Walt Whitman's Guide to Manly Health and Training [Hardcover]

A giftable, illustrated collection of quotes and pithy advice--equal parts self-help and grooming guide--by quintessential American poet and writer Walt Whitman.

In 1858, famed American author Walt Whitman penned a series of newspaper columns under a pseudonym on the subject of “manly health and training,” shortly before his landmark third edition ofLeaves of Grasswas published. Recently discovered for the first time in 150 years, the fascinating manifesto contains the renowned poet’s advice and musings on topics such as diet, exercise, grooming, alcohol, dancing, sports, and more. This short collection presents more than 75 of his best quips, quotes, and extracts on healthy living, all in Whitman’s signature lyrical prose style.CONTENTS

FOREWORD 2
INTRODUCTION 4

1THE VALUE OF TRAINING 6

2GENERAL HEALTH & GOOD HABITS 22

3EXERCISE & SPORT 38

4GROOMING & DRESS 56

5FOOD & DRINK 74

6MENTAL HEALTH & MORAL FORTITUDE 88

7MISCELLANY 104

CONCLUSION 118
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 123WALT WHITMAN(1819-1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist whose work--including the seminalLeaves of Grass--is some of the most important and influential of the American canon.ON MANLY HEALTH 

Manly health! Is there not a kind of charm—a fascinating magic in the words? We fancy we see the look with which the phrase is met by many a young man, strong, alert, vigorous, whose mind has always felt, but never formed in words, the ambition to attain to the perfection of his bodily powers—has realized to himself that all other goods of existence would hardly be goods, in comparison with a perfect body, perfect blood—no morbid humors, no weakness, no impotency or deficiency or bad stuff in him; but all running over with animation and ardor, all marked by hl#à