Virility 8: A celebration of the American male

by Max Gunther

The ""new impotence"" talks back. And with no little hostility toward those ""'liberated' modern women, as some of them like to be called, [who] are highly interested in sexual experience (or fired it chic to say they are)."" Gunther's phallic-worshipper's catalogue of the eight common styles of virility is designed to prove that even repulsive Pragmatists like Richard Nixon, Boors like Archie Bunker, Operator-Manipulators like Ari Onassis and Mild Males like Ron Ziegler have their unique brand of sex appeal. But in case you are a funny little fat man, Gunther suggests practicing fannypatting, playing with your drinking glass, holding and puffing on your cigarette, etc., in a gutsy but debonair male way. (Prissy feminine mannerisms betray weakness.) If that doesn't knock the girls onto their queen-sized bed then consult one of Gunther's preferred muscle builders, among them the renowned Charles Atlas. Earnest fraternal bull to support the most threatened of chauvinist egos. Kirkus Review

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Max Gunther was an Anglo-American journalist and writer. He was the author of 26 books, including his investment best-seller, The Zurich Axioms.

Born in England, Gunther moved to the United States at age of 11 after his father, Franz Heinrich became the manager of the New York branch of a leading Swiss bank, SBC.

Gunther graduated from Princeton University in 1949 and served in the United States Army from 1950 to 1951.

He worked at Business Week magazine from 1951 to 1955 and during the following two years he was the contributing editor for Time Magazine. He also contributed to Playboy, True, Reader's Digest, TV Guide, McCall's, and Saturday Evening Post.

Reviews

[Ricardo Hernández · Rating 2 out of 5]

A unique, peculiar book by Max Gunther, who during his career only wrote about Wall Street, Luck and Money.
The author goes through a series of archetypes that define men and how women see them. There is also a funny and entertaining chapter about "Acting Male: Rules you must learn without studying" about male traits

I bought a first edition copy in eBay. This is published by Playboy Press.