Dr. James M. Rippe's Fit for Success: Proven Strategies for Executive Health

Cardiologist Rippe ( Fitness Walking ) surveyed 1139 American CEOs and learned, unsurprisingly, that those sufficiently motivated and well-informed to succeed in business also tend to keep a watchful eye on their physical fitness. There is doubtless a relationship, as one CEO puts it, ``between the ability to run a major corporation and . . . self-discipline.'' This is not news, and Rippe has parlayed his survey and 40 follow-up interviews into a thin book consisting mostly of skimpy discussions of exercise, nutrition, stress management and health maintenance, interspersed with quotes from CEOs more than willing to preach their personal credos for success. (Bill Coors, for example, is promi nently and worshipfully featured.) Two final chapters unrelated to the titular topic are more valuable: they offer practical advice on setting up a company fitness program, and sage counsel on the personal sacrifices necessary for corporate advancement. Executives had best look elsewhere for serious information on personal health but may find Rippe's compilation of CEO ``wisdom'' diverting. (July)