Author Topic: Did anybody read this Book "Little Big Men" (Read 4126 times)

HUGEPECS · « **on:** July 17, 2006, 06:56:46 AM »

there were some information in this book that I questions a lot. But the author, like most jerks outhere who try to explain to us what goes on in bodybuilding miss the point. Checkout the link

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791415600/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-7113687-8920923?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

ribonucleic · « **Reply #1 on:** July 17, 2006, 07:25:33 AM »

I was interested in reading it. But $30.00? Typical university press overpricing - knowing that academic libraries are, to some degree, a captive audience.

Fuck that shit.

hifrommike · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:02:57 AM »

So buy one of the resale copies available on the link for $2.75 plus shipping. This book is one of the few well-researched & soundly theorized studies of bodybuilding that is available. It has its limitations, & needs to be built on (which no one has done at book length), but it's an important book.

Gordon_Gekko · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:27:28 AM »

I checked this book out from my local library about ten years ago. The author wrote about / interviewed many well known bodybuilders. He changed the names a little, but was very descriptive about each person to the point where you could recognize Mike and Ray Mentzer, the Barbarian Brothers, Ed Corney, etc. There were others mentioned and /or interviewed who were not quite as easily recognizable.

I thought that the chapter on "hustling" (gay for pay) was pretty interesting, and that the entire book itself wasn't a bad read. But I found that the author tended to over analyze things from psychological / sociological points of view to the point of intellectual masturbation (not uncommon at all for Psycho-Socio PhD academic types). The underlying motivations for bodybuilding and bodybuilders in general are not quite as profound or fascinating as he hopes to make us believe. Also, this author (unlike Fussell) was truly an outsider, whereas Fussell actually lived the role (and wrote from firsthand experience) for a period of time.

Dorian 01 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:31:52 AM »

Did any of them agree with BayGM's bullshit about everyone who has any interest in bodybuilding being completely gay? It sounds like none of these books do.

funk51 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:33:28 AM »

i thought the book was well written but my interest level fell to nil half way through it.

mrsirjojo · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:42:44 AM »

Quote from: HUGEPECS on July 17, 2006, 06:56:46 AM

there were some information in this book that I questions a lot. But the author, like most jerks outhere who try to explain to us what goes on in bodybuilding miss the point. Checkout the link

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791415600/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-7113687-8920923?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

I read Bob Paris' "Gorilla Suit: My Adventures in Bodybuilding" as well as "Muscle: Confessions of a Bodybuilder" by Sam Fussel. Both very well written and not ghost written either. Bob's is about his early life, life as a pro, his coming out and other smaller things like the Weiders and Momo's death. Fussell's is about a nomal skinny guy, bitten by the bug and going all out as a bodybuilder for a few years, then entering a few contests and quitting.

ribonucleic · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2006, 08:58:23 AM »

I just noticed that the Publishers Weekly review comments that "steroids destroy more than they add".

So just think: Ronnie would be even bigger if he hadn't done all those roids!

HUGEPECS · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2006, 09:47:48 AM »

Quote from: mrsirjojo on July 17, 2006, 08:42:44 AM

I read Bob Paris' "Gorilla Suit: My Adventures in Bodybuilding" as well as "Muscle: Confessions of a Bodybuilder" by Sam Fussel. Both very well written and not ghost written either. Bob's is about his early life, life as a pro, his coming out and other smaller things like the Weiders and Momo's death. Fussell's is about a nomal skinny guy, bitten by the bug and going all out as a bodybuilder for a few years, then entering a few contests and quitting.

a lot more losers will be disappointed when they find out that bodybuilding is not for them and then, they going out and write books to denigrate the sport

body88 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2006, 10:30:21 AM »

Quote from: ribonucleic on July 17, 2006, 08:58:23 AM

I just noticed that the Publishers Weekly review comments that "steroids destroy more than they add".

So just think: Ronnie would be even bigger if he hadn't done all those roids!

I think he was referring to the damage they can cause mentally and physically to the organs and body mang. Not actual muscle mass.

hangclean · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:50:20 AM »

I didnt read that one but I read "MUSCLE. CONFESIONS OF AN UNLIKELY BODYBUILDER" by Samuel Fussel. It was an interesting book but the auther obviously had a bad experience with Bodybuilding and or steroids so his views on the sport are very negative. Worth the read anyway. It was listed on the same page as "little big men on Amazon.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2006, 11:51:19 AM »

Quote from: HUGEPECS on July 17, 2006, 06:56:46 AM

there were some information in this book that I questions a lot. But the author, like most jerks outhere who try to explain to us what goes on in bodybuilding miss the point. Checkout the link

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791415600/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-7113687-8920923?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

You can read?

Rome · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2006, 02:10:48 PM »

Quote from: Dorian 01 on July 17, 2006, 08:31:52 AM

Did any of them agree with BayGM's bullshit about everyone who has any interest in bodybuilding being completely gay? It sounds like none of these books do.

gays guys think everybody is a lil gay. It's wishful thinking on their part

hangclean · « **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2006, 03:23:15 PM »

Quote from: Dorian 01 on July 17, 2006, 08:31:52 AM

Did any of them agree with BayGM's bullshit about everyone who has any interest in bodybuilding being completely gay? It sounds like none of these books do.

If you really think about it, oiled up men posing in a thong is kind of gay.

body88 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2006, 04:31:32 PM »

Quote from: hangclean on July 17, 2006, 03:23:15 PM

If you really think about it, oiled up men posing in a thong is kind of gay.

It all depends on how you look at it. Hetero guys think, the oil is for better detail. The thong is to show off the most muscle possible without standing there balls swinging.

Gay dudes think. Oil is sexual. Thong is sexual. FUCK IN ASS FUCKIN ASS LOL

But seriously I do not think weird shit at all when I look at bodybuilding pics.

HUGEPECS · « **Reply #15 on:** July 18, 2006, 06:03:43 AM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on July 17, 2006, 11:51:19 AM

You can read?

yeah, I can read. Remember I used to be your english teacher.

hifrommike · « **Reply #16 on:** July 18, 2006, 10:21:45 AM »

88, how do you know what "gay dudes" think? Are you gay? Do all "gay dudes" think the same thing?

hangclean · « **Reply #17 on:** July 18, 2006, 02:54:13 PM »

Quote from: body88 on July 17, 2006, 04:31:32 PM

It all depends on how you look at it. Hetero guys think, the oil is for better detail. The thong is to show off the most muscle possible without standing there balls swinging.

Gay dudes think. Oil is sexual. Thong is sexual. f**k IN ASS FUCKIN ASS LOL

But seriously I do not think weird shit at all when I look at bodybuilding pics.

But you can see how someone would think its gay, right?

body88 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 18, 2006, 03:00:13 PM »

Quote from: hifrommike on July 18, 2006, 10:21:45 AM

88, how do you know what "gay dudes" think? Are you gay? Do all "gay dudes" think the same thing?

No i am not gay. I was speaking in general. Let me guess you are gay and offended

body88 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 18, 2006, 03:00:45 PM »

Quote from: hangclean on July 18, 2006, 02:54:13 PM

But you can see how someone would think its gay, right?

Absolutely. To the average Joe it is gay as hell.

benchthis · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2006, 06:55:41 PM »

book isnt worth it many libarys carry them

bic_staedtler · « **Reply #21 on:** July 18, 2006, 10:21:09 PM »

I read this book years ago, and it was the first 'real' expose of what the underbelly of bodybuilding was. Nobody will be shocked today by it, but it does make one think. A lot of boring bullshit in it, and in general the psycho babble will lose a lot of readers. In fact, if you have any intelligence, reading this book will 'almost' make you feel 'guilty' for partaking in such an activity. Pretty negative book on bodybuilding overall, with way too many gay accusations. I don't know ONE gay bodybuilder in my circle of friends...that's not saying they're not speaking up, but if you believe this book, we're all a bunch of fudge packers in hiding. Simply not true.