Review of The Three Muscleteers

[Alexander C Schmoock]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Three Muscleteers" by Ed Connors; Foreward by John Cena.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Three Muscleteers by Ed Connors; Forward by John Cena is a book that details the career of Ed Connors, his failures, convictions, and accomplishments in life. After purchasing a Gold’s Gym location from an old friend, Ed would go on to slowly build the world’s largest chain of bodybuilding gyms during his prime. In this book, he recounted his strategies in advertising Gold’s Gym, the influence of his long-time friend, Joe Weider, through his wildly successful magazine, and the adventures he had outside of his career. Ed met celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Cena in the course of his career. All the people he nudged in the right direction and brought into successful careers in bodybuilding, pro wrestling, sports, and law enforcement testified to the kindness and pure heart Ed Connors possesses. A memoir or biography of a sort, this book recounted Ed Connor’s life and career through the lenses of everyone he had known and helped on his way to the bodybuilding hall of fame.
 
The influence Ed Connors had on John Cena couldn’t be understated, and neither could his influence on all of his housemates at some point. Reading the book, I truly felt Ed was the hero behind the covers, as he sometimes stated in the book. The stories Ed recounted of his housemates ranged from the depths of murky waters to the whitest clouds in the sky. You couldn’t guess the kind of people Ed met and accommodated in his lifetime. Through all this, I loved that he showed kindness, hospitality, and a sincere desire to see them prosper. Most importantly, Ed always put his money where his mouth was. He was never afraid to spend that extra cash pushing a friend forward. It felt like I was reading the story of a superhero, really. His story was awe-inspiring, to say the least. While reading, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of wanting to adopt a new role model for my life; the book made me do more research on him to find more things he had done. I definitely can't complete this section without giving my appreciation to the editors of this book. I found just one grammatical error in it. The book was definitely professionally edited, and that made the reading experience a seamless one.
 
I have to point out the little struggles Ed seemed to face while building Gold’s Gym with his partners. There was so much more content about his housemates, friends, celebrities, and adventures outside of Gold’s Gym that whatever challenges Ed talked about during his time as a gym owner got lost and wasn't highlighted as much. It must have been the placement of the chapters detailing these challenges that made them feel so scattered, random, and easy to forget. I found the chapters on his adventures and successes in helping other people rise to the top of their careers more engaging and memorable. That might have been the intent of the author. I did wish he talked more about his challenges, though. Other than this, the sheer amount of chapters in the book made it feel like a short collection of articles rather than a book with chapters. The chapters having subchapters or subdivisions would have indeed made for a smoother experience.
 
I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Ed Connor’s story is just such a great read, and he is such a likeable person that I can't remove a star from this book. I also honestly didn't see enough reasons to remove a star. It was an excellent reading experience. Every couple of chapters, there was always a new celebrity Ed had met and assisted. He is a true bodybuilding icon. This book did justice to this myth of the man.
 
I heartily recommend The Three Muscleteers to young teenage boys. A lot of them will find solace in this book. It explored the lives of young boys who felt small and couldn’t seem to find a place for themselves in life. After meeting Ed at just the right time, the boys had their lives changed forever. This book would give hope and courage to even those not interested in a career in bodybuilding, law enforcement, or other related careers. As inspiring as Ed Connors is, the book has spoken a truth even more inspiring.

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The Three Muscleteers
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[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

The title reminded me of the three musketeers. I am looking forward to reading John Cena's piece. Thanks for the review!