Gladiator: A True Story of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption by Dan Clark, aka Nitro, star of the original "American Gladiators" televison phenomena

"These days, when I hear someone say, 'Big boys don't cry,' I hear a voice inside me answer, 'I know. But men do.'" This is a lesson it took Dan Clark many years of searching to discover, and the final words of the last chapter in this riveting and candid account of his life, career, and steroid addiction.

"Gladiator: A True Story of 'Roids, Rage, And Redemption" by Dan Clark, aka Nitro, star of the original "American Gladiators" television phenomena, is an engrossing tale of Clark's journey into the glitter and glamour of fame and the depths of hell due to self-torment over his brother's death when he was a child and the addiction and abuse of steroids that consumed his life for over twenty years. The book pulls you in as Clark shares his highs with stories of fame, excitement, sex, and money, along with the tales of the darker times of pain, vomiting, fighting, and depression.

As millions cheered the popular "American Gladiators" star, who had games and toys modeled after him, little did they know about the nights of pissing blood, sticking needles, consuming handfuls of pills, getting arrested, growing breasts, and the bloodied fights with friends and others that left both emotional and physical scars.

Clark pulls no punches with the highs or lows. Candid observations such as, "Everyone thinks it would be great to have sex with a port star. Well, let me tell you something. . . It is." And the lows such as telling his son when caught injecting steroids and asked if Daddy is sick, "Yes. . . daddy's sick. Go back to bed, so he can take his medicine. I am sick. I need help. . . I catch sight of myself in the mirror. Haggard. Tired. Ashamed." A few paragraphs later he continues, "I hope, after this, my son will still love me. I hope. . . he will forget."

I enjoyed reading Clark's story. It was well written and keeps you interested from the beginning to end. I couldn't help but think of the interview I conducted years ago with the late legendary bodybuilder/actor Steve Reeves. Reeves was vehemently against steroid use, and one of the influences that kept me from trying them when younger, even when I saw others increasing their size and strength faster than me with their use. Reading "Gladiator" made me very happy that I never went down that road, because knowing myself, I could easily have drifted into some of the same negative circles Clark found himself in. I hope this book helps keep others from straying down that path.

I also found it refreshing that Clark takes full responsibility for everything that happened. Too many want to blame the system. Blame the environment. Too many want to blame anyone or anything other than themselves. Clark admits, "Each and every time I took a steroid, it was my decision. My fault. No one is to blame but me." He goes on to say, "I'm glad I made the mistake. So maybe others won't have to."

In the Epilogue, he does try to present a positive anti-drug message based on his own nightmare. He wants to see more testing, punishment of offenders, and the education of the next generation of possible steroid users/abusers about the harmful side effects and addictive potential of steroids. He knows it will be difficult, because no one wants to hear the truth, just as he didn't when he was taking them. I applaud Clark for telling his story and attempting to use his tragic experiences to help others. This is a very good book, and I sincerely hope that it does keep others from straying down that path. Clark's final words in the Epilogue say it all, "Don't let this be your story or the story of your child."




Many more reviews at the main site www.burrese.com

Peaks and Valleys: Making Good and Bad Times Work For You - At Work and in Life by Spencer Johnson - a review

Spencer Johnson has done very well for himself by taking simple lessons and sharing them in short stories. It is not surprising that USA Today called him "The King of Parables." "Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You - At Work And In Life" is Johnson's newest parable, and like those before it, this book contains more than meets the eye.

The book is short, only 99 pages, and some of those contain only one quote. And like his other books, it is a smaller formatted hardcover. However, despite its length, there are some practical pearls of wisdom that if applied will make one's life more positive. It would be easy to dismiss this book as too simple, or too easy. After all, in the text Johnson refers to the story as common sense. But how many people actually apply the simple lessons of life? Treat others as you want to be treated is a universal lesson found throughout history, but do people actually apply it?

Some do of course, but so many don't. Often, we spend countless hours, sometimes even lifetimes, searching for some profound truth or magic moment that will enlighten us and make all of our troubles disappear and success and riches materialize in abundances we only dream about. While searching for the complicated, we sometimes fail to listen to the simple. We forget what we know. We don't apply the lessons we do learn because we are too busy looking for something greater.

What I like about "Peaks and Valleys" and the other books by Spencer Johnson is that they remind us of the simple, and encourage us to apply these simple lessons to our own lives. One of the lessons in "Peaks and Valleys" is to imagine yourself enjoying a better future in such specific, believable detail, that you soon enjoy doing what takes you there. This is not new. Earl Nightengale taught the same lesson in his "Strangest Secret." Nightengale taught "We become what we think about most of the time." Others have taught variations of this, and it is so simple that it is often overlooked.

Just because I have heard variations of this lesson before does not mean I didn't enjoy it here. Like the young man in this book, I too forget these lessons at times, especially when the hustle and bustle and stresses of today's world seem to overwhelm at times. The short time it took me to read "Peaks and Valleys" was a relaxing reminder of some important concepts that when followed make life better.

I would encourage anyone to take a little time for yourself, find a relaxing place, and enjoy this short parable by Spencer Johnson. Then take a little longer to assess how you can apply the lessons from this story to your own life. If you do, you just might find yourself enjoying more Peaks and realize your Valleys are not as bad as you thought.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer. Alain Also wrote a series of articles called Lessons From The Apprentice.