While Timothy Marsala’s intentions for writing his book, “Fit, Drunk and Smarter,” were genuine, he lacks in the one area that counts when putting out a book – being a decent writer.

Marsala attended Eastern from 1995 to 1997, and won the Mr. EIU Heavyweight division in 1995. He is now a personal trainer in Chicago.

I’m not going to say that Marsala falls into the stereotypical “dumb jock” category because he doesn’t. His ideas are smart and well-thought out; it’s the execution that is lacking.

One of the first things you learn as a writer is consistency. If you use a certain style, keep using that style throughout the book.

For me, it was difficult reading because of the language he used and the design of the pages. Sometimes things were spaced out so it was easy to understand that it was a list, and other times he squashed information that should have been listed together.

Half the book is references to other things, sometimes obscure quotes. He opens each chapter with a brief summary and a quote. Chapter 2 is about alcohol, and the quote he used was, “Don’t ya hate Perry’s wife?,” from the movie, “Arthur.”

“Arthur” is a Dudley Moore movie from 1981 and the reference is to Arthur himself, a wealthy drunk played by Moore.

The language a writer uses, also called “voice,” determines how they want their book interpreted.

Marsala writes like he’s having a conversation, using verbal grammar instead of written grammar. I understand that the context of the book is that it’s written for college students, but he dumbs down a lot of concepts, which is a little offensive.

It’s almost like he’s saying that college students are not smart enough to understand unless he uses simple terminology.

Aside from the language and design issues, the book is rather informative. Chapter 3, for example, explains how to take care of yourself after a night of drinking. Marsala lists off pain relievers for hangovers, as well as information about what happens to your body after a night of partying.

He also has a chapter devoted to staying healthy while eating in the residence halls. Chapter 5 is about how to keep off the “Freshman 15.” It gives information about how to calculate and use your body mass index how to count calories and how to separate good sugars and fats from the unhealthy ones.

Another topic Marsala covers is the guys’ and girls’ perspective on relationships.

He tells girls to keep themselves from getting the “Cinderella Complex,” as well as explaining to guys the principle of the “Triple A’s”- Attention, Affection and Appreciation.

He also gives his view on how college relationships should be thought out and not rushed into.

Marsala should have had another company edit his book before it was published.

His ideas are there, but as any good writer knows, it takes another person’s eye to catch all of the mistakes.

That way, the ideas are being presented in a way that the audience can not only relate to, but understand.

Cover of Timothy J. Marsala’s book titled, ‘Fit, Drunk and Smarter.’

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