Swole

The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle

De: Michael Andor Brodeur

Narrado por: Mark Sanderlin

From a Washington Post critic and self-described meathead, a witty, incisive, poignant exploration of male body image, from the history of the gym to the politics of superheroes to the world of manfluencers

Michael Andor Brodeur is a Gen-X gay writer with a passion for bodybuilding and an insatiable curiosity about masculinity—a concept in which many men are currently struggling to find their place. In our current moment, where “manfluencers” on TikTok tease their audiences with their latest videos, where right-wing men espouse the importance of being “alpha,” as toxic masculinity and the patriarchy are being rightfully criticized, the nature of masculinity has become murkier than ever.

In excavating this complex topic, Brodeur uses the male body as his guide: its role in cultures from the gymnasia of ancient Greece to Walt Whitman’s essays on manly health, from the rise of Muscular Christianity in 19th-century America to the swollen superheroes and Arnold Schwarzeneggers of Brodeur’s childhood. Interweaving history, cultural criticism, memoir, and reportage, laced with an irrepressible wit, Brodeur takes us into the unique culture centered around men’s bodies, probing its limitations and the promise beyond: how men can love themselves while rejecting the aggression, objectification, and misogyny that have for so long accompanied the quest to become swole.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A memoir, history, and critical essay in one, sure to captivate anyone who’s ever pumped—or dreamed of pumping—iron.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Brodeur maintains a sharp focus on the way Western culture’s perceived mind-body divide has shaped ideas about masculinity . . . Punchy, entertaining, and perceptive, this delivers.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[A] semiotic history that doubles as an autobiography in lifting . . . Brodeur writes witty, allusive prose about an enthusiasm not today considered highbrow.”
—Washington Post

“Brodeur’s glorious, insightful, and cackle-out-loud hilarious book is destined to be a classic.”
—Kevin Alexander, author of Burn the Ice

“A timely, unprecedented survey of an unexpected, often overlooked figure in body politics: the meathead. . . . Necessary . . . Crucial . . . For anyone engaged in the Sisyphean pursuit of muscle and bulk—and to anyone interested in engaging with a critical examination of masculinity—Swole is an invitation to broaden our view on what it means to want to get big.”
—Colin Self, artist and composer

“Hilarious, ribald, deeply researched, and gay as hell! I loved every page and was fascinated by the world Brodeur takes the reader into, the way he unfolds the origami of masculinity, getting ripped, homoerotics and heteronormativity, and pop culture. Buy a copy for a friend, too, because you are going to need to have someone to screen-shot and discuss with.”
—Jessica Hopper, author of The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic

“In Michael Brodeur’s monumental first book, Swole, he reminds us that the Greek root of gymnasium is ‘naked’ by undressing the self to unveil the roots of muscle, memory, and history. Expertly researched, hilariously rendered, and deeply felt, this book uses the body as a site of inquiry to ask big questions about gender, power, and desire. Brodeur asks, ‘In building our bodies, what else are we constructing?’ and inside that question he reveals everything.”
—Sam Sax, author of Madness

“Swole is a probing, poignant, and frequently hilarious investigation of the meaning of muscle and the evolution of twenty-first-century masculinity. A stunning debut by one of America’s most sharp-witted and sharp-elbowed cultural critics.”
—Joe Keohane, coauthor of The Lemon

Such an enjoyable listen!

This book draws on the author’s own history, as well as his vast knowledge of weight lifting, classical history, art, and other topics that he blends perfectly into an excellent book. It is laugh-out-loud funny at points, cringe-worthy at points, touching at points. The reading is spot-on as well, delivering the ideas perfectly.

No dumbbell left uncurled

Idk how to review books so this is a summary/review for me.


This book is about men and men’s ideological history. Where do men get their beliefs for masculinity? This book offers readers rich historical perspectives from classical sculptors interpretations of Roman and Greek mythology to the designers and marketers of action hero’s and artistic and non-artisic motives.

In addition to the historical archive this book becomes the author uses personal experiences as a gay man traversing what it means to be a ‘man’ and sheds light on the topic. It is eye opening.

Childhood, adolescence, adulthood, in all stages of life men are asking themselves what is means to be a man and society asks them “how manly are you?” Many men follow a hyper masculine trope that the author, well wrote a whole book about. As he walks us through what i describe the history of ‘men wanting to be masculine’ I found myself seeing that muscles, looks, and wanting to be bigger than the other guy is not necessarily what makes one a man.

This book is a solid choice for any man who wants to understand what gender on a spectrum is. By exposing the audience to the historical accounts of the many Hercules statues, and bodybuilders in an era where their physique was unordinary men are left realizing that the physiques they are worshiping and dying to emulate (quite literally) are on the far end of the masculine presenting spectrum.

I love this book.

Every man should read this!

Big fan of Michael and after this book I’m even a bigger fan! He paints a picture of my own childhood.

I went in thinking this book was about lifting weights and getting bigger and It turns out it’s about getting older, our bodies and our identities as men!

A must read!

A wonderful informative history of masculinity and muscle

Provides a historical perspective through a queer lense of masculinity and muscle culture and how it has changed throughout the years. Definitely recommend it, as the author also provides their own experience dealing with masculinity.

Went from good to woke

The first half of the book is good. And I thought I was listening to a book about the evolution of weight lifting. Somewhere at the halfway point the book become a woah is me, victim mentality that everything is everyone else's fault. Too bad, it had potential.

couldnt finish it

I wanted to like this, its a great premise, but i couldnt even finish it, and ended up getting refunded.. It starts ok but quickly devolvez into a tedious and annoyingly woke political opinion piece. For example, the author just cannot seem to mention a conservative figure without adding a disparaging title: "Fox News squeaky toy Tucker Carlson." If this had been written without a political agenda, it could have been great, but as written the author completely.failed to convince me of his opinion and quickly lost my interest completely.. And I am not even a conservative