Mr. America: How Muscular Millionaire Bernarr Macfadden Transformed the Nation Through Sex, Salad, and the Ultimate Starvation Diet Book

Admittedly, I have a slight connection to the subject. I grew up on the campus of and attended Castle Heights Military Academy, which Bernarr Macfadden owned (he bought it in 1928). I tell you this because that might bias my rating a bit. Macfadden's life story is an incredible one. I mean, in this day and age, if you read some of these life tales you would think you were reading The Onion. The last sentence of the prologue is this: His story is an odd one, sometimes verging on the fantastic, but to the best of my knowledge, everything that follows is true.

There are some things in the book and the research with which I have minor quibbles, but I have some "insider information" and my quibbles won't affect the general reader's enjoyment. (Edited to say: the "insider information" isn't meant to sound posh. It's just a comment.)

I can't say that I agree with a lot of Macfadden's ideas or methods, but I admire his audacity. He was never afraid that he was going to make a fool of himself or fail (and he did both many times, spectacularly).

Macfadden was responsible for the first bodybuilding competitions in the US. He published magazines like Physical Culture (one of the first fitness magazines) and True Detective. He appeared on game shows alongside the likes of Buster Keaton. He jumped out of airplanes and had some grand political aspirations. It's strange how almost no one knows who he is these days.

If you you enjoy biographies of someone like, for example, Howard Hughes, you will probably enjoy this book. You will also enjoy it if you are looking into the history of fitness programs, diets, or bodybuilding in the United States.