Charles Gaines

Not being into body building or outdoor adventures and the like, I wasn’t familiar with Charles Gaines. I chose this book simply because the description of it sounded like something I would benefit from. Gaines, along with his family and friends, built a cabin on land he and his wife Patricia bought in Nova Scotia. The project was ostensibly an attempt to save their failing marriage. It turned out to be much more than that, although, it was successful in doing that. Gaines is obviously a gifted writer. This book is beautifully written. He’s also something of a philosopher. All of this comes in the outer shell of a true man’s man. He wrote probably the most famous body building story of all time, “Pumping Iron,” the documentary that catapulted Arnold Schwarzenegger to fame. Gaines has written numerous books, both fiction and nonfiction, many of them best sellers. He is also an inventor. Among his most famous inventions is the game of paintball. He certainly didn’t need to write this book; his legacy had been well established by that time and by the time it was reprinted and released 25 years later. He wrote this book for himself and for readers, like me, who might be inspired by it. I’m glad he did.… (meer)