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I cannot fully express to you how much I appreciate the Herculean effort it took to create what is a seminal work in our world. You have single-handedly preserved a huge chunk of our collective history. Your vision, tenacity, hard work and love for all of it is just fantastic. I am in awe of your accomplishment and eagerly await Vol.#2.
One mark of a really good writer is his ability to make meaningful transitions from one chapter to the next. I rarely see these connections, especially in nonfiction books. Randy, however, has mastered this technique. His transitions added much to his stories and reports. I am anxious to get into Volume II.
- Ellington Darden, Ph.D.,
Author of "The New High-Intensity Training"
and "The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results"
www.drdarden.com
I have been involved in the Iron Game for over 40 years now, and that is one of the best books that I have ever read. It is really incredible. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. I highly recommend it!
- Lou Mezzanotte
Industry writer
I've never realized what an exquisite writer Randy is. The book is magnificent and while I'm only into the second chapter so far, I did something else I normally don't do, and that's I began reading it from the front cover on. From the Dedication right through. Its a superb piece of literature and I wanted to take in the complete experience.
I predict that this book will become an important contribution to our understanding the attraction to exercise and physical culture and its contributions to the formation of human kind as we know it. It has already made me rethink so many things that my head was filled with racing thoughts as I was trying to fall off to sleep.
I have a habit of dog earring pages that I want to go back to later so that I can add them to my knowledge base. I generally end up with a few pages at best in an average book. I have about 6 in the first chapter alone.
I was supposed to walk outdoors this morning but opted for the elliptical machine so that I could continue another 30 minutes into the book. I'm reading it word-for-word, also a first for me, as I loosely subscribe to the Evelyn Wood speed reading techniques to get to the meat of the subject, but realized early that attempting to do so with this magnificent book would be akin to bringing an iPod to the Philharmonic. I am so impressed with the book. I could go on and on. Bravo!!
I really enjoyed this book! Looking forward to volume 2. Randy has told the story with truth and class. This book is the absolute best in bodybuilding. Great job!
In a word....UNBELIEVABLE! I just got a copy of Randy Roach's new book Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors and it is amazing. I was in awe of the sheer size of it and the incredible cover, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Randy knows I'm not a big history buff but he has made this book so enjoyable and user friendly that I found myself reading it right away. There's no doubt this book is going to be a big hit with bodybuilding historians. it will be the only book you'll ever need when it comes to this topic.
- Fred Fornicola,
Author of "Youth Fitness: An Action Plan For Shaping America's Kids"
"Dumbbell Training for Strength and Fitness"
www.premierepersonalfitness.com
The second I held this book in my hand the vibrations just screamed to me what I had told Randy over 3 years ago. This book is in a league of its own!
- Don Howorth
1967 IFBB mr. America
I received the book and haven't been able to put it down. From what I have read so far it is outstanding. A job well done. Your history is brilliant. I am really enjoying it. This is definitely going to be a big hit among bodybuilders all over the world. Congratulations!!
You have done a phenomenal job -- and I truly mean that. Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors manages to be BOTH a scholarly tome AND a "page turner". How did you do it??!! This is going to make you a legend in the industry. Bravo friend!
MS&M may be the most comprehensive book ever written on the history of bodybuilding. Randy Roach has combined exhaustive research with extraordinary detail to present a piece that is unbiased in nature with regard to how the lifestyle and business of bodybuilding was shaped by the supplement industry and eventually by the use of steroids. Free of judgement but rich in insight, Randy has created a masterwork which chronicles the heroes, the villains, the good, the bad, the ugly and all of the magnificence of this incredible sport. MS&M is a must read for anyone who believes, or ever believed, that the promise of a better body and a better life was possible through the practice of lifting weights.
- Nelson Montana,
Author of "The Bodybuilding Truth"
and "Bottom Line Bodybuilding"
With "Muscle, Smoke, & Mirrors" Randy Roach has written the defining book on Nutrition, Strength, and Muscle Building History. This Book will stand the test of time and will stand by itself as the Book to have. Can't wait for Volume Two.
Randy Roach has written an absolute gem in Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors, his history of the nutritional origins of bodybuilding. Highly entertaining, erudite, and right on in its incredible insights into fundamental nutritional wisdom, you'll find this fascinating book invaluable in building not only muscles and fitness but also lasting health. If you work out, get this book today and read it - it will change your life.
- Ron Schmid, ND
Author of "Traditional Foods Are Your Best Medicine"
and "The Untold Story of Milk"
www.DrRons.com
I started reading your book yesterday. I can't put it down. I know nothing about the Bodybuilding industry. What a great book.
- Randy Dietrich,
St. David's high school teacher
There is an oldie song entitled "Anticipation." My copy of Randy Roach's Volume I arrived and this was my mental state, "anticipation." I was nervous concerning one aspect, how would Vince Gironda be presented? Would it be a positive or negative picture? I have as much control over Randy's literary penmenship as I do the weather - NONE! But, Randy was extremely fair to Vince. About one half into Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors, my obvious first thought was overwhelming, brilliant and an instant classic never to be duplicated as it is one of a kind!
This is the exact way I equate Vince Gironda's contribution to our sport as it is no secret as to how I feel about Vince. In ending, if anyone is contemplating publishing a similar one to Randy's, my advice is not to waste your time or write a book about bass fishing. My next anticipation is Volume II.
Oh yes, not bad for a blind guy!
Muscle, Smoke, and Mirrors by Randy Roach is an INSTANT CLASSIC! I was blown away by it's historical depth and quality of research. It is clearly one of the best Iron Game/Physical Culture history books ever written. This book sets a new standard for quality. Anyone even remotely interested in the weight game should get this book.
Absolutely fantastic! More than the bottom line! A compendium! This is the best book EVER written on Physical Culture and nutrition. A MUST read!
- Bob Green,
Industry writer
I am well into your great work "Muscle Smoke and Mirrors" and wanted to let you know I feel. This is a work of passion not seen before and perhaps will not be seen again. I started fast reading or scanning the book, but found so much of it deep in detail and facts that I had to go back and read it word for word. The attention to detail and your efforts to make certain only accurate accounts are presented sets this work above any I've read. It's good to know someone like you exists in our sport. Anyone even remotely interested in bodybuilding needs this book. I can't wait for Volume II.
Randy Roach has made an outstanding contribution to iron game history with volume one of Muscles, Smoke & Mirrors. I've learned much from it, especially about the intimate connection between bodybuilding, which no one has really explored in quite the same depth and length. Randy's love and understanding of the iron game is evident throughout the account which incorporates new sources, fresh insights, and balanced judgments. We look forward to the appearance of volume two which will bring his story up to the present.
- John D. Fair,
Author of "Muscletown USA"
I've been asked to teach a course on Physical Culture and bodybuilding 101 and I would definitely use "Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors" as a class text book. What else can I say, he's nailed it!
I can't say enough good things about "Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors." It's a fabulous read of the Iron Game, synthesized as never before. Randy Roach hit a home run.
I returned home from a 20-hour plane ride (with stops) from China last night intending to immediately hit the sack. I made the mistake of cracking the book and spent the night reading the first 200+ (of 600) pages.
I've never recommended a book before. Get a copy!
- Ken Sprague,
Author of "The Athlete's Body"
"Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors" is the definitive resource for anyone interested in Physical Culture, bodybuilding and allied subjects. Exhaustively researched, brilliantly written and with rare historical photographs. Randy Roach has produced the 'go to' book, the complete chronicle of the Iron Game.
- Ed Spielman,
Creator of "KUNG FU", ABC-TV Series,
Author of "The Spiritual Journey of Joseph L. Greenstein, The Mighty Atom, World's Strongest Man"
Today's universal obsession with a tight athletic body and performance can be traced back to bodybuilding. In fact what we're going through today was conceived and delivered many decades ago in a sport that is so cutting edge that it took the world almost a century to catch up. Just how it all evolved is fascinating and spellbinding. Randy Roach is the ultimate historian, combining extensive research and interviews with both his vast knowledge of the sport and his obvious writing talent. The result is a book that brings history to life and manages to be both informative and entertaining. Once you start to read this book, even though it's almost 600 pages long, you'll find it difficult to put down.
- Mauro Di Pasquale, MD,
Author of the recent "Amino Acids and Proteins for the Athlete"
www.metabolicdiet.com
With pinpoint accuracy and razor sharp attention to detail, Randy Roach has masterfully and entertainingly encapsulated the numerous critical events that have formed what is commonly referred to as the Iron Game and variously described as Physical Culture, bodybuilding and the strength training industry. With a long, colorful and oftentimes ambiguous and murky history, many aspects of the Iron Game and dealings concerning its major players have been shrouded in mystery, until now. Leaving nothing to chance, Randy has painstakingly researched and uncovered the truth behind the muscle, bodybuilding's real origins and historical underpinnings - nutritional and otherwise. "Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors" is a tremendous book and compulsory reading for all who wish to learn the truth about the Iron Game and have even the remotest interest in the history of Physical Culture. Surely destined to become a literary masterpiece.
- David Robson,
Professional freelance writer and book author
To say 'this is a must read' is an understatement. I own hundreds of books on the subjects of fitness, anatomy, physiology, etc., but this is one book I am proud to have on my shelf. For over one hundred years, the fitness industry and the history of physical culture have been rife with ambiguity, misrepresentation, broken promises and shattered dreams. To come across a literary work that clarifies a phenomenon that has obsessed millions is a rarity and must not be ignored. Randy Roach has done a stellar job at producing a tome that is both educational and entertaining... no easy accomplishment. The details, structure and flow of the book are so well planned and thought out that it has become and will remain the epitome and standard in physical culture writing. Mr. Roach and his book, Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors, is now part of that history.
- Brian D. Johnston,
President of the International Association of Resistance Trainers (I.A.R.T.)
Author of the "Fitness Science Library"
www.exercisecertification.com
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