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Faust's Gold: Inside The East German Doping Machine
Faust's Gold Inside The East German Doping Machine Author:Steven Ungerleider For nearly 25 years, East Germany's corrupt sports organization dominated international athletics. While the GDR's secret "State Plan" was in effect, over 10,000 unsuspecting young athletes - some as young as 12 years old - were given massive doses of performance-enhancing anabolic steroids.They achieved miraculous success in international compe... more »tition, including the Olympics.But for most, their physical and emotional health was permanently damaged.Faust's Gold draws on the revelations of the ongoing trials of former German Democratic Republic (GDR) coaches, doctors, and sports officials who have now confessed to conducting ruthless medical experiments on young and talented athletes selected for Olympic training camps.It also draws on the extensive research of Brigitte Berendonk, who escaped from East Germany to begin a decade-long crusade to bring justice to her fellow athletes, and her husband, Professor Werner Franke.Berendonk's story, and those of her colleagues in the GDR, offers an unique insight into a bizarre regime. Faust's Gold is a true-life detective story that plunges into the dark secretive world of the GDR doping scam where elite competitors and their families are up against a formidable opponent: the East German secret police, known as the STASI. These elements are woven into the complex tapestry of the politicized and drug induced performances of the modern Olympics and result in a powerful testimony to the massive wrong done to many young people. AUTHORBIO: DR. STEVEN UNGERLEIDER, an author of four books, completed his undergraduate studies in psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, where he also competed as a collegiate gymnast. He holds masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Oregon and is a licensed psychologist consulting with college, Olympic, and professional athletes. Since 1984, he has served on the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry, and has covered the past seven Olympiads for media; including AOL and the Atlanta Constitution. Mental Training For Peak Performance, his third book, is now in third print and was named to the book of the month club selection for Men's Health Magazine. Ungerleider lives with his family in Eugene, Oregon.« less