Customer Reviews

Vitality Supreme

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It is great to see 2 of my favorite books back in print."Vitality Supreme" and "Muscular Power And Beauty" both by Bernarr MacFadden was one of the greatest innovators in the field of physical culture. His magazine"Physical Culture" was the dominant publication in the field in the early 1900s. The 2 previously mentioned books introduced the public to resistance exercise which was later hyped as Dynamic Tension by Charles Atlas who had been named "The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man" in a contest sponsored by MacFadden and made popular by ads run in MacFadden's "Physical Culture Magazine." He also sponsored perfect woman competitions and promoted healthy living in numerous ways. Great Books!

I'm glad to see this book by the "father of physical culture" back in print. It is truly a classic and by far the best and most useful of Macfadden's numerous books. This book mainly covers exercises for developing vitality (physical well-being and energy), but also has some good information about diet, correct breathing, fresh air, preserving the teeth, curing constipation, blood purifucation, bathing, clothing, sleep, etc. It covers a wide range of health subjects. Bernarr Macfadden (1868-1955), America's first "health guru" was definitely ahead of his time. This book presents many of his theories in a clear and readable format. The style of writing is definitely dated, but his message is clear. The photographs are numerous and excellent.

For anyone over fifty, this is a gold mine of excellent tips on staying healthy and strong -- diet, exercise, digestion. Unfortunate.y, Macfadden had a distain for physicians' advice. That aside, he is helpful. One problem with the small Kindle is that the exercise illustrations do not show well.