Fitness Books

I think this is an excellent refresher for people who know Pilates. I'm living in No.Carolina (from NYC) and needed something to keep me going as I can't find a Pialtes studio here.What a perfect exercise companion, with easy, clear examples, plus a couple of great exercises to do while sitting at my desk, etc.

This is such a great book for fitness! The descriptions and pictures make it easy enough for me to do. I have been enjoying my pilates work out ever since I read the book. I highly recommend it for wimps and non-wimps!

I loved the pictures and the very simple style of this book. It is so easy to follow. For so long I was so intimidated by the Pilates method out of my own ignorance. But this book makes it all so accessible, there is nothing to be afraid of!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever even thought of starting Pilates!!!

I borrowed this book from my local library. I love it so much I have signed on to Amazon to order it for myself. Regardless of what the last reviewer thinks (how bored is that person anyway?)I have honestly read this book and found it simple, straight forward, and easy to follow. I tried several other books and videos and this was the clearest and least intimidating. People looking for an introduction to Pilates, this is definately the right book for you!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! As a physical therapist I try and incorporate Pilates in my treatment sessions to strengthen and stretch my patients. This is an easy to follow book that I can recommend to my patients so they can exercise at home in a safe an effective way. A great book for any level of fitness!!

This is simply a beautiful book. Much good work has been done to help connect people and plants and we delight in that. Eliot looks beyond the physical plant you see and gifts you with the feeling of connection with Plant Spirits. Thank you Eliot. Many who read this book with an open heart will come through the door you have opened. We are ready to help - ready to heal.

Well written, full of passion and honesty. Cowan takes a leap of faith with courage in hopes that others will learn the connectedness of all, and the simplicity it takes to honor our most prescious resources, "OUR FAMILY". Well worth the read, and please; share it with others!

This book is an accessible, sincere and inspired guide for anyone who is curious about how to recover the human's innate ability to be in communication with the non-human world - which apparently just awaits our intention to do so. Eliot Cowan shares his own fascinating journey of discovery in a way that also offers to the reader ideas for how to do the same. His message is not, "look at me, I have special abilities," but "look into yourself and see what is there just waiting to be revived." The disastrous psychological, ecological and spiritual situation humans find themselves in as a result of having stopped engaging in "the great conversation" with nature, as author Thomas Berry puts it, can begin to heal if we try hard, now, to apply ourselves to the wisdom available in such books as Plant Spirit Medicine. We have a responsibility to read and utilize such information as Eliot Cowan makes available here. --Tayria Ward, Ph.D.

Plant Spirit Medicine speaks of the elements of nature, the plants, shamanism, and healing. Cowan's integrity, wisdom and humor is apparent throughout. I first read this book 7 years ago. It changed my life, opening me up to a world where healing, love and compassion are always flowing from the plants and other aspects of nature. This book speaks of one man's journey and opens the doors to allow you to make your own journey and find your own path.

I have been reading and practicing these medicines for some time. I am also studying ethnobotany and plant medicine in relation to psychopathology. I picked up this book as a supplement to my work, and I did not expect that it would be so good. I would recommend this book to ANY person interested in this subject- whether they are totally new to it, or have been doing it for decades.
Cowan clearly and eloquently provides his take on this subject, and does a very good job explaining the basics. But he writes with a gentle tone, and makes plant spirit medicine something that everyone can do. This book isn't trying to sell anything or promote a workshop or healing modality. This really does provide some genuine insights on how to communicate with plants and use them for healing.
Eliot Cowan is right on with this book. You won't be disappointed.

I have been a "health nut" for years and wary of the medical establishment, but I always hoped that the mainstream approaches, though ineffective, were a result of ignorance or narrow mindedness.

In Reclaiming Our Health, John Robbins has exposed the greed and pride of a male-dominated medical community in bed with the pharmaceutical companies. Reading about the witch hunts (past and present) against alternative healing practices outrages me, but what hurts more is reading how modern medicine treats its patients. People, at their most vulnerable times, are trampled upon by doctors and nurses.

The section on how medicine has historically regarded women is eye opening (or would be if you had never dealt with a male obstetrician). Having just given birth to my son, accompanied by a midwife, and knowing what an amazing and challenging time that can be, I almost cried reading the horror stories of children's births.

John Robbins has written a phenomenal book. And as always, he has brought his caring, compassionate passion to an issue that is literally crippling our nation. Thank you, John.

New Age Retailer, November/December 1996
Have you ever watched a friend or loved one die? Did you wonder why they had to endure so much, especially at the hands of those you had expected to help? Have you ever wondered why it is taking so long to find a cure for cancer or AIDS? Have you ever had a baby in this country? Have you every tried to tell your healthcare provider something and been told he or she know best and not to worry? I believe these questions would elicit at least one affirmative answer from just about everyone in our country.

The title is descriptive and, I believe, correct - we will feel an explosion from reading this book. People will be shocked and angered. I certainly was! John Robbins has let the cat out of the bag - the cat being the way Americans are manipulated by the American Medical Association, the tobacco industry, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and by the multi-million dollar industry we call healthcare.

Robbins reveals the cover-ups, the scandals, and the greed that feed on the most vulnerable segments of our society: women, children, the elderly, and those who are already struggling with health issues. He exposes the ridicule and outright lies broadcast in an attempt to eliminate chiropractic and other alternative healing practices, not because they were not helping those who sought out alternative care, but because they were taking money from those who would rather line their pockets than cure millions of ill individuals.

Robbins outlines a practical approach using both conventional and alternative care so that we can benefit from the best of both resources. This book is well-written and researched. It has an extensive notes section that documents facts and a resource directory that give pertinent information about where to obtain more information on womens issues, parenting and children, healthy diet, alternative medicine, consumer rights, and much more. I would recommend this book to any adult, especially someone who is dealing with medical issues. Reclaiming Our Health is a must-read for any person who strives to be well-informed.

Over the past thirty years I have read about 100 books on the subject of health. Among the very best of the books I have read are two of John Robbins' other books, Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution, but I don't feel the need to review these remarkable books; they have been well reviewed by others, and I recommend you check them both out in Amazon. However, I simply had to add my voice to the reviews of Reclaiming Our Health.

This book is predominantly about the medical establishment, what has gone wrong with it, and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones (if you can get them to listen to you). It is not a condemnation of all things conventional nor an endorsement of all things alternative. Some of the greatest heroes of the book are M.D.'s practicing both conventional and alternative therapies. This book seeks to guide us to the best of both worlds while warning us about the dangers to be found in each. However, the worst dangers by far appear to be in the conventional medical establishment where the admonition "first, do no harm" seems to have been long forgotten.

This book made me cry. This book infuriated me. It is filled with one outrage after another. But wouldn't you rather read about them than be subjected to them (or watch your loved ones be subjected to them) by not being informed beforehand? I know I would.

This is one of those rare books that is truly empowering. That's what John Robbins does so well. He does the intensive research that most of us neither would nor could do. We are blessed by his enormous contribution to mankind.

And my fellow women, you will be shocked to read some of the material in this book on how women have been treated in society and how this has influenced the way we have been treated by much of the medical community. I have shared a bit of the information with co-workers and have actually seen jaws drop open. We have not been told the complete story of how dreadfully many women have been treated in our history. It is an abomination. (Written with apologies to all of the sincerely wonderful men out there.)

Rest assured that among the very bad news of this book is a good deal of hopeful news about prevention and treatments that are out there now, but this information will probably be a long time coming to the general public. It is only through leaders like John Robbins that we are blessed to know about it now.

Read this book before you or someone you love becomes ill. Read it and pass it on.

Since I own and have read other books the author has written I was curious to see what he would share in this book on a subject that is so important to me and many Americans. And he certainly hasn't let me down.

The parts or chapters I liked so much and thank the author for, from the bottom of my heart are Part Two where he goes into great detail about the patriarchal medical system. It is worth the price of the book alone. I also like Part Three where he starts out with a quote from a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Dr Benjamin Rush) who said "Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize itself into an undercover dictatorship". And he offers so much documentation of where and how the big boys of the AMA (American Medical Association) have even gone after their own members who dared not walk the party line. On page 185 he shares how from homeopaths, to midwives, and other nontraditional medical forms, the AMA has been the bully boys who wanted their monopoly and none others. On page 1996 onward he describes once again how the feminine professions which nursing was up until the 1970's, were main targets of the male member run AMA.

Now I was aware that one way the male physicians made midwifery which had been the norm well into the 1900's, illegal was to accuse the women delivering babies of being everything from witches, pagans and even communists. Yet delivering babies in the safe and secure environment had been good enough for Moses, Jesus, George Washington and most heroes and heroines but because the AMA had discovered there was big buck in babies they did everything in their power to make their way the only way to deliver babies and feather their nest along the way. And as the author notes on page 322 that while birthing centers and midwives are persecuted by the AMA the actual cesarean rate here in the United States is outrageous and is a procedure that the rest of the civilized world shuns.

On page 327 onward the author skillfully lays out documentation that shows that many of the plagues the world has suffered have not been cured by AMA style medicine but by common sense approaches like clean water and sanitary toilet system. Washing hands and handling food in a clean manner. And that malaria is kept at bay with more preventive means than medical ones.

I could go on, but I would prefer that you buy the book and if possible buy a copy for your local library if it does not have a copy. That is how important this book is.

I read this book first in sections, but then decided to read the whole thing as my interest progressed.

I already knew some of the persecution of the chiropractic industry by money-hungry conventional doctors, but some of the stuff totally shocked me. I've seen some of the statistics that chiropractors have come up with, extensive studies that show that it has extremely low health risks and helps a lot more with lower back pain than conventional "give me the pill" medicine. However, this book totally blew the cover off the...American Medical Association, an organization I once took for granted to be dedicated to my health and well-being.

If everyone in the waiting room of a doctor's clinic were to read this book, all health care in America would be for the better.

Furthermore, the interesting sections on women and fertility totally blew me away. I was furious at the stuff they were doing to hurt and control women who went to doctors for real health reasons, hoping to get better, only to be subjected to the standard system of running tests and being tied to one position. I myself was delivered by C-section, and having been abandoned by my mother, I can also attest to the ugly and disgusting nature of conventional birth documented so well by John Robbins. The persecution of midwives, who have near-flawless records for safe delivery of newborn babies was also shocking. I had no idea that women giving birth at home do better than in hospitals, in terms of mortality rates.

The final section is worth reading alone if you have cancer. It states very clearly using facts and actual experiences how deliberately and unfortunately the medical establishment has been "treating" people (if I may use that word) with cancer, without realizing that the only goal of a person with illness is wellness and wholeness, not merely to eradicate and destroy an organism that seems foreign and toxic. It also exposes the "fact" that there have been cancer treatments with possible cures, existing for decades, which have been blocked by the cancer establishment out of hope for conventional therapies, blind ignorance, or fear of malpractice suits (you can be sued for not using "technology" to treat an illness ... but what if you just want to get better?).

The beauty of John Robbins' words inspire me. It's hard not to be moved by good stories of good doctors helping to make things better. It's hard not to believe that things could also be better if we changed our current system. Always true to form, this book discusses ways in which to reform health care that would truly work, and at minimal cost.

If you're a nonbeliever of universal health care, low-cost medicine, or just out of luck with personal illness, I highly recommend this book.

My first copy was pretty worn, so I decided to buy this edition. Really interesting new stories, not only from the Pardeys expereinces in storms, but also from others. I liked the deductions made by folks from both ends of the experience spectrum, one a real novice, others all along the expereince wave, they all add to the information Lin and Larry share in a very understandable manner. I still think this book is really important. And this edition is definitely easier to navigate. I have the Storm tactics DVD and like it. The two work well together.

The authors give their opinion. It can be discussed but they support it by many examples. I was convinced by the interest of heaving to in bad weather or just to wait and rest at sea. Now, I am buying a parachute anchor...

In my humble opinion this is the Pardey's best book to date. The techniques they present are life savers have no doubt.
M. Bertsche

My wife and I spent four years living on our sailboat (55ft) voyaging from Calif. to the east coast and read every book I could find on heavy weather sailing. About half-way through I came across Pardey's book. I think it's far and away the best volume out there on the subject. Even if you pass on the parachute angle and just plan on heaving-to in a tough situation. Should be in every crusing boat's library, and read and implemented by the skipper.

After reading this book you will know a lot of theory about when and how to heave to. Diagrams and well-written explanations describe methods and techniques of survival during a storm at sea. Also consider "Heavy Weather Sailing" (revised edition) as an excellent source of information on storm tactics and heavy weather sailing. It describes the yacht's stability in more detail.

If you are looking for a life changing book, here it is. I suffer from Fibromyalgia with chronic pain. This book is one of the "text" books I use to lean into my life, yes life is in session and Bacci has built for us a guide on how to better take all of it in no matter how complex things can get. I spent over 26 years of my life in a high pace driven corporate world as an International executive with a family of 9 at any given time, this number varies depending on the circumstances. Today at 52 I am a registered Yoga Instructor with my own small studio in the middle of Texas on my way to getting my Certification in Yoga Therapy and soon start my studies for my licence in Massage Therapy to continue my education in Cranio Sarcal Therapy. The later I fell in love with after reading the Art of Effortless Living" By Ingrid Bacci PhD. Thank you, Ingrid!The Art of Effortless Living: Do Less, Let Go, and Discover Health, Emotional Well-Being, and Happiness

"The Art of Effortless Living" by Ingrid Bacci is a quest for personal empowerment and transformation through meditation and yoga.

Ingrid Bacci provides well developed practical approaches to creating an 'effortless' lifestyle.

Connection to the Higher Self is important along with various practices to develop physical and emotional awareness.

Also read:

Nexus: A Neo Novel

Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao

a must read for dealing with your own health and finding your true pleasure in life.

Ingrid's book is about learning to live your life from an inner place. A place that allows you to access your inner wisdom and get in touch with feelings and feeling your body. She talks about how we have gotten to a place of stress in our lives and informs us on how to let go of that. She mentions the fact that not only are our minds, thought and actions so stiff and so frozen, but it also effects our health.

I highly recommend this book it is a jewel and will guide you on a new path of effortless living that brings joy and well being into each moment. I hope that she writes another book, her input and the way she writes is like listening to a dear friend who has your best interest in mind. Awesome book, I have highlighted it and will treasure it and go back to it for inspiration many times.

This book was suggested by a friend and it was exactly what I needed at this time. It is a great resource for making work and life transitions with ease. I have always been looking for a book like this one, and I finally found it. It is a truly wonderful book.

Really gorgeous, very easy reading and I was translating some parts to my mother. It is a pleasure reading it, so excuse my enthusiasm, but I am sure it deserves to be translated into Spanish.

this book is simply the best on this subject!.it discover all the types of vitamin e:the first 4 polimers and the other 4 polimers known as tocotrienols,but the main issue remains the potent d-alpha tocopherol.absobtion is very important and it is discovered in details including ways to improve it.how vitamin e operates in immunity,and in autoimmune diseases such as:cancer,aids, arthritis, and also asthma,and inflamation.there is also a superb outstanding chapter that showing new researches with a great promise about neurological diseases such as: altzheimer,huntington,parkinson,lou- gehrig's disease,heart disease cataracts,macular degeneration, and other diseases are discovered and explain not only the mechanisms of disease, but also how the vitamin e is operate in those diseases and suggested approximate doses recommandations. diabetes,crohn- disease ,cystic- fibrosis, and many other diseases and illnesses are well explained very simply.as a orthomolecular nutritionist that do treats those dd (degenerative- diseases)wich actually are ortomolecular diseases because they have a vitamin and or mineral dependency because of a bad genes, and or submolecular nutrient\s, i can tell you that the knoledge that represent in this wonderful book is very much scientific and it is very valuable. i realy think that this book concerning vitamin e is the vitamin e bible!

Excellent book and good web references; nice to have medical terms well explained - a rare thing in popular books.

Thank you you for such a wonderful book, The Vitamin E Factor. I have learned so much I am again reading it for the third time. I only wish that every person would read this book. When you have an updated version I would hope you would let me know. Again, Thanks for such a well written book. Yes, some of the information was repetitive, but sometimes we need to read it several times to absorb all the information. Debra M. Kowalski, Dayville, Oregon

This is one of the best books I have ever read. The author is a fantastic teacher. He is able telling complex things so everybody can understand it. He is also very balanced in his teachings. If you are looking for a book about vitamin E, there are no better alternative.

A must read for anyone who has/had breast cancer. I thank the author for going the extra mile for all of us Breast Friends for getting the insurance companies to pay for breast reconstruction. She also gives some wonderful life advice on nutrition that doctors fail to give us. Excellent, easy to read. Of the 35 books on cancer that I have read so far this is in the top five. Her recommendations are consistent with others I have read but this is the easiest to understand.

Dr. Horner has done us all a favor by writing this book. Breast cancer has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. (1 out of 7 women), and it is clear from reading Dr. Horner's book that she is determined to do something about it.

Over two years ago I was diagnosed through blood tests and scans as pre-malignant for breast cancer. Within 5 months of following many of Dr. Horner's suggestions, my formerly pre-malignant status returned to normal.

Following Dr. Horner's simple 30-step program will help women make the necessary lifestyle changes to help them prevent breast cancer (and other chronic illnesses) and will greatly improve their chances of survival if they have it. Her explanations are so clear that once you understand why you should partake in or avoid a certain food, supplement, or activity, you are more likely to make these changes. I especially love the summary of the 30-step program and the resource list in the back. These two sections make it easy to review what you learned earlier in the book.

This is the perfect book for women of all ages as well as for healthcare practitioners. I have told many practitioners about this book. They recommend it to their patients because it contains important research-proven information which they may not have the time to explain. Dozens of friends and cancer patients to whom I have recommended this book say they have made major lifestyle changes which have improved their health.

Mary Greenwood, Breast Cancer Survivor and Author of How to Mediate Like a Pro: 42 Rules for Mediating Disputes and How to Negotiate Like a Pro: 41 Rules for Resolving Disputes.

After treatment, chemo and radiation, I needed some more information about what to do to help prevent the return of breast cancer. This book gave me a lot of good ideas. I am trying to incorporate as many as I can into my regular routine.

It is written in a scientific manner and documents studies so there is documentation behind the advice. It is a must-have book for breast cancer survivors.

Waking the Warrior Goddess by Dr. Christine Horner is an extraordinary contribution to anyone wanting to fight and heal cancer. While it was written particularly for those concerned about breast cancer, it is a masterful work for the prevention of cancers of all kinds and a support to vital health in general. I particularly like that it not only makes scientifically proven recommendations for what we put in our mouths (supplements and food) but also that it addresses how we live and how we can support our emotional/relational health. It is clear that Dr. Horner has brought both her passion and her expertise to bear on the subject of breast cancer. We will use this book over and over again in support of our health.

A powerful and well written book that reveals just how easy it is to stay healthy!! I was left encouraged, motivated and curious. I am so grateful to find inspiration instead of a guilt-ridden to do list, coupled with doom and gloom that so many health books offer these days. She spoke to my own authority and wisdom to choose what actually takes care of me!!

This incredibly valuable book is characterized by almost reckless honesty in combination with a concern for the welfare of patients that I have encountered nowhere else to date.

If it is read casually, there is much of critical value; if studied carefully, there is even more.

Dr. Levine had earned the gratitude of everyone who reads the book as well as all others because, with his trail blazing book, he has put the medical establishment on notice that they can no longer depend on the code of silence that has for so long protected inadequate and impaired heath care professionals. And it's high time.

I agree with all the reviews here - this is a must read. But after you read it go give it to a friend - it could save their life. As for the one review from the Texas man....probably a criminal doctor or someone who works for the pharmaceutical companies!

Ask the nurses who the good doctors are? Nurses like the doctors that are nice to them. The best doctors aren't always nice.

Go to a Teaching hospital if you can? So a resident can do your procedure and round on you? I think not.

Drug companies are out to rip us all off? Dr. Levine doesn't like drug companies because drugs like statins and ace inhibitors decrease his business.

Asked to be transferred during your care? So a new doctor that hasn't been following you can start all over.

Tell the ER doctor to call your Primary care doctor? So he can get whoever is on call for the group and knows nothing about you. Right. Lots of help.

Really weird stuff to come from an MD.

I can't express how important I believe this book to be. I am a business consultant of more than 30 years. I have read extensively in many areas of business - and in Health, Wealth, Happiness, and Success. I'm not a doctor. I'm not sure there isn't some exaggeration here. But, both Dr. Levine and what he says "feels" right. And, even if it isn't, it is a wonderful checklist of things to watch our for and check against. I plan to purchase additional copies for members of my family. I plan to recommend this book to those who attend my seminars.

I was shocked to learn that drug companies and medical suppliers "court" and "pay" (my quotes) doctors to use their products.

The author explains the process behind the FDA approving a drug and that some doctors have a conflict of interest while taking part in the approval process.

I am a perpetual beginner but I have enjoyed the benefits of yoga for years. Most of my yoga books and manuals show postures and sequences but they don't give me enough context to quickly or easily understand which asanas or sequences I should focus on. Since I am have little time...I don't like to work to hard figuring out what to do. This is the first guide that makes it quick and easy to decide what I want to do. It is smartly organized with its anatomical/chakra color-coding, anatomy reference and super easy fan format for scanning postures and stuffing into a briefcase or pocket.

I am keeping my other books for reading, but this is the guide I always take with me for my active practice...

I absolutely love my yoga fan. As a teacher and student, this book is an excellent guide for sequencing and for referencing any pose. I love how the fan is grouped and broken down into seven sections, which offers an easy and flexible sequence to follow. The sections are even color coded to match the postures with the chakras! I never leave home without this book. At any time, I can flip it open for a quick reference. It's also a great companion when traveling - it's small and easy to pack as a guide for my personal practice!

This is a great little tool for teachers as well as students (like me!).
It's well put together and covers a wide range of poses for all levels
in a very handy format!
Love it!

I've found the Yoga Fan to be a great tool for my individual practice. Developing my home practice is an integral part of my yoga practice, however left to my own devices it's easy enough for me to reinvent poses and confuse or lose sequences; having the Yogi Fan is like having a Yogi in my pocket to guide me.
It's organized in a usable way -- pose for pose; and it's wonderful for creating flow sequences. I'm particularly fond of the Yogi's tips -- I always find something useful there.
Great design, excellent construction, perfect packing size for when I'm out of town. Definitely recommend it.

Convenient, concise and informative. The pictures are great and the format makes it easy to follow and learn at one's own pace. For anyone looking for a good introduction to yoga, I highly recommend this portable and invigorating book.

I bought 3 books and I am happiest with this one. It's great if you are already familiar with working out. It helped me add new things to my workout. Highly recommend it to change up your routine.

I'm a Personal Trainer and I have given this book to many of my female clients as a motivational gift after they have shown perseverence. It is full of great workout ideas and relatively inexpensive. The many different models means everyone can identify with someone..As a trainer it has helped me with exercises when ideas just seem to dry up.

This book is great. This is the book to get if you are not really sure about what to do in a gym or at home. I also suggest this book to any new trainers that are looking for good workouts to use with clients as you learn program design. It's also great for more experienced trainers to use on those days when you are drawing a blank on what to do or you need to give a client a workout to do on their own for one reason or another.

I've been using this book for the last 11 weeks and I am so happy with it . I've always been into fitness and have been a runner for many years, but despite my hard work I have never acheived the overall toned look I wanted simply because I lacked the know how. Well, I just had my 3rd baby 3 1/2 months ago and let me tell you, I am so pleased with the results. Granted I still have a ways to go, but I feel strong and look pretty good. If you combine this book with cardio as it suggests, I just don't see how you can go wrong. What a great book!

Excellent book!This is what I was looking for: open and do. The exercises are very creative, very good, the book has tips on every page and also at the end there is a full program for beginners. You can perfectly use the book to exercise at home or at the gym (I do both). I am not a beginner and I found lots of exercises I have not seen before, they break the routine of my workouts and stimulate my muscles after the exersises they are used to. Just one little suggestion:the book should be in a ring binder form.