Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell

Book Description

From the 1930s to the 1980s, the capital of weightlifting in America was York, Pennsylvania, the home of the York Barbell Company. Bob Hoffman, the founder of York Barbell, propagated an ideology of success for Americans seeking physical improvement. Often called the "Father of World Weightlifting," Hoffman was a pioneer in marketing barbells and health foods. He popularized weight training and inaugurated a golden age of American weightlifting. Muscletown USA--part biography, part business history, and part sports history--chronicles how Hoffman made York the mecca of manly culture for millions of followers worldwide. Hoffman created his so-called muscle empire out of an oil-burner business that he started in the early 1920s. Within a decade, his passion for sport exceeded his need to produce oil burners and by the outset of the Depression he began manufacturing barbells at the factory. He soon discovered a willing public of aspiring weightlifters like himself who would buy not only barbells but also health and fitness products. Hoffman soon recruited a remarkable group of athletes, whom he tagged his "York Gang." He gave these men jobs in the factory, where they trained for national and international meets. Gradually, Hoffman emerged as one of the most prominent muscle peddlers in America, using his fame and fortune to promote competitive weightlifting, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. Muscletown USA reveals other innovations in which Hoffman played a major role, including weight training for athletes, health foods, bottled spring water, isometrics, and women's weightlifting. Even anabolic steroids, first used by weightlifters in the early 1960s, were a direct outgrowth of the fitness culture spawned by Hoffman. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, Fair's book will appeal to a wide range of readers, including anyone fascinated by American sports history and the iron game.

Customer Reviews:

so so.......2006-01-29

the book has everything you would want to know about hoffman and other famous bodybuilders, strongmen but the way the book was written too much information, was not entertaining.

Hoffman did it all for his own glory!.......2005-10-25

The bottom line is t hat Bobby Hoffman did all this for his own good and it is really irrelevent as what the iron game was back in the 40's was nothing compared to what the sport is today. What Hoffman had control of with a little carnival act, a subculture that was widely ridiculed by the general public and still would be if the sport where left in the hands of Hoffman and the AAU.

A good reminder of where the Iron Game WAS!.......2005-08-03

This book by John Fair makes a good account on how the sport of weightlifting got going in the 40's, where it was. It accounts many of the characters involved in the sport, although not all of them. It does reveal some nasty things about Bob Hoffman that his fans didn't know or didn't want to admit.

I think that some of the recent reviews have been inspired by articles written by Bill Starr in Iron Man. Starr was a former associate editor of Strength & Health as well as a competitive weightlifter and powerlifter. He has been revealing a lot about where York Barbell was back in the 60's.

Likewise, Bob Kennedy's magazine MuscleMag International has a feature on Dan Lurie in their new issue. Lurie also makes some revealing statements about how Hoffman "handpicked" winners in the early AAU contests and those "handpicked" winners were members of York BBC like Jules Bacon, Frank Leight and Steve Stanko. Lurie then goes on to say that he was banned from the AAU after winning the most muscular man award in both the AAU Jr. Mr. America and AAU Mr. Contests as well as being a runnerup in the AAU Mr. America contests three years in row.

I am curious as to why this information was not in Mr. Fairs book!

One of the reviewers in support of Hoffman said he was strong and indicated that he saw one of Hoffmans stregth exhibitions where he lifted 200 lbs. with one hand. Perhaps this fan missed the part that Hoffman used to use aluminium weights! Had this fan gone on stage he would have found that he too could have lifted this supposedly 200 + lbs. of weight. So could his mother!

This book by Fair is revealing, but not totally revealing. A lot is left out. In all fairness to Hoffman, despite his intentions, he did get the Iron Game started and even inspired Joe Weider with his Strength & Health magazine. Now there is something that Fair missed and so did the Hoffman supporters and even his bashers. If it hadn't been for Bob Hoffman, perhaps there never would have been a Joe Weider! Think about that you Tiger Tough Weider boys who follow those Super Bomb&Blitz programs. Beef up with Crash Weight Formula 7, then supplement with Super Pro 101 and get cut up with Crash Cut RX7 and raise your energy with Enertol, yeah a ripoff of Hoffmans Energol!

Joe Weider was inspired by Hoffmans magazine.

Those early contests were great though and offered great variety with hand balancing, juggling, muscle control, acrobatics plus posing along with the weightlifting events. In a way I miss that. And Hoffman through his magazine Strength & Health and control of the AAU did do a lot to start weightlifting and bodybuilding. Some of Hoffmans actions were not popular, nor were Weiders in the 1970's when the IFBB became the "governing body" for bodybuilding and Weider started issuing suspensions to bodybuilders for competing in non sanctioned events, something that Weider repeatedly attacked Hoffman for anytime a bodybuilder was suspended from the AAU for one reason or another.

There is a saying; don't bite the hand that feeds you or in this case that feed you. Hoffman, York Barbell and the AAU did a lot to pioneer the sport and deserve credit for that. If it wasn't for this early pioneering work, the iron game may be be around at all today.

Think about that you muscle pumpers!

Hoffman did more damage than good..................2005-07-31

I am continually amazed by the reviews that show up here praising Bob Hoffman, obviously by people who never really knew him.

The fact is that Bob Hoffman did more damage than good for the entire Iron Game, even his pet sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting.

And Hoffman via Dr. Zeigler was instrumental in popularizing anabolic steriods (see article by Bill Starr, a former York employee in the current issue of Iron Man)

Hoffmans presence at AAU sanctioned bodybuilding events gave the sport a black eye by the mainstream media. The 1956 AAU Mr. Universe held in Virginia Beach, VA was a perfect example. Hoffmans actions at an event that could and should have done a lot of good for the sport had the opposite effect. Sports writers in the mainstream media critized the event and bodyuilding as a whole. Hoffmans retort was classic; "I think bodybuilding is sissified and I am trying to get it shut down." Great PR for our sport eh?

Hoffman was notorius for handpicking winners in AAU contests. Hoffman was the AAU and acted liked a mafia king. In the Virginia Beach contest, Hoffmans protege was in fourth place so Hoffman changed the judges making himself and Paul Anderson judges. This enabled Hoffmans protege to move from fourth to first. Hoffman and Anderson even had the audicity to put Olympic Weightlifter Chuck Vinci ahead of Ray Schaeffer, the then current AAU Mr. America who would go on to win the prestigious NABBA Mr. Univers a week later against better competition but with better judging. Schaeffer would end up in second place in the AAU Virginia Beach event thanks to Hoffman.

A similiar atrocity happened 9 years earlier when the AAU arranged for Steve Stanko, a York employee to win the AAU Mr. Universe over better competitors like Eric Pederson and George Eiferman. Stanko had won the AAU Mr. America a few years earlier in a similiar fashion. To his credit, Stanko was the first man to total 1,000 lbs in Olympic Weightlifting. Catch the connection?

Hoffman took on anyone who dared enter the muscle game and for any reason. His battles with Joe Weider, Dan Lurie, Rheo H. Blair and even Charles Atlas were classic. Hoffman wanted a monopoly. And Hoffman was quick to copy ev en after he criticized. For example, Weider came out with the highly successful Crash Weight Formula XR7. Hoffman debunked it without basis in issue after issue of his rag magazine for years and then finally came out with his own version. Guess what he called it? Crash Weight Gain. First attack then join. Of course Hoffmans product was more sugar than protein and didn't work as well as Weiders.

In the early 1960's Hoffman via Dr. Zeigler introduced Anabolic Steriods to the York weightlifters. They made fantastic gains but Hoffman tried to give the credit to special Power Rack Training, a new piece of equipment that Hoffman introduced at that time. People like Bill March, Luis Riecke, Tony Garcy, Bob Bednarksi and more made fantastic gains. We now know the epidemic that has been caused with steriods thanks to Hoffman. (See current issue of Iron Man)

The people writing positive things about Hoffman are undoubtably Hoffmans relatives or people who mindlessly bought into all the bull that Hoffman perpetrated for nearly 40 years. Or perhaps they got a FREE HI PERTEEN (The way Hoffman pronounced Hi Protein) shake.

I met Hoffman back at one of the York Picnics and at the AAU Sr. Nationals and AAU Mr. America Contests that were held in York. I met him before he went senile. He seemed somewhat amiable but with an attitude and it was obvious that he did all this for his own merit. He had some interest in Olympic Weightlifting.

Terpak was a complete jerk. John Grimek on the other hand was delightful to talk to and obviously genuinely cared about the Iron Game and it's followers. He was a great champion who was unfortunately used and abused by York and Hoffman.

Fortunately, in the 1980's the York Empire fell apart. Strength & Health, Hofmans flagship rag folded in 1982. Muscular Development would have followed soon after but was bought. Powerlifting and Olympic Wightlifting formed new federations that really cared about the sport and had real athletes in control. Likewise, the IFBB severed it's ties with the AAU after only about 3 years replacing them with the better NPC and actually had bodybuilders running the sport, and disgarding the AAU like yesterdays garbage. AAU bodybuilding shows would then eventually go the way of carnival barkers.

Hoffman did more damage than good for the Iron Game and for the few people who still think Hoffman was a saint and that York BBC was so powerful or that the AAU was the "legitimate" organization, I ask you, where is York BBC today? And where is the AAU today?

Bob Hoffman, York BBC, AAU, good bye and good riddance! The sport is better off without you!

"Forget the Book"-the Truth about Bob Hoffman.......2005-07-14

I just ordered this Book and can't wait to read what has been written about a true ledgend, Bob Hoffman. I have not even looked at this book yet but by all the negative garbage I have read by other reviewers I must exhort! I first met Bob in the 1960s while sitting at the HI-Proteen milkshake bar at the Old Gym that used to house the old "Weightlifting Hall of Fame" that was before they built the new one off Rt 83 in York. I lived in Baltimore so it wasn't really that far to take a day trip to York. Anytime I heard that guys from my neighborhood were planning a trip I always made sure that I claimed a seat in the car!
As I was saying when I first me Bob he walked through the door and stopped to talk to me and a couple of my friends who were enjoying protien shakes, his first words were,"Hi Boys, are you up here looking for some muscle" and the gave us a very friendly and fatherly grin. We all took turns shaking his hand and felt like we were in the presence of living royality.Meeting Hoffman that day was more important to me than if I had met Brooks Robinson, Johnny Unites and Tom Mattee all in the same day. You see I was on my way to making the sport of weightlifting and bodybuilding a life long way of life and after reading "Strength and Health" and only getting to know Bob through his publications at last I met the myth and was not at all disapointed!
While in my teens I lifted with several different groups and the main one back then was the old "Mayfield Barbell Club" on Chesterfield Ave. in Baltimore that had several impressive members and some very good DEL-Mar-Va competitors. Sure I read what some others wrote about AAU contest conditions and the way they were being held and most of it is true, but guess what- I would not want to trade anything for those great memories. Back then we all loved it (and I still love just thinking about it).

Some of the most memorible memories were at places like the YMCA in Baltimore City that used to hold many of the AAU Weightlifting events. What was cool in those days was that many of the guys competed in both the weightlifting and physic contest. Back then there we never no complaints as this was all we knew and remember this was the early days of lifting, back then lifting was only in with the out croud like myself. I would not trade them days for a million bucks! At least we all knew that Hoffman, York Barbell and the AAU were trying to set the pace for this up and coming sport. Young people now days don't have a clue as what it took men like Bob Hoffman, Perry Radar of "Iron Man" fame and others to get this sport in the lime light. As for Joe Weider I really don't want to get on that subject, from the very start his copy-cat tactics could be seen for what they really were by real lifters. Just let me make one quick example, Bob Hoffman's famous tri-oil "Energol" was a combination of wheat germ,soybean and rice bran oil and the stuff was great for giving you energy, we would buy it by the gallon cans at York (My father starting using it befor me and never went to work without taking it he swore by it and always said that it helped him to have great strength throughout his day of hard physical work). My point is that Hoffman invented this liquid gold but as everything else Weider had to take the Hoffman "Energol" and start selling his own with the same ingredents as "Energol" and call it "Enertol"! This is why Weider was always booed by so many hard core lifters in the early days . Talk about someone just looking for dollar signs!

After serving several years in the US Meachent Marines (I went in as a teen)I was 21 years of age and wanted to have my own place to do some serious lifting. I rented a place in East Baltimore one block off of S. Broadway at 422 S.Ann Street and called it "The Original Broadway Barbell Club". I had a sign painted and put on the door with the same image that Hoffman had on the old York Tee shirts - a guy holding the weight overhead of a split "Clean & Jerk". Before I knew it others heard and wanted to start lifting too. There was never a charge the only thing was that you had to be serious about lifting, there was no room for sitters or talkers. There was no air conditioning only a floor fan and in the summer it would be so hot that the floor would have about an inch of sweat on it - but we loved it and I had some of my best work-outs in that place (my wife used to laugh at how you had to step over rows of benches and barbells just to get to the bathroom).
About that time I also started teaching weightlifting at the "Red Shield Boys Club" on Clinton St. in Highlandtown (SE Baltimore City). I said all that to say this - everything I taught and followed was from the teachings of Mr.Hoffman. When teaching youths the fundamentals of lifting I followed the famous "Hoffman Formula" that helped to make many folks into world champs (only real lifters will remember the Hoffman Formula as most will not even know what I'm talking about,and that's fine)as I said back then lifting was really in with the out croud.Also I always encouraged other to indulge in Hoffmans protien products as it was always a staple with me and I will swear to the gains that others as well as myself made while taking down products like Hi Proteen powder & tablets (There was one gram of protein in every tablet),Crash gain weight Hi Pro candy bars, Hoffmans Breakfast Food, Energol,Involton (Iron Supplement,pardon my spelling)Livertol and one of my favorites "Proteen from the Sea"(I always believed that this was what helped me start pushing over 300lbs on the bench!).
In 1983 during one of my visits to York I was lucky enough to see Bob Hoffman again. By this time he was in his early 80's but was very glad to stop and talk with me for a while. He was still big and vibrant and told me that the Doctor said that he had the heart of a 21 year old man. While we talked I let him know what an inspiration he had been to me throughout most of my life and thanked him for what him and all the other boys at York did for our much loved sport, he shook my hand and said just ,"Thank you". I read of Bob's passing not long after that and it affected me the same way as when we got the news in the early 60's that Kennedy had been shot(In fact hearing of Bob's death was much,much worse).Steve Stanko died in '71, Bob in '85, Paul Anderson in '94 and more recently the Great John C. Grimick (the only bodybuilder never to be defeated, yea I like what other wrote that Hoffman set all that up...right)If any of these armchair cridits ever saw JCG they would know that he was cut from a different mold then most and deserved every title he won. When folks talk of Hoffman only letting his people win the AAU events keep in mind that it was Bob Hoffman along with other members who made the ruling that a Mr.America contestant could only win the title once in his life (due to the fact that after Grimick won in 1940 & 1941 Hoffman knew that he would not be beat in many years to come and he wanted to give others a chance, this sounds pretty fair to me unless your name is John Grimick the editor of Hoffman's "Strenght & Health" magazine. If this is cheating by awarding your own people I pray that we should all be called the same!
And whoever said that Hoffman wasn't a lifter,I beg to differ. How many of even the big juiced up boys could do a one armed bent press with 264 lbs...not many I gauntee you...but Hoffman could! The first photo that I ever saw of Bob was on the back of his HI Proteen can, you know the famous shot of him standing there holding out his chest. When I was a kid we used to say that the picture made him look like he was in an accident or something because his chest was so huge. That photo was taken back in the early 40's when things like a 54 inch chest was unheard of...but Hoffman had worked his way up to that size (He didn't get it from drinking cokeacola either)
While at work back in 1988 I met an old lifter from the 1950's named Buzz Jones. This guy was an outstanding lifter and attended the York picnics back in the 50's. He had pictures from so many affairs back then that it was unreal! He told me a story of Hoffman that I will never foget (He also praised the ground Hoffman walked on). As the story goes a big meet was to be going on in York and many of the top champs of the 50's would be competing. Buzz said that neither him nor his friends had the money to get in. Hoffman walked up to them and asked if they were going to the show that night. When they said "No" Hoffman asked,"Why not" and they let him know that they were short of funds at that Hoffman said,"I can't let you boys miss a good meet like this because of lack of money" at that Hoffman reached into his pocket pulled out his wallet and gave them the money to buy the tickets along with some money for refreshments afterwards, that was how Bob was.
It's not good to write negative things about anyone unless you really know what you are talking about. Hoffman was human and not perfect as no one is except our Lord, but I know more good that has come from this man and real life long encouragement for so many then hundreds of other men. I'm over 50 years old now and have been around the Horn a few times and have met all kinds of folks,and believe me Bob Hoffman will always be at the top of my list of Great Americans. Through the York BarBell Club I was taught a life long lesson of clean and healthy living that I still practice today...Thank you Bob!
Enjoy! Joe Kopeck/Broadway Barbell Club

Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell

Average customer rating:

Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell
John Fair
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQZGLI

Book Description

In this twentieth-anniversary millennial edition, Kolker continues and expands his inquiry into the cinematic representation of culture by updating and revising the chapters on the directors discussed in the first edition--Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, and Steven Spielberg--to include their most important works since 1988, analyzing those films which have made important advances in the directors' careers and which have given cause for rethinking the films that preceded them. Included is a profile of Arthur Penn's career followed by a new comparative study of Oliver Stone, who mirrors Penn's practice of drawing his films out of historical and ideological currents. Placing the films of Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Altman in an ideological perspective, Kolker both illuminates their relationship to one another and to larger currents in our culture, and emphasizes the statements their films make about American society and culture. This edition includes a new preface, a requiem for Stanley Kubrick, updated filmography, and 48 images from various films discussed through the text.

Customer Reviews:

Smart, exhaustive, pretentious, engaging.......2001-01-04

Kolker's lengthy opinions sometimes suffer from tunnel-vision -- ideas that support his over-arching theories are stressed while other influnces on/aspects of the films are ignored. But his over-arching theories are penetrating nevertheless, and a lot of light is shed on the filmmakers he discusses. His treatment of Kubrick, whose work lends itself so well to intelluctual deconstruction, is especially good. The discussion of Spielberg is interesting but a little too high-minded for the relatively simple pleasures of Spielberg's movies. Most interesting of all are the author's comparisons of the filmmakers with each other, the culture of their times, and various narrative forms and goals. (Kubrick fans should also check out Michael Herr's "Kubrick", which reveals a human side to the legendarily chilly and cerebral director).

One of the best books about post-studio system U.S. cinema.......2000-07-18

Although I missed the very first edition of this book in 1980, its second edition has been among my favorite film books for a decade. This is despite the fact that most of the film-makers discussed within (especially Scorsese & Altman) had made numerous films since the last ones featured in that edition. Now I have the joyful experience of catching up on their films with one of the finest writers on the topic of American film ever and his third edition of one of the finest books on American film ever published.

Kolker has gone back to his earlier editions and used the newer films to both confirm and refute his earlier evaluations. Many fans of film in general (and some of these directors, in particular) will not agree with many of Kolker's points. What makes this book so wonderful, though, is that you don't have to agree to enjoy it. Kolker understands that film criticism is meant to be a lively art, rather than a process of emalming great works of art. I may not agree with his assessment of each Scorsese picture but his analysis of Scorsese's significance is right on the money. At the same time, his newly added discussion of Oliver Stone is the first writing about the controversial director that gave a fair picture of his artistic strengths (there are many) and weaknesses (fewer but still significant).

Deserving of special note is the book's section on the late Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick's passing makes him the only film-maker in the book whose body of work is completely finished, a matter which Kolkee addresses in a special epitaph. It is indicative of both the quality and bold approach of the book that the author uses Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut" as a springboard to ponder how Kubrick's work will fit into the history of cinema in the years to come. He does not make pat, easy judgements but rather admits that the still vital medium is ever shifting and even old works can take on new meanings in hindsight. It's almost enough to make me eager for the fourth edition.

Average customer rating:

One of the best books of film criticism I've ever read

A film book of rare insight and intelligence........

Not pleasant to read

A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman (Oxford Paperbacks)
Robert Phillip Kolker
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0195053893

Book Description

The "New Wave" style of American film of the 1960s and 70s--characterized by exciting, narrative innovation and sometimes adventurous reworkings of older film genres, as well as images of solitude and explosive violence--has come to an end. Erasing virtually all traces of 60s and 70s
experimentation, American film in the 1980s has returned with a vengeance to a more linear, conventional style.
In this newly revised edition of The Cinema of Loneliness, Robert Phillip Kolker continues and expands his inquiry into the phenomenon of cinematic representations of culture by updating the chapters on the directors discussed in the first edition--Arthur Penn, Stanley Kubrick, Martin
Scorsese, and Robert Altman--to include their latest work, and by substituting for the chapter on Francis Ford Coppola a chapter on the cultural, political, and ideological formations of eighties films and the work of Steven Spielberg. He incorporates new discussions to include the more recent
films, such as Arthur Penn's Four Friends (1983) and Target (1985); Stanley Kubrick's direction of The Shining (1980) and Full Metal Jacket (1987); Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), After Hours (1985), and The Color of Money (1986); and Robert Altman's A Perfect Couple
(1979), Popeye (1980), Streamers (1983), A Fool for Love (1985), and Beyond Therapy (1987).
Placing the films of Penn, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Altman in an ideological perspective, Kolker both illuminates their relationship to one another and to larger currents in our culture, and emphasizes the statements their films make about American society.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books of film criticism I've ever read.......2000-02-27

A paradigm of intelligent film criticism. Kolker's astute and subtle formal analysis of the films puts many other so-called critics to shame, and his discussions of the political implications of cinematic form and style are excellent. It is a serious book about movies, and his arguments and insights need to be thought about and struggled with- they are not a meant to be easily digested.

A film book of rare insight and intelligence...............1999-07-25

Worth reading for the Kubrick chapter alone, this book considers the work of our finest directors and contrasts them with the conservatism and anti-intellectualism of 1980s cinema. Moreover, the author discusses community, alienation, dehumanization, and loneliness, all from a fresh, unpretentious standpoint.

Not pleasant to read.......1999-07-24

I had a hard time staying interested when reading this book. The chapters are too long and dense. This book would be best used as a reference, not for enjoyment and learning.

A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman

Average customer rating:

A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Stone, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman
Robert Phillip Kolker
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKUEKC

A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman

Average customer rating:

A Cinema of Loneliness: Penn, Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Altman
Robert Phillip Kolker
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKEAF2

Amazon.com

It's so easy to be enthralled by the razzle-dazzle outward physicality of our games that we tend to miss their metaphysical inner underpinnings. It's this spiritual dimension--sport's "secret life"--that so attracts Cooper; his exploration results in a penetrating meditation.

Using former journeyman catcher Wes Westrum's observation--"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand"--Cooper aims to initiate the many into that realm of the few. His is an extended riff into the whys and hows of the ways "we become so absorbed in the task at hand that the self is forgotten and experience is displayed in its primal power and pristine clarity." Drawing on both Eastern and Western philosophies and religions, he dives into questions of why we play the games we do, how they reflect our myths, and how through inspiration, belief, and focus athletes such as Ali, Dr. J., and Joe DiMaggio rise to new levels, reaching, quite literally, states of grace. Cooper's treatise may be short, but it is rich and it is winning. It answers questions. Even better, its answers inspire more questions. --Jeff Silverman

Book Description

Our ancient ancestors believed that sports were a gift of the gods—that they were potent rituals, which, if performed correctly, would placate unseen powers, honor departed heroes, or improve the harvests. Today, sports still speak to deep yearnings, imaginings, and the irreducible need people feel to resonate with themselves and their world. But the hidden meaning, or "secret life," that lies at the heart of sports and gives them their force and magic goes largely unnoticed. The old baseball hand Wes Westrum once said, "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand"—and the same could be said for sports in general. In Playing in the Zone, Andrew Cooper explores this inner dimension of sports, drawing on mythology, the history of religion, his observations on popular culture, and a wonderful array of stories and anecdotes about the world's most accomplished athletes. The author—a clinical psychologist and longtime Zen student—compares the intense focus of the mind that is often required in spiritual practice with the experience of "playing in the zone"—that quality of mind where the most remarkable athletic feats seem to occur effortlessly. He explores the "dark side" of sports, its brutality and violence, showing how it can also provide fertile ground for self-awareness and self-transformation. Particularly insightful is the author's discussion of how the heightened drama of sports offers a powerful vehicle for the expression of mythic imagery and symbols in popular culture.

Customer Reviews:

If you only have time to read one book, don't pick this one.......2001-08-24

Playing in the Zone : Exploring the Spiritual Dimensions of Sports by Andrew Cooper is a mediocre book about an excellent topic. Throughout the book I kept wondering whether Mr. Cooper was worthy of his topic. He identifies the zone and justifies its worthiness. His notes on his zen experiences are unexpectedly insightful. But overall he appears to be on the outside of his topic, looking in. His book may prepare you better to be a spectator than to maximize your personal zone activites. This book is good for folks who are not quite true believers in the title I guess. But for those of us looking for advanced classes, we might as well keep on looking because Mr. Cooper offers very little beyond the basics. If he writes another book to expand on his further studies of the zone, I would be willing to give the first couple chapters a try.

Playing in the Zone.......2000-01-12

Maybe the best thing you can say about a book is that you can't hold on to it. That has certainly been my experience with this one. Each time I buy a new copy for myself, I remember a friend or relative or writing student who I know must have it. And not just jocks and fans. I sent a copy to my baseball-loving step dad and got a call raving about it from my sports-hating, arts-loving mom. As in much of the best nonfiction writing, by delving deeply into a particular subject the author hits upon themes and insights that are universal. Cooper's appreciation of athletic craft also tells much about spiritual experience, the mythic mind, the nature of the self, and other matters of primary concern. This is not a how-to, inner game, or Zen-of-sports book. It is an exploration of meaning in something so near at hand that we take it for granted. You'll be surprised at what you find.

The book is empty!.......1998-11-03

The whole book is just an introduction to the subject of the "zone." Someone that read the book will not learn anything other then there is something called the "zone." And also, I was amazed that there was no reference to Dr John Douillard's book: "Body, mind and sport." Although at the time I read Dr Douillard's book I thought it did have too many testimonies and not enough references to research works. Despite it, people interested in the "zone" (for example experiencing it) would be better off reading Dr Douillard's book.

An excellent primer for mind-body integration.......1998-09-04

I picked up Playing in the Zone expecting a Inner Game knockoff, but sat down to read the introduction anyway. When I looked up I had finished three chapters. The author involves the reader from the start by, first eloquently explaining what he believes sport to be, then builds on that base to develop a model for sport appreciation. He uses anecdotes sparingly, but with purpose. Quotes are used for impact and add insight to the text. They did not appear to be included as an afterthought. This book is not about playing in the Zone of any specific sport, but rather seeking "mindlessness," or "flow" through any sport as the individual defines it.

Cooper sees sport as a theater in which players and spectators participate in their own drama. He writes, "In the theater of sport, the totality of our nature is given dramatic form. Sport displays the range of our experience in all its multiplicity, conflict, and contradiction. Human experience cannot be reduced to a single purpose or principle, and so neither can sport. In sport, as in life, appreciating complexity is a source of endless delight."

My only complaint is that the book seemed to end rather abruptly. Perhaps a summery or wrapping-up chapter would have eased the transition to completion. But for the insight it bestowes and the model it presents, Playing in the Zone is certainly worth the read.

Book Description

Thirteenth-century Persian poet Rumi remains one of the world's most popular mystics and poets; his fans include PBS' Bill Moyers, among others. Tuttle is proud to offer a beautifully produced package of Rumi's peerless wisdom, in a new translation text and 54 interactive cards. The book explores the history of Rumi and his career as a spiritual instructor and sage. The colorful cards are divided into six families-birth, love, ordeal, transformation, warnings, and rewards-and come with interpretations and instructions for using them for meditation, inspiration, and to answer life's questions. Attractive, handy, and easy-to-use, Rumi: The Card and Book Pack is a fun, enlightening way to arrive at greater self-knowledge through the insightful words of one of the greatest sages of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Rumi Wisdom at Critical Life Moments.......2004-08-25

I am a writer and know how seldom we hear about the impact of our work, so I wanted to share a sense of how much the Rumi cards have meant to me.

First, it is a truly beautiful set and one of the best short write-ups of Rumi that I've come across. I think I bought it shortly after it was released and have used it for big decision moments over the years. The answers I have received often were not what I wanted to hear but have always turned out to be wise and valuable.

The first time I was amazed by the result was during a rough patch in my marriage. I was ready to walk out the door when I decided to "ask Rumi." The answer was definitely NOT what I wanted to hear ... Rumi said, "Don't go anywhere, I beg you;" Shocked by this very specific answer, I stayed and we weathered the storm and celebrated our 22nd anniversary this month.

There are more stories like this but the important point is that I have come to rely on the wisdom gathered from these cards.

Daily use is transformative.......2002-11-27

Eryk Hanut's "Rumi Cards" are a fabulous addition to my knowledge and practice in the work of Rumi. They are very appealing to the senses and help deepen my understanding of both Rumi and myself. And sometimes I am flat out stunned by the outcome. It feels like magic!

Primo Tool for "Connecting".......2001-11-30

A wonderful addition to my collection of divinity tools...my first introduction to Rumi. Very nice, high-quality. I love how the cards are more pliable than most cards. In my most memorable drawing of these cards to-date, I was being told that I had earned a profound blessing...I was at one of the lowest points in my life and I scoffed at the prospect; but not long after, the blessing came and was truly unmistakable. Tools like this, that make these divine experiences so brilliantly clear are invaluable in deepening the faith and inspiring the "magic."

Rumi Lights the Way........2001-01-05

This book and card combo are truelly amagnficent creation. They bring to life one of the greatest minds to ever grace this earth. Opening the minds of all who touch and read the cards. i have had friends read or simply glanceover the cards and suddenly be entranced by Rumi. Great idea.

Rumi-nation.......2000-05-10

A magnificent work of Art and Love.How inspired the author and the designer were to give birth to such a beautiful 'tool'; This is a great gift item as well as a splendid vehicle of self discovery.Thanks to the authors and may they keep being inspired by the Beloved.

Book Description

Learn Adobe© Photoshop® CS2 for the Web with hands-on exercises and demo movies

Do you like to learn by doing? Do manuals leave you bored and craving realworld examples? Do you want concrete training that goes beyond theory and reference materials? If so, this is the book for you.

These hands-on exercises teach you the latest techniques for designing Web graphics and animations. You’ll learn how to optimize images, slice images, and create interactive rollovers. You’ll also learn how to design effective navigation, including elements such as Web buttons, navigation bars, tabbed navigation, and iconic navigation. Plus, you’ll learn techniques for integrating Adobe Illustrator, Adobe GoLive, Macromedia Flash, and Macromedia Dreamweaver with Photoshop into your workflow. Complete with insider tips, illustrated with detailed graphics, and accompanied by a CD-ROM loaded with classroom-proven exercises and QuickTime movies, this book ensures you’ll master the key features of Photoshop CS2 in no time.

Over 100 Step-by-Step Tutorials

• Organize Assets
• Optimize Images
• Optimize Transparent Images
• Create Web Backgrounds
• Design Navigation
• Create Animations
• Slice Images and Layout
• Create Rollovers
• Create Image Maps
• Create Data-Driven Graphics
• Integrate with Illustrator, GoLive,
Flash and Dreamweaver

Tanya Staples is a freelance author and educator teaching traditional and digital art. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine art and art history and a bachelor’s degree in education. Tanya is the author of Photoshop CS and ImageReady CS for the Web Hands-On Training as well as numerous video-based training titles in the lynda.com Online Training Library, covering Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, Jasc Paint Shop Pro, and Keynote. As the former program manager for the Corel Painter product line, Tanya designed, taught, and wrote about graphics software. Tanya lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband Matt and son Erik.

lynda.com, Inc. specializes in training books and video instruction for creative professionals. Check out the web site at www.lynda.com.
.

Customer Reviews:

Opinion on shipping is HORRIBLE! STAY AWAY from AMAZON!!! Book is great, though........2007-09-24

I ordered this book for a class I had, had to study on it.
I ordered it on 8/23/2007 paying to have it shipped next day, the seller is NOT an amazon merchant but AMAZON itself!
I never received it, I had to call and re-order it in order to get it.
I received it in the middle of September!

The book itself is very nice and user friendly with a lot of exercises to let you practice what you study in the chapter. It is very well designed and it lets you really understand Photoshop for the web.
The only problem with it was AMAZON did NOT honor the original purchase nor the shipping!

I'm all about practice.......2007-06-27

I like reading, but still I have a hard time with textbooks, learning from examples like this book is so much easier and interactive. If you want a very detailed book...you won't get that much detail; if you want to learn basics and a little bit more this is just perfect. I like this book.

Wonderful.......2007-06-20

I haven't designed a website in 5 years and was looking to get started on doing them again, but needed a refresher. I didn't have any of my notes or books from school, needless to say, and it would have been ancient anyway. But this book was exactly what I needed. It was easy to follow and read. The step-by-step instructions and pictures were essential to making the book an easy read and understandable. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to make websites and has a basic understanding of photoshop and other applications.

Solid purchase.......2007-04-04

This book is good at showing you how to make images ready for the web. It's not for first time photoshop users, but if you need tips and tricks for web design, it's a good book to have.

outstanding training for the beginner.......2007-03-30

After 11 chapters, it's carefully written/organized, 'crystal clear' (as another said), visually interesting to read (not tiresome like other training books) and the movie tutorials give perfect reinforcement to the reading and exercises. A great confidence builder if you're new to Photoshop. Tanya is a first-rate teacher and exceptional communicator. Her approach is simple but not simplistic. I need to read more of her books!

Adobe Photoshop CS2 for the Web: Hands on Training

Average customer rating:

Adobe Photoshop CS2 for the Web: Hands on Training
TANYA LYNDA.COM STAPLES
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Adobe Photoshop | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OUE3K4

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