Reviews
"The antecedents of the American fitness industry are varied and fascinating, and journalist Black . . . does a superb job of chronicling them."-- Publishers Weekly, "While offering largely a chronology of the evolution of a uniquely American brand of fitness, Black is quick to provide scintillating glimpses into the lives of fitness icons and explore philosophical trends and lucrative business models. "-- Kirkus Reviews "Making the American Body is a fascinating and informative sprint through the history of body worship from the classical Greeks to the present-day fanatics of fitness."--Pat Jordan, author of A False Spring"Jonathan Black vividly renders the trends and politics of the fitness movement through the decades, and many of the outsized personalities who have defined it. This is a fascinating and comprehensive look at what has become one of America's defining obsessions."--Charles Gaines, author and director of Pumping Iron"Big bodies and bigger personalities built the American fitness industry. Jonathan Black's excellent history, the first comprehensive account of this industry's emergence, is not just for fitness buffs. This is a great story that gets to the heart of two American obsessions: building muscles and making money. Informative, insightful, and highly entertaining."--Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man, Opening Day, and Get Capone"An indispensable read for anyone who wants to understand the history of exercise in America and its occasional failings and many triumphs. It fills a long-neglected niche."--Richard Cotton, national director of certification for the American College of Sports Medicine, "Jonathan Black vividly renders the trends and politics of the fitness movement through the decades, and many of the outsized personalities who have defined it. This is a fascinating and comprehensive look at what has become one of America's defining obsessions."-Charles Gaines, author and director of Pumping Iron, "As a book for a popular audience, it will be of interest to diverse readers."-J. L. Croissant, CHOICE, " Making the American Body is a fascinating and informative sprint through the history of body worship from the classical Greeks to the present-day fanatics of fitness."-Pat Jordan, author of A False Spring, "An indispensable read for anyone who wants to understand the history of exercise in America and its occasional failings and many triumphs. It fills a long-neglected niche."-Richard Cotton, national director of certification for the American College of Sports Medicine, "An engrossing history of fitness in the United States. . . . A must-read for fitness buffs and beefy enough to whet the appetite of even the most inert couch potato."-- Kirkus Reviews, "The antecedents of the American fitness industry are varied and fascinating, and journalist Black . . . does a superb job of chronicling them."-- Publishers Weekly, "Big bodies and bigger personalities built the American fitness industry. Jonathan Black's excellent history, the first comprehensive account of this industry's emergence, is not just for fitness buffs. This is a great story that gets to the heart of two American obsessions: building muscles and making money. Informative, insightful, and highly entertaining."-Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man , Opening Day , and Get Capone, "In Making the American Body , Jonathan Black masterfully explores the many twists and evolutions of the fitness industry, from barbells to exercise machines to today's health clubs."-Jeff Friend, Foreword Reviews, "Making the American Body is a fascinating and informative sprint through the history of body worship from the classical Greeks to the present-day fanatics of fitness."--Pat Jordan, author of A False Spring "Jonathan Black vividly renders the trends and politics of the fitness movement through the decades, and many of the outsized personalities who have defined it. This is a fascinating and comprehensive look at what has become one of America's defining obsessions."--Charles Gaines, author and director of Pumping Iron "Big bodies and bigger personalities built the American fitness industry. Jonathan Black's excellent history, the first comprehensive account of this industry's emergence, is not just for fitness buffs. This is a great story that gets to the heart of two American obsessions: building muscles and making money. Informative, insightful, and highly entertaining."--Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man, Opening Day, and Get Capone "An indispensable read for anyone who wants to understand the history of exercise in America and its occasional failings and many triumphs. It fills a long-neglected niche."--Richard Cotton, national director of certification for the American College of Sports Medicine
