Mortal Engines: The Science of Performance and the Dehumanization of Sport
Language: English
Published by Free Press, New York, 1992
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used

Seller: Bob's Book Journey, Austin, TX, U.S.A.Bob's Book Journey
AbeBooks seller since September 26, 2000
Condition: Used - Fine
US$ 12.95
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Hardcover, xi, 374 pp., unclipped illustrated jacket. A book in excellent condintion; nice jacket with faint crease on front flap. Despite a long series of sensational scandals implicating Olympic athletes in the use of illicit drugs and hazardous training techniques, competitors continue to employ them virtually without regard for the risks to their health and career.
Seller Inventory # 023111
- Title
- Mortal Engines: The Science of Performance and the Dehumanization of Sport
- Author
- Hoberman, John M.
- Publisher
- Free Press, New York
- Publication year
- 1992
- Condition
- Fine
- Dust jacket
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0029147654
- ISBN 13
- 9780029147658
- Edition
- First Printing
- Dimensions
- 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
- Seller catalogs
- Sports
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Reviews
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
An ambitious and jolting, if occasionally turgid, investigation into the origins and wider implications of the contemporary union of science and sport. Blending cultural history with ethical alarm, Hoberman (Scandinavian and Germanic Languages/Univ. of Texas at Austin) identifies the emergence of sports science in 19th-century assessments of human capabilities and traces it through the developing disciplines of physiology and physical anthropology. Viewed as physically ``pathological'' subjects, athletes were initially free from outside intervention. Later--Hoberman's history gets a bit sketchy here--nationalist anxieties, pharmacological advances, and the interests of the athletes themselves created an ``obsessional'' climate in which human values were sacrificed for improved performance. Today, despite testing for 3,700 banned substances, ``it is clear that international controls cannot put an end to doping'': Some in the sports community have advocated legalizing all enhancements. A more alarming possibility, one ``touching on human identity itself,'' is future use of genetic engineering to improve athletic specimens. Although impressive in its range, the book's power is undercut by a dense, pedantic style marked by frequent repetition. Even so, there are well-placed attacks on, among other targets, the hypocrisy of the sporting world and the dubious claims of sports psychology. While possibly overstated, this is still a frightening expos of scientific abuse indirectly sanctioned by an alternately indifferent and medal- hungry political and social environment. Not quite a world-beater--and a bit of a downer for an Olympic year--but worth the attention of anyone serious about the future of humanity in the sporting arena and beyond. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
"Gentlemen, start your engines!" is the cry that resounds annually at the opening of the Indianapolis 500. Hoberman's Mortal Engines symbolically parallels this cry, substituting human beings for machines. The author's premise is that athletes, trainers, and scientists have utilized performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, in a relentless, nearly obsessive quest for victory--without counting the cost in human lives. Much of the material contained in this startling account is not widely known; thus, it provides a much-needed base for understanding the limit to which athletes will extend themselves, sometimes unknowingly. The author occasionally tends toward sensationalism, emphasizing German practices and questioning the efforts of reputable scientists to improve athletic performance. Still, this book will be a useful addition to sports science collections.
- Albert Spencer, Univ. of Nevada , Las Vegas
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bob's Book Journey
Austin, TX, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since September 26, 2000
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I have a home-based business in Austin, Texas with an online inventory of over 9000 books. I deal primarily in used, out-of-print and rare books. My subject specialities are Texana, History, Biography, Military studies, Science Fiction and Modern Fiction. My inventory includes adult and children's literature. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the books that I have listed online. Your business is appreciated.
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