MUSCLE BEACH

by Ira Wallach

A Dell book reprinted by arrangement with Little, Brown & Company.

The cover of this "wild, wild book" (its own description) carries a caption which says its is "an uninhibited tale of love and laughter among the guy and gal body builders of Malibu." The caption writer was correct as this reviewer will attest.

For sheer hilarious foolery combined with the most penetrating observations regarding the muscle boys, this book is superb. In essence the story is the triumph of brain over brawn as the hero of the narrative outwits the body builders to win the Queen of Muscle Beach.

The terminology of the body builder is related in humorous fashion. with identification of the "glutes" as the backside muscles, the pectorals of the "Muscle Heads" being so enlarged and bulbous that "many of the muscle men were better equipped for brassieres than women," the "lats" and the "Delts" also coming in for pictorial description.

Some of the musclemen characters are described in detail-all in a manner calculated to stimulate guffaws

POLITOUS

APPLE

JUICE

Health BAR

from the reader. Theo Gunder works now and then on construction crews. As soon as he gets enough money together he moves to the beach. He picks up money modeling for the muscle magazines and he sells photos of himself. One set of photos, in his fancy briefs, with his body well oiled for the camera, is offered to the public through the magazines. He sells another set in clandestine fashion. The reader is informed that in the second set he wears no briefs.

The hero of the story who is in the process of winning a girl from one of the beach body builders, expresses alarm that he might get beat up by the muscle boys but is reassured on this point by the proprietor of a local gym. "They are," he says, "a gentle crew. Any third-rate fighter in the world can take them over. They can't run. They can't play tennis. They can't move. Their muscles have crippled them. All they can do is pick things up and drop them. Besides, they hate the idea of fights. A fellow's liable to get blemished."

We'll guarantee that there are a million laughs in this book. It's a wonderful spoof done in good taste with a sophisticated flair. We doubt however if many weightlifters would agree.

ORANGE JUICE

TOMATO JUICE 154

Fresh

104

and

"O.K. Fella, I think you've had enough!"

Johnson

Body Building

Bulletins

Food supplement pills are credited with turning a class D hitter into the power slugger of the Pacific Coast Conference who is now hitting at a 400 clip. Howie Goss who towers 6'3" and weighs 200 pounds attributes his success at the bat to special diets, vitamins and energy pills.

According to Goss, who made a serious study of the dietary problems of modern athletes, "the fast pace of today's life makes it almost impossible to get a properly balanced diet and that why pills are the answer for the professional athlete."

So impressed is the league with the results that members of all teams in the circuit, except Portland, are now using them.

The Republican nominee for President is in the best of health according to the report from Walter Reed Hospital. Dick Nixon is 5' 10" and weighs 166 pounds. Blood pressure and electrocardiogram readings were within the normal limits and there was evidenced no need for any specialist findings. The Veep is a regular golfer and occasional swimmer.

Barbara Moore, British vegetarian health faddist, concluded her 85-day marathon walk across the United States with a stroll through New York's Central Park. Her comment to reporters-"It was a pleasant walk and I feel fine now that I don't have to walk any more, for a few days at least."

Miami, Florida, police are using helicopters to scare away the sharks and barracuda that are pestering swimmers along the golden shores of Miami Beach.

The medics have said it againthis time in a report by the American

Medical Association Council on Drugs... there are no drugs that will melt blubber.

Dr. Walter Modell of Cornell University, author of the report, summarized his findings by saying that only a rigidly controlled diet along with psychotherapy would do any good in reducing weight.

Bulk materials, cellulose, purgatives, diuretics, and similar cathartic drugs, vitamins, minerals, amphetamine drugs, and so-called "pep" pills are only a waste of money for those who would conquer obesity through their use, according to Dr. Modell.

That physical fitness can be maintained even if one is handicapped, is proven by an eleven-year-old youngster from suburban Chicago. Carl Kettering is a classy right handed hurler in his local junior high school league, rides a bike, plays basketball, is an archer, and even dabbles in football. This is somewhat astonishing in view of the fact that Carl has an artificial right leg to replace one that was amputated in 1955.

As Carl says "the main thing is to try some sport and you will do better than you think."