Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games

Book Description

From EverQuest to World of Warcraft, online games have evolved from the exclusive domain of computer geeks into an extraordinarily lucrative staple of the entertainment industry. People of all ages and from all walks of life now spend thousands of hours—and dollars—partaking in this popular new brand of escapism. But the line between fantasy and reality is starting to blur. Players have created virtual societies with governments and economies of their own whose currencies now trade against the dollar on eBay at rates higher than the yen. And the players who inhabit these synthetic worlds are starting to spend more time online than at their day jobs.

In Synthetic Worlds, Edward Castronova offers the first comprehensive look at the online game industry, exploring its implications for business and culture alike. He starts with the players, giving us a revealing look into the everyday lives of the gamers—outlining what they do in their synthetic worlds and why. He then describes the economies inside these worlds to show how they might dramatically affect real world financial systems, from potential disruptions of markets to new business horizons. Ultimately, he explores the long-term social consequences of online games: If players can inhabit worlds that are more alluring and gratifying than reality, then how can the real world ever compete? Will a day ever come when we spend more time in these synthetic worlds than in our own? Or even more startling, will a day ever come when such questions no longer sound alarmist but instead seem obsolete?

With more than ten million active players worldwide—and with Microsoft and Sony pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into video game development—online games have become too big to ignore. Synthetic Worlds spearheads our efforts to come to terms with this virtual reality and its concrete effects.

“Illuminating. . . . Castronova’s analysis of the economics of fun is intriguing. Virtual-world economies are designed to make the resulting game interesting and enjoyable for their inhabitants. Many games follow a rags-to-riches storyline, for example. But how can all the players end up in the top 10%? Simple: the upwardly mobile human players need only be a subset of the world's population. An underclass of computer-controlled 'bot' citizens, meanwhile, stays poor forever. Mr. Castronova explains all this with clarity, wit, and a merciful lack of academic jargon.”—The Economist

“Synthetic Worlds is a surprisingly profound book about the social, political, and economic issues arising from the emergence of vast multiplayer games on the Internet. What Castronova has realized is that these games, where players contribute considerable labor in exchange for things they value, are not merely like real economies, they are real economies, displaying inflation, fraud, Chinese sweatshops, and some surprising in-game innovations.”—Tim Harford, Chronicle of Higher Education

Customer Reviews:

Was expecting more.......2007-05-27

To be honest I was expecting more on this book.It didnt tell all the info I wanted to know and the author focus too much on 2D games like Everquest and not so much in 3D games like Second Life.In most of the book the author is a little superficial in his analysis,he could go deeper.However the book is good for people who wanna have a general idea about on line games,specially Everquest,World of Warcraft and Star Wars.

Great start on the subject.......2007-05-07

Best book discussing online worlds that I've read.

The author's background in economics makes for an interesting perspective. He goes to great lengths to point out where and how virtual worlds cross over into the "real" world.

He doesn't, however, take things quite as far as I expected. For instance, he doesn't suggest that any interaction, social or otherwise, if conducted online might well be considered as having occurred in a virtual world. And he doesn't spend any effort exploring online to offline gestural equivalence.

But I don't think he can be faulted. There's enough material in this area to fill several volumes. What he does cover, he makes accessible, interesting, and relevant.

[...]

A Serious Economic & Sociological Analysis of Game Playing.......2007-03-19

This book survey's the landscape of online game playing and its impact on business, law, politics, social behavior, etc. If you are looking for a comprehensive analysis, Synthetic Worlds provides a thoughtful and accessible option.

Oddly, for a 300 page book, my version had a very small font size. If you suffer from eye strain, you may want to make sure the type is suitable for you.

n00bs read this!.......2007-02-09

This is a great starting point for the investigation of synthetic economies. Wether you are an econ n00b or a gamer n00b, you'll be at leest semi uber by the end.

Eh...alright.......2006-11-10

it's good for what it is, though the author writes it as a term paper for college "This is what the chapter is about..." exactly like that. Lots of dryness there, lots of facts. It's also mostly focused on the Economy of and existing in MMO, not so much the culture people are thinking of (dating, avatars selection, gender bending, etc.) or how MMO's are ran as a buisness.

Average customer rating:

The Economics of Art and Culture
James Heilbrun , and Charles M. Gray
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521637120

Book Description

This is the first book to cover not only the economics of the fine arts and performing arts, but also public policy toward the arts at federal, state, and local levels in the United States. The second edition offers greater coverage of the international arts sector. The work will interest academic readers as a supplementary text on the sociology of the arts, as well as general readers seeking a systematic analysis of the economics of the arts. Theoretical concepts are developed from scratch so that readers with no background in economics can follow the argument.

Download Description

The second edition of this survey of the economics of - and public policy towards - the fine arts and performing arts covers arts at federal, state, and local levels in the United States as well as the international arts sector. The work will interest academic readers in the field and scholars of the sociology of the arts, as well as general readers seeking a systematic analysis of the arts. Theoretical concepts are developed from scratch so that readers with no background in economics can follow the argument. The authors look at the arts' historical growth and then examine consumption and production of the live performing arts and the fine arts, the functioning of arts markets, the financial problems of performing arts companies and museums, and the key role of public policy. A final chapter speculates about the future of art and culture in the United States.

Psychology of Entertainment (Lea's Communication Series) (Lea's Communication Series)

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Psychology of Entertainment (Lea's Communication Series) (Lea's Communication Series)

Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805852387

Book Description

As entertainment becomes a trillion-dollar-a-year industry worldwide, as our modern era increasingly lives up to its label of the "entertainment age," and as economists begin to recognize that entertainment has become the driving force of the new world economy, it is safe to say that scholars are beginning to take entertainment seriously. The scholarly spin on entertainment has been manifested in traditional ways, as well as innovative ones. Representing the current state of theory and research, Psychology of Entertainment promises to be the most comprehensive and up-to-date volume on entertainment. It serves to define the new area of study and provides a theoretical spin for future work in the area.

Divided into three basic parts, this book:
*addresses the fundamental mechanisms and processes involved in orienting to and selecting entertainment fare, as well as receiving and processing it;
*explores the mechanisms and processes by which we are entertained by the media messages we select and receive; and
*provides an opportunity for the application of well-established as well as emerging psychological and psychobiological theories to be applied to the study of entertainment in ways that seldom have been utilized previously.

Psychology of Entertainment will appeal to scholars, researchers, and graduate students in media studies and mass communication, psychology, marketing, and other areas contributing to the entertainment studies area.

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Slam, April 2007 Issue
editors of Slam Magazine
Manufacturer: Primedia Magazines
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Single Issue Magazine

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ASIN: B000NJL9HG

Dictionary of Concepts in Recreation and Leisure Studies: (Reference Sources for the Social Sciences and Humanities)

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Dictionary of Concepts in Recreation and Leisure Studies: (Reference Sources for the Social Sciences and Humanities)
Stephen L. J. Smith
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313252629

Book Description

The vocabulary and major concepts of the new field of recreation and leisure studies are just developing and this dictionary is the first major attempt to describe and systematize those concepts. Although university departments devoted to the study of recreation and leisure have been in existence for over half a century, there has never been a comprehensive dictionary written for the field. The concepts included in the dictionary may be grouped into four general categories. The first of these include elemental concepts--those ideas that form the intellectual bedrock of the field. Then there are theoretical concepts- scholarly models or interpretations of the patterns and processes seen in recreation and leisure. Research and methodological concepts make up the third category. while the fourth include professional concepts representing some of the basic ideas inherent in the service side of the field. Each definition is organized chronologically, emphasizing the evolution of the term and its interpretation or application. Definitions also point to links between concepts listed in the dictionary. Numerous references and suggestions for further reading are included for readers wishing to pursue a topic in more detail. Faculty and graduate students in recreation and leisure studies will welcome this first comprehensive dictionary of the field, as will the libraries of universities and colleges with a recreation and leisure studies department. The historical material and the critical review of conflicting definitions is a special feature and one that makes this book not only useful as a dictionary, but also as a reference work on "state of the art" ideas and concepts in the field.

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shipping takes way too long

Sociology of Sport
Howard L. Nixon , and James H. Frey
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Social Significance of Sport: An Introduction to the Sociology of Sport

ASIN: 0534247628

Book Description

This text offers current and comprehensive treatment of sport from a sociological perspective.

Customer Reviews:

shipping takes way too long.......2005-03-20

I ordered this book on monday march 14th and I was told that I would recieve it by the 17th today is the 19th and I still have yet to recieve this book that I payed 19$$$ for. This also happened to me in January when it took 2 weeks to recieve this book. I was giving it one more shot and now it looks that I will never use use amazon again and I will pass this message along to others.

Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art of Five Decades of Unproduced Animation

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One of Our TOP TEN Books on the Walt Disney Studios
A must for hardcore Disney fans...
Pull back the curtain and see what's behind
This is the stuff that shows just how creative they are!
Fascinating Information

Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art of Five Decades of Unproduced Animation
Charles Solomon
Manufacturer: Disney Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786860375

Amazon.com

The Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art from Five Decades of Unproduced Animation is a celebration of drawings from uncompleted films that were "simply too beautiful to leave in their folders." Some of the ideas and projects were abandoned for obvious reasons--a lack of time, money, or resources--but certainly not for lack of ingenuity. Charles Solomon, internationally respected critic and historian of animation, has gleaned the best of these unused animation drawings, storyboards, gags, and concept art, all of which make their first public appearances in this book. From Mickey, Donald, and Goofy sketches to Hans Christian Andersen roughs to wartime propaganda films to early versions of Fantasia, this book allows a delightful inside glimpse into the world of Disney.

Customer Reviews:

One of Our TOP TEN Books on the Walt Disney Studios.......2003-03-13

The preservation of art history is often an under appreciated passion. Fortunately, film critic and animation historian Charles Solomon was "bitten" long ago, and throughout his career has maintained a devotion to appreciating forgotten animation source material.

In the long and illustrious career of Walt Disney, many projects never made the final step to the silver screen. Whether diverted due to shifts in popular demand, the intervention of a World War, or the changing priorities of a living studio, several early Disney animation projects were met with a similar fate. Some were shelved until the timing of the project was a better fit with studio production schedules (The Little Mermaid); while others were indefinitely postponed due to unresolved conflicts in visualizing the final product (Salvador Dali's "Destino").

The result was a wealth of animation treasure; all of it directly connected to the hand of the artist. Storyboards, sketches, original drawings, concept art and production backgrounds; most of which were created by artists at the height of their creative ability. Legendary Disney artists of the time included Marc Davis, Mary Blair, Ferdinand Horvath, Kay Nielsen, Mel Shaw, Bill Peet, Sylvia Holland, and Joe Grant.

Much of this art has rested silently for the past half century in the animation archives of the Walt Disney Studios. Solomon brings this magnificent art to light, allowing contemporary viewers to appreciate anew the talented men and women who labored at the studio during Disney's golden age of animation.

A must for hardcore Disney fans..........2002-08-20

If you're like me, everytime you see the newest Disney picture, you can't help but wonder, "What are they working on now?" Well, this book might answer some of that longing (at least you'll know what they're -not- working on). Although it only spans the years when Walt himself was alive, we are shown enough of the Disney might-have-beens to fill our dreams for a while. To be honest, I didn't read most of the text (so many books; so little time), but that didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying the book, since more than 2/3 is pictures anyway. The captions are well-written and informative--probably for people like me who don't read the text so that we can get the main points anyway. It's really fascinating to see how ideas are developed and why they get scrapped even though the artwork is so terrific. A chapter on wartime Disney was very entertaining--seeing what Disney did to balance the desire to make a political statement with their particular brand of family entertainment. I recommend this book to anyone interested in art styles and the development of animation or films of any kind.

Pull back the curtain and see what's behind.......2002-04-10

Disney is often considered to be the premiere house for animation. Yet in the course of creation, there will always be ideas that were rejected, or didn't gel, or just fell apart. Luckily, Disney kept everything - good, bad or unused, and created a bounty for the animation historian. This book allows a peek behind the creative process. We are familiar with what made it to the screen, but Solomon shows us what didn't make it. A combination of a history of Disney successess and failures, and a portfolio of hidden artwork, this book is a trove of Disney information that is usually overlooked. It is interesting, following the release of Fantasia 2000, to look back at actual work prepared for Walt's original idea of re-releasing Fantasia annually with different pieces, creating more than just a film, but an experience. Economics and logistics kept this from happening, and only 60 years later did a new attempt at this vision appear. There is so much more that did not make it, beause of money, lack of story, politics or more, and most of the parts rightfully finally get their day in the sun (some of the work should stay buried, but that's few and far between). A fascinating look at "the rest of the story."

This is the stuff that shows just how creative they are!.......2000-09-25

Over the years, Disney has given us 40 major animated features, but along the way, there are those that we never have seen. The art that always seems to instill ideas, the creations that are considered not creative enough, or those that were cut for various reasons. Here, Charles Solomon has pretty much ventured into the greatest journey of his life: The Disney Archives!!(Imy career in animation hoped to one day lead me to these hallowed halls). Here, he poured over hundreds or thousnads of drawings and much more, finding out everything from animated short ideas, to feature length movies. Solomon unearthed such concepts as "The Emperor's nightingale (showing wonderful pastel and watercolor prints), to shorts from Hans Christian Andersen (some art that was mentioned but not shown was the inspiration for the "Fantasia 2000" segment of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"). There are even countless Mickey, Goofy and Donald shorts that were not made (such as one with Goofy called "How to Be a Cowboy"). In the realm of feature films, there are two incredible stories. The first centers around an idea Walt Disney had to join with another studio to make a telling of Hans Christien Andersen's life story, with interstitials from animation to live-action and back again. An unknown artist did FANTASTIC(it deserves caps) watercolor conceptuals, bu the project fell apart soon afterwards. The second story focuses ona joint venture between Walt and oil painter Salvador Dali. The numerous concepts were made and a short 8 second film reel was developed before it was shelved. There was even the story of the rooster "Chanticleer," which was probably in pre-production on and off since after World War II up til the time of "The Jungle Book." Tons and tons of artwork were made, but a story consensus could never be reached, and the project was never again to see the light of day. The greatest chapter to me is one that deals with the numerous planned segments that were to follow on the possible success of "Fantasia." However, "Fantasia" never came about (not until 60 years later), and over the years, countless ideas were tried, from baby ballets, to even bringing back the pegasus characters from the "Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony" segment. There's even soem information on the "Clair De Lune" segment that was cut before the final release (it was 100% completed too!). I would hope that Disney woudl rerelease this book. It has shown me a lot in what went in to many ideas for the animators, and it is also an infallable reference to me.

Fascinating Information.......2000-07-26

I was lucky enough to find a copy of this out-of-print book and I am really glad that I did. This book is packed with drawings created by Disney artists that were working on projects that were never put into production. Along with the drawings are the stories of the projects and in most cases, the reason why they were never completed.

I was especially interested in the material that was considered for the original Fantasia. I recently saw Fantasia 2000 and during this feature they talked about some ideas that were considered and discarded for Fantasia 2000. I found it particularly interesting to see that some material originally considered for Fantasia was actually used for Fantasia 2000 and other material considered for Fantasia was also considered for Fantasia 2000, but still not used.

Book Description

A study of the evolution of American women's clothing, "When the Girls Came Out to Play" traces the history of modern sportswear as a universal style that broke down traditional gender roles. Patricia Warner shows how this profound cultural shift, which did not reach fruition until World War II, originated during the previous century with the gradual expansion of socially acceptable physical activity for women. Behind this development was a growing interest in sports and exercise that was further nurtured by the establishment of schools of higher education for women.

The participation of women in athletic pursuits previously reserved for men began with the relatively genteel sports of croquet and tennis. With the founding of women's colleges, these "ladylike" games were supplemented by more vigorous activities and competitive team sports, from gymnastics to swimming to basketball. At first, Warner points out, women literally had nothing to wear for these activities. Whereas such fashionable attire as corsets, petticoats, hats, and gloves could be worn while playing outdoor lawn games, more strenuous athletic endeavors required less physically restrictive clothing. Even so, change came only gradually, as women's colleges, shielded from public scrutiny and prying male eyes, permitted the adoption of looser, more comfortable apparel for physical education. Many of these new outfits featured trousers, garments considered taboo for women, though they often remained hidden beneath voluminous skirts.

Over time, however, the practicality and versatility of such clothing led to social acceptance, laying the foundation for the emergence of the now ubiquitous yet distinctly American style known as sportswear. Although we take it for granted, Warner observes, this is the first time in the history of the world that such universality has existed in clothing, and it has lasted now for well over half a century—in itself a marvel, considering the speed of fashion change in an era of instant messages and images.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent survey prompts readers to understand the connected basics of social and leisure movements and ideology........2006-12-12

College-level collections strong in both sports history, the arts and women's studies will equally find When The Girls Came Out to Play: The Birth of American Sportswear an important study, linking the evolution of women's clothing trends with the rise of women's involvement in recreational sports. The changes in sportswear brought with it and reflected a breakdown in traditional gender roles: Patricia Warner surveys the history of women's sports clothing from the early 19th to the mid-20th century and provides excellent analysis of women's participation in a male-dominated world. An excellent survey prompts readers to understand the connected basics of social and leisure movements and ideology.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Dummy Up And Deal: Inside the Culture of Casino Dealing (Gambling Studies)

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Brilliant writing and an insiders pov at gambling
Talented author without heart

Dummy Up And Deal: Inside the Culture of Casino Dealing (Gambling Studies)
H. Lee Barnes
Manufacturer: University of Nevada Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874176220

Book Description

The glitter and excitement that tourists associate with casinos is only a facade. To the gaming industry's front-line employees, its dealers, the casino is a far less glamorous environment, a workplace full of emotional tension, physical and mental demands, humor and pathos. Author H. Lee Barnes, who spent many years as a dealer in some of Las Vegas's best-known casinos, shows us this world from the point of view of the table-games dealer.

Told in the voices of dozens of dealers, male and female, young and old, Dummy Up and Deal takes us to the dealer's side of the table. We observe the "breaking in" that constitutes a dealer's training, where the hands learn the balletic motions of the game while the mind undergoes the requisite hardening to endure long hours of concentration and the demands of often unreasonable and sometimes abusive players. We discover how dealers are hired and assigned to shifts and tables, how they interact with each other and with their supervisors, and how they deal with players - the winners and the losers, the "Sweethearts" and the "Dragon Lady," the tourists looking for a few thrills and the mobsters showing off their "juice." We observe cheaters on both sides of the table and witness the exploits of such high-rollers as Frank Sinatra and Colonel Parker, Elvis's manager. And we learn about the dealers' lives after-hours, how some juggle casino work with family responsibilities while others embrace the bohemian lifestyle of the Strip and sometimes lose themselves to drugs, drink, or wild sex. It's a life that invites cynicism and bitterness, that can erode the soul and deaden the spirit. But the dealer's life can also offer moments of humor, encounters with generous and kindly players, moments of pride or humanity or professional solidarity.

Barnes writes with the candor of a keen observer of his profession, someone who has seen it all-many times-but has never lost his capacity to wonder, to sympathize, or to laugh. Dummy Up and Deal is a vivid and colorful insider's view of the casino industry, a fascinating glimpse behind the glitter into the real world of the casino worker.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant writing and an insiders pov at gambling.......2002-11-04

This wonderful collection of non-fiction accounts on the other side of the table is a true and accurate look at what makes the casinos tick: not the people who come with the money, but the people who take it. Lee Barnes has a gift and it is to conjure so many voices into one cohesive book. It is funny, sad, and terrible. If you ever wanted to know who lives in Las Vegas, read this.

Talented author without heart.......2002-10-20

Though the writer is obviously gifted, and the stories are without a doubt amusing and accurately detailed, the author seems distant from his characters.

The author seems to stay un-involved and to coldly inspect his subjects as though they were fireflies in Mason jars, or butterflies on pins.

The writing is superb, but the lack of involvment in the characters inner workings and lives, leaves these stories sounding like a girlfriend repeating a soap opera in the office, to someone who missed an episode.

I'll lay off with these last words. The author should look into his own heart and write real, breathing characters, not try to bring to life cardboard cutouts. No matter how excellent it is, it must heart. This book does not have heart, though it does have plenty of good writing.

Average customer rating:

so so

Hoffman did it all for his own glory!

A good reminder of where the Iron Game WAS!

Hoffman did more damage than good...........

"Forget the Book"-the Truth about Bob Hoffman

Muscletown USA: Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell
John D. Fair
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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West Coast Bodybuilding Scene: The Golden Era

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ASIN: 0271018550

Book Description

From the 1930s to the 1980s, the capital of weightlifting in America was York, Pennsylvania, the home of the York Barbell Company. Bob Hoffman, the founder of York Barbell, propagated an ideology of success for Americans seeking physical improvement. Often called the "Father of World Weightlifting," Hoffman was a pioneer in marketing barbells and health foods. He popularized weight training and inaugurated a golden age of American weightlifting. Muscletown USA--part biography, part business history, and part sports history--chronicles how Hoffman made York the mecca of manly culture for millions of followers worldwide. Hoffman created his so-called muscle empire out of an oil-burner business that he started in the early 1920s. Within a decade, his passion for sport exceeded his need to produce oil burners and by the outset of the Depression he began manufacturing barbells at the factory. He soon discovered a willing public of aspiring weightlifters like himself who would buy not only barbells but also health and fitness products. Hoffman soon recruited a remarkable group of athletes, whom he tagged his "York Gang." He gave these men jobs in the factory, where they trained for national and international meets. Gradually, Hoffman emerged as one of the most prominent muscle peddlers in America, using his fame and fortune to promote competitive weightlifting, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. Muscletown USA reveals other innovations in which Hoffman played a major role, including weight training for athletes, health foods, bottled spring water, isometrics, and women's weightlifting. Even anabolic steroids, first used by weightlifters in the early 1960s, were a direct outgrowth of the fitness culture spawned by Hoffman. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, Fair's book will appeal to a wide range of readers, including anyone fascinated by American sports history and the iron game.

Customer Reviews:

so so.......2006-01-29

the book has everything you would want to know about hoffman and other famous bodybuilders, strongmen but the way the book was written too much information, was not entertaining.

Hoffman did it all for his own glory!.......2005-10-25

The bottom line is t hat Bobby Hoffman did all this for his own good and it is really irrelevent as what the iron game was back in the 40's was nothing compared to what the sport is today. What Hoffman had control of with a little carnival act, a subculture that was widely ridiculed by the general public and still would be if the sport where left in the hands of Hoffman and the AAU.

A good reminder of where the Iron Game WAS!.......2005-08-03

This book by John Fair makes a good account on how the sport of weightlifting got going in the 40's, where it was. It accounts many of the characters involved in the sport, although not all of them. It does reveal some nasty things about Bob Hoffman that his fans didn't know or didn't want to admit.

I think that some of the recent reviews have been inspired by articles written by Bill Starr in Iron Man. Starr was a former associate editor of Strength & Health as well as a competitive weightlifter and powerlifter. He has been revealing a lot about where York Barbell was back in the 60's.

Likewise, Bob Kennedy's magazine MuscleMag International has a feature on Dan Lurie in their new issue. Lurie also makes some revealing statements about how Hoffman "handpicked" winners in the early AAU contests and those "handpicked" winners were members of York BBC like Jules Bacon, Frank Leight and Steve Stanko. Lurie then goes on to say that he was banned from the AAU after winning the most muscular man award in both the AAU Jr. Mr. America and AAU Mr. Contests as well as being a runnerup in the AAU Mr. America contests three years in row.

I am curious as to why this information was not in Mr. Fairs book!

One of the reviewers in support of Hoffman said he was strong and indicated that he saw one of Hoffmans stregth exhibitions where he lifted 200 lbs. with one hand. Perhaps this fan missed the part that Hoffman used to use aluminium weights! Had this fan gone on stage he would have found that he too could have lifted this supposedly 200 + lbs. of weight. So could his mother!

This book by Fair is revealing, but not totally revealing. A lot is left out. In all fairness to Hoffman, despite his intentions, he did get the Iron Game started and even inspired Joe Weider with his Strength & Health magazine. Now there is something that Fair missed and so did the Hoffman supporters and even his bashers. If it hadn't been for Bob Hoffman, perhaps there never would have been a Joe Weider! Think about that you Tiger Tough Weider boys who follow those Super Bomb&Blitz programs. Beef up with Crash Weight Formula 7, then supplement with Super Pro 101 and get cut up with Crash Cut RX7 and raise your energy with Enertol, yeah a ripoff of Hoffmans Energol!

Joe Weider was inspired by Hoffmans magazine.

Those early contests were great though and offered great variety with hand balancing, juggling, muscle control, acrobatics plus posing along with the weightlifting events. In a way I miss that. And Hoffman through his magazine Strength & Health and control of the AAU did do a lot to start weightlifting and bodybuilding. Some of Hoffmans actions were not popular, nor were Weiders in the 1970's when the IFBB became the "governing body" for bodybuilding and Weider started issuing suspensions to bodybuilders for competing in non sanctioned events, something that Weider repeatedly attacked Hoffman for anytime a bodybuilder was suspended from the AAU for one reason or another.

There is a saying; don't bite the hand that feeds you or in this case that feed you. Hoffman, York Barbell and the AAU did a lot to pioneer the sport and deserve credit for that. If it wasn't for this early pioneering work, the iron game may be be around at all today.

Think about that you muscle pumpers!

Hoffman did more damage than good..................2005-07-31

I am continually amazed by the reviews that show up here praising Bob Hoffman, obviously by people who never really knew him.

The fact is that Bob Hoffman did more damage than good for the entire Iron Game, even his pet sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting.

And Hoffman via Dr. Zeigler was instrumental in popularizing anabolic steriods (see article by Bill Starr, a former York employee in the current issue of Iron Man)

Hoffmans presence at AAU sanctioned bodybuilding events gave the sport a black eye by the mainstream media. The 1956 AAU Mr. Universe held in Virginia Beach, VA was a perfect example. Hoffmans actions at an event that could and should have done a lot of good for the sport had the opposite effect. Sports writers in the mainstream media critized the event and bodyuilding as a whole. Hoffmans retort was classic; "I think bodybuilding is sissified and I am trying to get it shut down." Great PR for our sport eh?

Hoffman was notorius for handpicking winners in AAU contests. Hoffman was the AAU and acted liked a mafia king. In the Virginia Beach contest, Hoffmans protege was in fourth place so Hoffman changed the judges making himself and Paul Anderson judges. This enabled Hoffmans protege to move from fourth to first. Hoffman and Anderson even had the audicity to put Olympic Weightlifter Chuck Vinci ahead of Ray Schaeffer, the then current AAU Mr. America who would go on to win the prestigious NABBA Mr. Univers a week later against better competition but with better judging. Schaeffer would end up in second place in the AAU Virginia Beach event thanks to Hoffman.

A similiar atrocity happened 9 years earlier when the AAU arranged for Steve Stanko, a York employee to win the AAU Mr. Universe over better competitors like Eric Pederson and George Eiferman. Stanko had won the AAU Mr. America a few years earlier in a similiar fashion. To his credit, Stanko was the first man to total 1,000 lbs in Olympic Weightlifting. Catch the connection?

Hoffman took on anyone who dared enter the muscle game and for any reason. His battles with Joe Weider, Dan Lurie, Rheo H. Blair and even Charles Atlas were classic. Hoffman wanted a monopoly. And Hoffman was quick to copy ev en after he criticized. For example, Weider came out with the highly successful Crash Weight Formula XR7. Hoffman debunked it without basis in issue after issue of his rag magazine for years and then finally came out with his own version. Guess what he called it? Crash Weight Gain. First attack then join. Of course Hoffmans product was more sugar than protein and didn't work as well as Weiders.

In the early 1960's Hoffman via Dr. Zeigler introduced Anabolic Steriods to the York weightlifters. They made fantastic gains but Hoffman tried to give the credit to special Power Rack Training, a new piece of equipment that Hoffman introduced at that time. People like Bill March, Luis Riecke, Tony Garcy, Bob Bednarksi and more made fantastic gains. We now know the epidemic that has been caused with steriods thanks to Hoffman. (See current issue of Iron Man)

The people writing positive things about Hoffman are undoubtably Hoffmans relatives or people who mindlessly bought into all the bull that Hoffman perpetrated for nearly 40 years. Or perhaps they got a FREE HI PERTEEN (The way Hoffman pronounced Hi Protein) shake.

I met Hoffman back at one of the York Picnics and at the AAU Sr. Nationals and AAU Mr. America Contests that were held in York. I met him before he went senile. He seemed somewhat amiable but with an attitude and it was obvious that he did all this for his own merit. He had some interest in Olympic Weightlifting.

Terpak was a complete jerk. John Grimek on the other hand was delightful to talk to and obviously genuinely cared about the Iron Game and it's followers. He was a great champion who was unfortunately used and abused by York and Hoffman.

Fortunately, in the 1980's the York Empire fell apart. Strength & Health, Hofmans flagship rag folded in 1982. Muscular Development would have followed soon after but was bought. Powerlifting and Olympic Wightlifting formed new federations that really cared about the sport and had real athletes in control. Likewise, the IFBB severed it's ties with the AAU after only about 3 years replacing them with the better NPC and actually had bodybuilders running the sport, and disgarding the AAU like yesterdays garbage. AAU bodybuilding shows would then eventually go the way of carnival barkers.

Hoffman did more damage than good for the Iron Game and for the few people who still think Hoffman was a saint and that York BBC was so powerful or that the AAU was the "legitimate" organization, I ask you, where is York BBC today? And where is the AAU today?

Bob Hoffman, York BBC, AAU, good bye and good riddance! The sport is better off without you!

"Forget the Book"-the Truth about Bob Hoffman.......2005-07-14

I just ordered this Book and can't wait to read what has been written about a true ledgend, Bob Hoffman. I have not even looked at this book yet but by all the negative garbage I have read by other reviewers I must exhort! I first met Bob in the 1960s while sitting at the HI-Proteen milkshake bar at the Old Gym that used to house the old "Weightlifting Hall of Fame" that was before they built the new one off Rt 83 in York. I lived in Baltimore so it wasn't really that far to take a day trip to York. Anytime I heard that guys from my neighborhood were planning a trip I always made sure that I claimed a seat in the car!
As I was saying when I first me Bob he walked through the door and stopped to talk to me and a couple of my friends who were enjoying protien shakes, his first words were,"Hi Boys, are you up here looking for some muscle" and the gave us a very friendly and fatherly grin. We all took turns shaking his hand and felt like we were in the presence of living royality.Meeting Hoffman that day was more important to me than if I had met Brooks Robinson, Johnny Unites and Tom Mattee all in the same day. You see I was on my way to making the sport of weightlifting and bodybuilding a life long way of life and after reading "Strength and Health" and only getting to know Bob through his publications at last I met the myth and was not at all disapointed!
While in my teens I lifted with several different groups and the main one back then was the old "Mayfield Barbell Club" on Chesterfield Ave. in Baltimore that had several impressive members and some very good DEL-Mar-Va competitors. Sure I read what some others wrote about AAU contest conditions and the way they were being held and most of it is true, but guess what- I would not want to trade anything for those great memories. Back then we all loved it (and I still love just thinking about it).

Some of the most memorible memories were at places like the YMCA in Baltimore City that used to hold many of the AAU Weightlifting events. What was cool in those days was that many of the guys competed in both the weightlifting and physic contest. Back then there we never no complaints as this was all we knew and remember this was the early days of lifting, back then lifting was only in with the out croud like myself. I would not trade them days for a million bucks! At least we all knew that Hoffman, York Barbell and the AAU were trying to set the pace for this up and coming sport. Young people now days don't have a clue as what it took men like Bob Hoffman, Perry Radar of "Iron Man" fame and others to get this sport in the lime light. As for Joe Weider I really don't want to get on that subject, from the very start his copy-cat tactics could be seen for what they really were by real lifters. Just let me make one quick example, Bob Hoffman's famous tri-oil "Energol" was a combination of wheat germ,soybean and rice bran oil and the stuff was great for giving you energy, we would buy it by the gallon cans at York (My father starting using it befor me and never went to work without taking it he swore by it and always said that it helped him to have great strength throughout his day of hard physical work). My point is that Hoffman invented this liquid gold but as everything else Weider had to take the Hoffman "Energol" and start selling his own with the same ingredents as "Energol" and call it "Enertol"! This is why Weider was always booed by so many hard core lifters in the early days . Talk about someone just looking for dollar signs!

After serving several years in the US Meachent Marines (I went in as a teen)I was 21 years of age and wanted to have my own place to do some serious lifting. I rented a place in East Baltimore one block off of S. Broadway at 422 S.Ann Street and called it "The Original Broadway Barbell Club". I had a sign painted and put on the door with the same image that Hoffman had on the old York Tee shirts - a guy holding the weight overhead of a split "Clean & Jerk". Before I knew it others heard and wanted to start lifting too. There was never a charge the only thing was that you had to be serious about lifting, there was no room for sitters or talkers. There was no air conditioning only a floor fan and in the summer it would be so hot that the floor would have about an inch of sweat on it - but we loved it and I had some of my best work-outs in that place (my wife used to laugh at how you had to step over rows of benches and barbells just to get to the bathroom).
About that time I also started teaching weightlifting at the "Red Shield Boys Club" on Clinton St. in Highlandtown (SE Baltimore City). I said all that to say this - everything I taught and followed was from the teachings of Mr.Hoffman. When teaching youths the fundamentals of lifting I followed the famous "Hoffman Formula" that helped to make many folks into world champs (only real lifters will remember the Hoffman Formula as most will not even know what I'm talking about,and that's fine)as I said back then lifting was really in with the out croud.Also I always encouraged other to indulge in Hoffmans protien products as it was always a staple with me and I will swear to the gains that others as well as myself made while taking down products like Hi Proteen powder & tablets (There was one gram of protein in every tablet),Crash gain weight Hi Pro candy bars, Hoffmans Breakfast Food, Energol,Involton (Iron Supplement,pardon my spelling)Livertol and one of my favorites "Proteen from the Sea"(I always believed that this was what helped me start pushing over 300lbs on the bench!).
In 1983 during one of my visits to York I was lucky enough to see Bob Hoffman again. By this time he was in his early 80's but was very glad to stop and talk with me for a while. He was still big and vibrant and told me that the Doctor said that he had the heart of a 21 year old man. While we talked I let him know what an inspiration he had been to me throughout most of my life and thanked him for what him and all the other boys at York did for our much loved sport, he shook my hand and said just ,"Thank you". I read of Bob's passing not long after that and it affected me the same way as when we got the news in the early 60's that Kennedy had been shot(In fact hearing of Bob's death was much,much worse).Steve Stanko died in '71, Bob in '85, Paul Anderson in '94 and more recently the Great John C. Grimick (the only bodybuilder never to be defeated, yea I like what other wrote that Hoffman set all that up...right)If any of these armchair cridits ever saw JCG they would know that he was cut from a different mold then most and deserved every title he won. When folks talk of Hoffman only letting his people win the AAU events keep in mind that it was Bob Hoffman along with other members who made the ruling that a Mr.America contestant could only win the title once in his life (due to the fact that after Grimick won in 1940 & 1941 Hoffman knew that he would not be beat in many years to come and he wanted to give others a chance, this sounds pretty fair to me unless your name is John Grimick the editor of Hoffman's "Strenght & Health" magazine. If this is cheating by awarding your own people I pray that we should all be called the same!
And whoever said that Hoffman wasn't a lifter,I beg to differ. How many of even the big juiced up boys could do a one armed bent press with 264 lbs...not many I gauntee you...but Hoffman could! The first photo that I ever saw of Bob was on the back of his HI Proteen can, you know the famous shot of him standing there holding out his chest. When I was a kid we used to say that the picture made him look like he was in an accident or something because his chest was so huge. That photo was taken back in the early 40's when things like a 54 inch chest was unheard of...but Hoffman had worked his way up to that size (He didn't get it from drinking cokeacola either)
While at work back in 1988 I met an old lifter from the 1950's named Buzz Jones. This guy was an outstanding lifter and attended the York picnics back in the 50's. He had pictures from so many affairs back then that it was unreal! He told me a story of Hoffman that I will never foget (He also praised the ground Hoffman walked on). As the story goes a big meet was to be going on in York and many of the top champs of the 50's would be competing. Buzz said that neither him nor his friends had the money to get in. Hoffman walked up to them and asked if they were going to the show that night. When they said "No" Hoffman asked,"Why not" and they let him know that they were short of funds at that Hoffman said,"I can't let you boys miss a good meet like this because of lack of money" at that Hoffman reached into his pocket pulled out his wallet and gave them the money to buy the tickets along with some money for refreshments afterwards, that was how Bob was.
It's not good to write negative things about anyone unless you really know what you are talking about. Hoffman was human and not perfect as no one is except our Lord, but I know more good that has come from this man and real life long encouragement for so many then hundreds of other men. I'm over 50 years old now and have been around the Horn a few times and have met all kinds of folks,and believe me Bob Hoffman will always be at the top of my list of Great Americans. Through the York BarBell Club I was taught a life long lesson of clean and healthy living that I still practice today...Thank you Bob!
Enjoy! Joe Kopeck/Broadway Barbell Club

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