Bodywork Books

I purchased this book when I was half way through massage therapy school. I wish I would have had it right from the start! It is a great book with amazing real pictures of muscles. I brought this book to class and about 1/2 the class wanted to order it! The instructor saw it and was going to look into getting it for future classes. Just get it; you won't be sorry you did. Money well spent!

This book is fantastic for all the reasons the other reviewers gave, but oh that's not all...the CD-ROM is fantastic really amazing. It's a great way to see the muscles again in another view. The images are of computer generated models to show the attachments and then there is a video of a therapist massaging the muscle. It took me months to watch this CD-ROM because I had no idea it was going to be this great. Buy this book it's well worth the money. Plus, it's a business expense!

This book is so beneficial as reference material. The images are unreal and so specific. At least four therapists I know have bought the book since flicking through my copy.

This is the most practical and informative book that teaches what you need to know and what is relevant...not filler material.

Why you should buy this book:
1. If you want to teach yourself massage.
2. If you massage school gave you a crappy Milady's massage book, or worse, their own hand written, poorly illustrated version.
3. If you really want to own a great massage therapy reference.

Why I think its so great:
The illustrations and visuals, give you everything you need to know to massage any area of the body. They have created a much more 3-d experience to learning massage from a book and translating that experience to a real body. ANYONE can learn from this book. Its an incredible resource. I don't know why every school doesn't use this book! If you are in school -- buy it!

I borrowed this from my library before purchasing it.
It is a must for an massage therapist, bodyworker, or closet healer!
Also great for National exam review.

This was very useful when doing the body unit with my preschoolers. Some great pictures and very enjoyable songs! From brushing the teeth, to brain, to the senses, this book is very educational!

so perfect i gave it to all my very young neices who love it [so do their parents!!]

My almost 6 yr. old received this book and CD as a gift from my parents, and we are all loving it! We listen to it in the car and sing along to its upbeat and catchy tunes. The music is much more sophisticated than any other "kids music" I've listened to (and I have 3 little ones). What's more, my daughter has been spewing forth trivia about how long her hair can grow if never cut, how her lungs work, and how many bones are in her body! I think this is a great purhcase, and I highly recommend it.

MY BODYWORKS: All the "stuff" that us 50 plussers were'nt supposed to talk about when we were kids...and here it all is in plain english and real and funny to boot!
I had purchased this as a gift for my 5 year old niece last Christmas, and since it wasn't opened until christmas eve, Guess who was howling and dancing while trimming the tree?...yes, all the grown up kids!
I never thought of learning as being fun...but The Schoenbergs are changing that with text and music like this....Keep writing!

Just wonderful. Clear words, great tunes...fun and catchy. My daughter is only 18 months and she loves the cd. Right now she's just enjoying the beat...and, when she's older it will be fun for her to understand the lyrics. It's wonderful.

A truely amazing book. I found the illistrations easy to understand and the dialogue easy to read. A must for the body therapist

Tons of info. Takes a few extra minutes to process it all but worth the extra time for the added perspective.

I've had this book for a few years, and always take it with me when I go on retreat, and am still trying to absorb... though I've read and re-read the earlier chapters numerous times. I'm a yoga teacher and dietitian, so am fascinated by the science of movement at deeper levels and it's certainly here! Bless you, TM for your focus and perseverance to communicate at the level you do. Inspiring.

A must for any soft tissue therapist. This completes an understanding of how the body is affected by a series muscles.

A huge topic with tons of minutia that is broken down in an easy reading format. I really liked the way the book is set up. Great way to look at the body as a whole and to start thinking about alternative and complimentary modes of treatment up the kinetic chain that you may not think about before reading this book.

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in exploring the human body. It's good on the details and good on the big picture. It's a fascinating and revealing reference work on the workings of the human body.

For anyone interested in anatomy and physiology or alternatives to medicines alone this is a wonderful book to read and reference. It gives some excellent insights into healing by touch and bodywork a must for al types of therapists.

this work is an essential addition to any practitioner's library who wishes to markedly enhance their understanding and communication of care to their patients. Juhan uses brilliant, in-depth scientific notation in an easy-to-read format. brilliant.

If you are a doctor, physical therapist, massage or bodywork therapist of any kind with an appetite for in depth analysis and understanding of the human response to touch, this book is a MUST HAVE for you. It's technical and detailed, and it is also ground breaking, eye-opening and very exciting.

Juhan covers the topic of the human response to touch from the micro-cellular level through to system responses all the way to the origins of the body/mind split in western philosphy and the consequences of pharmaceutical dominance in health care on touch therapies. He introduces many new perspectives that bring a rich vitality to anatomy. He shows the interactivity - the interconnectedness - the interdependence of all aspects of the human body, mind and being. He presents some of the latest theories about how the body mind are integrated and communicate - Candace Pert's molecules of emotion.

Not only is Juhan's research fascinating and valuable to body workers, but also his method of inquiry, the questions he asks, and how he asks and seeks to answer them, are also very educational - modeling ways we can pursue the investigation ourselves.

Here are a few examples of the kind of insight that Juhan offers in the Third Edition:

Page 17

"This personal, sensory engagement with the self does not spring from a rebellion against scientific authority, but rather from a realization of the present inadequacy of that authority's conception of reality, a realization that is not contrived for the purpose of debate, but which is forced upon [us] by [our] own painful circumstances."

"When the conceptions of reality that we maintain do not square with the things we are experiencing, it is not because we are flawed or because our experiences are wrong, but because our conceptions cannot contain all of the facts as we perceive them. And there is no constructive way out of this crisis but to enlarge our sense of reality to include our actual experiences."

Page 142

"The goal of bodywork should not be to impose universalized standards of posture and movement upon an individual, but rather to help the individual to cultivate the mental awareness and the physical flexibility to continually adapt to the changing needs of the moment."

Page 184

"Muscles that have fallen into disuse and flaccidity just don't provide enough pumping action for these intercellular fluids to adequately feed and bathe the nerve cells, and so the general strength of their functions is diminished."

Page 412

"Subjective and objective are not two distinct ways I have of viewing reality; they are two sides of a continuous feedback loop which together make up that reality. How completely I sense my body and how I feel about it has everything to do with the particular course of events going on within it."

A bit on the technical side for other than those familiar within the medical field, but would strongly advise reading Job's Body for insight and learning about one's own self. A learning experience definately.

It's been sometime since i purchased this "how to" book. And i must have repaired (and fabricated) over a hundred pieces by now with the knowledge gained from this very well written book. It should be titled,
"A-Z of Plastic Bodywork" as it is all one really needs to identify and repair plastic body work.

If you're a DIYer and/or in the business (collision repair, motorcycle fairing repair, etc.) than this is a must have book.

New book, easy to read and find certain areas in the book. Explains everything very well.

I bought this book just out of curiosity and I ended up really using it. You just have to get over the fear of trying it and go for it. At the moment I am busy restoring an old ZX-10 fairing.The book tells you a lot about different situations and how to get around them.

What makes it even better is that the last chapter or so shows you how to prepare the plastic for paint. It answers a lot of questions on what prep work is needed and what paint can be used.

This book has helped me learn more about plastics in general and all the items available out there for repairing. I have asked many people that have experience in repairing plastics and it's interesting to find out there is a lot of people that do not really know about the materials that they are working with. The book breaks down every type of plastic material that you will come across in the automotive industry, some history on them, how to identify the plastic, different repair methods, and different repair materials.

Everything is nicely organized and easy to follow. Thanks Kurt Lammon for taking the time out to create this book and helping a lot of people out there looking to learn.

I bought this book [and later the "how to" video].

As far as I know, this is the only layman's plastic repair book out there. [I'm sure there are engineering books on the subject, but I only want to know how to fix plastic, not formulate it].

A great balance of how-to text with corresponding how-to photos [photos are in full color and are high quality].

An excellent alternative to sending your simple repairs off to someone else to fix.

Depending on the plastic repair to be done, you can probably buy a basic "repair kit" along with this book; and do the job yourself.

I work on all sorts of computer peripherals [like printers].
The reason most every computer and peripheral is so lightweight today [as compared to just 5 years ago] is PLASTIC.

Folks tend to whine about parts being made from "cheap plastic", but just wait until a part breaks and you need to replace it. Those parts are never CHEAP.

The information I learned from this book has saved me having to buy several plastic parts for inkjet and laserjet printers.
If I have both halves of the broke part, I can fix it.

The author of the book is president of Urethane supply company.
[as per the closing page of this book].

I contacted the company after reading this book and the customer support at Urethane supply is excellent.
I asked some questions about a repair not specifically mentioned in the book and their support folks did an "on-the-spot" R&D of the problem and emailed me their results about how to fix the plastic parts involved.

If you want to fix your own plastics, I highly recommend this book.

With just a couple small repairs, I paid for the cost of:
1. this book,
2. their how-to video and
3. the small repair kits used to fix the problems

This is a wonderful resource for everyone who can benefit from massage. We all need an "occasional tweeking" to keep ourselves feeling great. This book helps you figure out what massage is best for you!

I am a teacher, and so when I read a book, I'm always very aware of how well-organized and well-written it is. I picked up "Bodywork" because I've had lower back pain off and on for years. I was interested in trying some hands-on therapy to help it. Bodywork helped me find some relief for it. My pain is not completely gone, but I am better able to alleviate and manage it than with pills.

What struck me most about "Bodywork" is that in addition to being very informative, it is extremely well-organized and well-written. This makes it a very handy reference book. I found it educational and inspirational, without being "preachy". I recommend this book to any other readers who are interested in learning more about how hands-on therapies can help them.

We are certified massage therapists in the San Francisco Bay area. When clients ask us about lesser known or unfamiliar modalities, this is the book we reach for. It is concise, well-written, easy to understand from the layman's point of view. It has even helped us in the enhancement of our own practice by providing a guide to further studies and research to improve our practice.

This is the best book on bodywork I've read. I love massage, but was confused by all the diffrerent styles that are out there -- Swedish, Alexander, Reiki, Shiatsu -- to name just a few. I've read a lot of books on massage, but it was Thomas Claire's BODYWORK that helped me find the massage that was right for me -- and make the most of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out more about massage and bodywork.

This is an excellent overview of the fascinating world of massage and body-mind healing therapies. I've always been interested in massage, but had a hard time figuring out what all the different types are. Thomas Claire's BODYWORK helped demystify this world for me. I especially liked the fist-hand account of the experience of different kinds of massage -- they were really helpful. For instance, the first-hand account of a reflexology session helped me understand what foot massage is all about, and to know that I would like to try it.

I'm a massage therapist and used part of this book to study for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). This book is really helpful for showing you how to take a client history. This book is needed because it shows you the legalities and proper way to run a massage business. Documenation protects you in cases of audits and also is a source for assessing the client's progress and contraindications. I also studied the following for the National Certification Exam:
The Ultimate Study Guide for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 1), (Volume 2), and (Volume 3)
(Author: Patrick Leonardi)
The last 3 books helped me to prepare for the type of questions encountered on the national certification examination. I highly recommend all 4 books. I passed the first time with the help of these books

Very thoroughly explains why to document manual therapies, professionalism, and how to document effectively. Diana Thompson has lots of experience and know-how to share!

Her first edition of "Hands Heal" was a collection of forms used for charting massage therapy sessions. When I saw the new book on the shelf being three times as thick as the first I thought "Oh my what more can be done with charting!" I now understand her obsession with charting. It is not just charting your sessions, but learning to communicate what you do, so the medical community and the public will begin to understand massage therapy as a healing modality. Communication starts with the therapeutic relationship with the client. Healing begins when the client becomes involved in the process. Then you can pass the information along to all parties involved - the lawyers, the doctors, whoever. If you document every treatment, you will be able to find out what is working and what is not with each individual. Documentation can assist you in builing your practice and support the massage profession as a whole. I particularly liked the section on ethics as she supports the idea of peer groups, mentoring and supervision as a means of development for the practitioner. I believe the future of the profession lies in those areas.
If you are a massage therapist in any state, this will guide you to a successful practice whether you are involved in billing insurance companies or not.

I've watched this book evolve over a number of versions. Each one gets better and better. Yes, at times Dianna Thompson appears obsessive but on the other hand, that's what makes it great. Recently I was asked to write a detailed case summary that will be used as evidence in a lawsuit for a client I saw over a year ago. My SOAP notes are what saved the day for me. Thanks Diana. This book is essential for anyone working in a therapeutic environment.

If you want a comprehensive book for the NCETM, this is it..expensive
but worth it, It is strictly a Q AND A but every question you can think
of is listed here..I got this for the muscle section and went over the
other body systems as well and feel prepared for the exam,,

This volume was extremely interesting. It contains information that every massage therapist should know. Some of the NCBTMB test questions were straight from this book. I found it extremely helpful in my passing the test the first time.

This guide was an excellent resource in getting me to understand and remember various diseases a massage therapist needs to be aware of. I passed the NCBTMB exam yesterday with HIGH in each category and these guides helped A LOT in preparation!

If you can answer the questions from this book with confidence, you can pass almost any clinical part of massage therapy exam. On the other hand, simply by knowing the clinical pathology, you may not be able to pass either the NY State Board or the National Certificate exam.

I don't think you need to understand every single detail in this book in order to pass either the NY State Board or the National one. (See my other comments on selecting study material if you are interested).

The knowledge provided from this book is far more than as a licensed massage therapist require to know. It's good to know more. But don't be scared if you do not do well on those questions in this book. From my limited experience, I think the exam authorities want to prepare us (massage therapists and body workers) to provide SAFE and effective massage therapy to the public. We are not trained to be a MD. Please don't blame yourself if you are not so good as the nervous system, for example. But you have no excuse for not knowing soft tissue. Massage therapists should be the expert of soft tissue.

Grasp a solid knowledge on muscle insertion and origin, action and related diseases. You will do well! Good luck

This is a must have for the A and P section of the test. I used this and passed with 4 high markings out of 6 as a result. I also bought the other guide like this. The other guide went over assesment and application.

951 questions and answers!! This book was essential to my passing the NCBTMB the first time. I learned a great deal from this book and well as from Volumes 2 and 3. I was surprised at the number of test questions about Traditional Chinese Medicine. This book provides a great deal of information on that topic.

This was a great book to use in preparation for the NCBTMB exam, even though some of the questions were a little TOO esoteric (5 questions on hyoid muscles? Come on! How often does one massage the THROAT? And the bulbospongious and levator ani? Yeah, right! I massage those every time - NOT!) Even so, it helped me focus on what was for me the most difficult and challenging part of the exam and to find the "holes" in my knowledge. Questions arent' mixed up, but are in order, so it's possible to review a system, take the questions, correct, then review again. HIGHLY recommended!

I only ordered volume 1 of this set of 3. I felt that this area is where I needed to review the most. The book is a little less than 1000 questions and answers. I felt that it was extremely helpful and I would recommend it to anyone taking this exam. I passed on the high end of 4 out of the 6 sections of the exam! I wasn't sure at first about purchasing because of the amount but I took a chance and now feel that it was well worth it.

A MASSAGE THERAPIST AND EDUCATOR FROM FLEMINGTON,N.J. I HAVE BEEN A MASSAGE THERAPIST FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND CONSIDER THIS BOOK TO BE A WINNER. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE TRYING TO ENHANCE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE AUTHORS USE OF DIAGRAMS AND HIGHLIGHTED OUTLINES AIDS THE READER IN UNDERSTANDING THE VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES AND THE BENEFITS OF EACH. THIS BOOK ALLOWS EVERYONE TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE AS TO WHAT VARIETY OF MASSAGE AND BODYWORK MODALITIES BEST FIT THEIR NEEDS.

I have been a massage therapist for 7+ years and I find this book to be one of the best written books I have read. This book is easily as valuable to the experienced massage therapist as it is to a rank amatuer. I commend the authors for there fine work and I look forward to future releases from them. I fully endorse this book and recommend it to all interested in this topic.

A MASSAGE THERAPIST AND EDUCATOR FROM FLEMINGTON,N.J. I HAVE BEEN A MASSAGE THERAPIST FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND CONSIDER THIS BOOK TO BE A WINNER. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE TRYING TO ENHANCE THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. THE AUTHORS USE OF DIAGRAMS AND HIGHLIGHTED OUTLINES AIDS THE READER IN UNDERSTANDING THE VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES AND THE BENEFITS OF EACH. THIS BOOK ALLOWS EVERYONE TO MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE AS TO WHAT VARIETY OF MASSAGE AND BODYWORK MODALITIES BEST FIT THEIR NEEDS.