We see that javascript is disabled or not supported by your browser - javascript is needed for important actions on the site. Read more

What's New - Home - Login

Member $avings: $81,547,377.07 | Books Available: 800,382 | Members Online: 128

Swap Used Books - Buy New Books at Great Prices!

How To Swap Books Sign Up Search submenu

PBS Market (New Books)

Gift Buying Guide

Book Browser Advanced Search Books Posted Today Member Book Reviews Award Winning Books NYT Best Sellers Amazon Best Sellers Most Traveled Copies Club Wish List

Discussion Forums Book Lists

Club Lists My Book Lists My Watched Lists Create a List

Blog Donations

School Donation Program In Memory of... Military Donation Program Friends of PBS

Box-O-Books Maps The Eclectic Pen Fun Stuff

20 Questions Sudoku Bookmark Creator

Top 100

Requests Posts Swappers Referrers Reviewers

Pulse of PBS Spread The Word

Invite Friends Bookmarks Facebook Page Facebook App More Ways...

Photo Gallery Recipes Club Tag Cloud Member Testimonials

Help Center submenu

How To Swap Books Browse Help Docs Ask the Librarian PBS Member Icons Live Help

Kiosk

PBS Market (New Books) Go Shopping Buy Credits Buy PBS Money Upgrade Membership Gift Certificates Transfer Credits

Need Help?

Search - The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession

The Adonis Complex The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession
Author: Harrison G. Pope Jr., Katharine A. Phillips, Roberto Olivardia

In the first book to address a health crisis that is striking men of all ages, three national experts present a frank and explosive look at what men really think and feel about their bodies, offering hope to millions who are suffering in silence. More than ever, men are struggling with the same enormous pressure to achieve physical perfection t... more »hat women have dealt with for centuries. From compulsive weightlifting to steroid use, from hair plugs to cosmetic surgery, growing numbers of men are taking the quest for perfect muscles, skin, and hair too far, crossing the line from normal interest to pathological obsession. This new obsession with appearance, known as the Adonis Complex, afflicts boys and men of all ages and from all walks of life. In its more severe forms, the Adonis Complex poses a health threat that is as insidious and deadly as eating disorders are for women and girls. But this groundbreaking book offers hope and help for the men caught in the oppressive cycle of body obsession. Harrison Pope, Katharine Phillips, and Roberto Olivardia reveal the often hidden signs and symptoms of the Adonis Complex.

Weightlifting and exercise compulsions: Their quest for a more muscular body can become so single-minded that men often sacrifice relationships and career goals and may even stunt their emotional and physical development.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Unlike healthy men, those with body image problems have no idea how they really look -- and obsessively try to fix flaws that others don't notice. Boys as young as six or eight report body dissatisfaction, and as a result many suffer loss of self-esteem or depression.

Eating disorders: Several million men have suffered from compulsive binge eating or from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Countless others with milder forms of eating disorders diet and worry about being fat even when they actually look just fine.

Steroid abuse: Trying to achieve increasingly unrealistic physical ideals, more than a million men -- including a large number of teenagers -- are abusing steroids. Millions more are buying billions of dollars' worth of "muscle-building" food supplements and diet aids. Creating a down-to-earth program for change, the authors introduce two original diagnostic tools. The first, a simple thirteen-question quiz, helps readers identify the extent of their body image concerns. The second, the Body Image Test, helps readers learn how they perceive their bodies and how they think others see them. Using the compelling and insightful stories of many boys and men, the authors address a wide range of topics, from coping with sex and intimacy problems and difficulties at work, to low self-esteem and shame. They also explain how to seek medication treatment and specialized forms of therapy for more extreme cases. With this book, men suffering from the Adonis Complex will have the power to change their lives.

ISBN-13: 9780684869100
ISBN-10: 0684869101
Publication Date: 4/30/2000
Pages: 304
Rating:

Currently 3/5 Stars.

3 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: Free Press
Book Type: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Read All 1 Book Reviews of "The Adonis Complex The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

Antonio B. reviewed The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession on 9/18/2011

I found this book somewhat informative. However, the bulk of the chapters can be summed up as "X problem exists about guy's body image, here are few examples of cases we've seen, but most men are unwilling to talk about it openly so it's hard to know how widespread it is". By the end of the book it's become repetitive and it doesn't offer up many solutions.

Share/Like this Review?

Read All Book Reviews of "The Adonis Complex The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession"

Genres:

Health, Fitness & Dieting >> Diseases & Physical Ailments >> Physical Impairments
Health, Fitness & Dieting >> Mental Health >> Compulsive Behavior
Health, Fitness & Dieting >> Self-Help >> General
Health, Fitness & Dieting >> Psychology & Counseling >> General
Nonfiction >> Social Sciences >> Gender Studies >> Men

Back to the Top ↑

Search - The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of Male Body Obsession

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

Loading...