted using drugs - including things like Marijuana to help them 'relax'. Weiders guys all used drugs from the very early 1960's - some like Dave Draper had drinking problems - and of course several have died early as well due to the effects of the drugs. Now I think I should also point out that Larry Scott, Dave Drapper, etc used **VERY** small doses and used them for a VERY short time compared to todays 'stars'.But , as human nature dictates, the doses escalated and the number of drugs available exploded. After all if 5mg give good results think what 10 or 20 mg will do.Or that's what most people think. As a pharmacist I can tell you sometimes all that happenes with a higher dose is the side effects increase.So there is plenty of blame by everyone in the iron game - it makes little sense to try and say one side or the other was 'cleaner' or less responable.And now days the only path to wining a big contest (lifting or bodybuilding) is to use very high doses of steroids, insulin, diuretics (last two to get ripped to the bone) and HGH (human growth hormone) - sometimes ampetamines and sleeping pills also enter the picture as well. The 'designer steroids' come and go so fast the labs aren't able to even catch the careless let alone those who are careful.I've been a pharmacist for more than 30 years and have seen the spread of steroids, etc filter all the way down to high school and lately even Jr High. It's so sad because the kids have no real idea what they're doing to themselves.BTW - for those interested in the area you should also read Weiders book, 'Brothers of Iron' (just remember it's the Weider version of things) and the 'Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell' - reading both of the above coupled with this Mr America history will give you all the facts you need to decide what really happened and not someone's' partial version.BUT, in spite of all of the above, the book was still *GREAT* and I learned a whole bunch about the sport and the early bigwigs!I think that both Hoffman and the Weiders helped the iron game become what it is - both of them were a mixture of good and bad (as I guess we all are). Both of them did - MOSTLY - good. Both of them helped make lifting weights, etc much bigger than otherwise.*****I firmly believe that working out with weights will help nearly anyone if done properly.*****I would still rate this book a very high 8.75 to 9.25 - dropping it slightly as I felt the authors bias showed a little too much - still VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I recommend this book, either you are interested in sports, values, society or business. You can learn about all that through the story of Mister America competition, its origins, the spirit, the motivations which lifted the tournament and the sport to its peak in golden era (40's-50's for me) and how all that gradually faded to become what "fitness" is nowadays due to different interests, circumstances and changes in american society. It would have been desirable more pictures to know the characters, posters, etc. and, in my opinion, it is difficult that modern sports (like crossfit) can replace original bodybuilding, the spirit is completely different, nevertheless these are only details, it is an excellent book. After reading it, I think you will become an educated athlete, maybe you will discover good reasons to train or you will get a solid ground to, through the experience of others, be really healthy. Mens sana in corpore sano. Get it.

I never knew about any of this stuff. In high school I lifted & followed the weight lifting/bodybuilding magazines, and remember when events were televised. Now almost sixty years old, I have continued working out through my life, and saw this book advertised. I had wondered what became of the “Mr. America” title and contests. And this book explains it all. I had no idea about any of this stuff. I have to weigh in with my personal opinion, based on this book, that Hoffman and the AAU had it right.

Depressing, didn't know how much Hoffman and Weider riuned the (sport?).

Book was a very good read, have read the authors work before--found it to be fair in assessment of the AAU Mr America competition over the years--covered from beginning to end --gave a # of facts not previously given before in the context given here--being a collector of physical culture memorabililia, I would be lacking without this item

The story of mr. America is the story of pumping muscles and how for a brief time define American manhood.

Am nearly one-third way through the book and love its content. I have weight trained for more than fifty years and, as a diehard aficionado of the"iron game" and its history feel the book was a worthwhile purchase.

an interesting book