Pilates For Dummies Paperback – May 6, 2002

Good guide

This is a geat resource for those who are new to Pilates and also for some of us who have been doing Pilates for a long time and who have forgotten (or never learned) so of the basics. I love this book because it is easy reading and provides clear guidelines for effective Pilates workouts!!!! I used to do competition body-building years ago and wish that I had learned Pilates back then because I'm sure my body-building and weight training would have been even better and will less chances for injury and eliminate some pain due to poor core work!!!! Better late than never!!!!

I wanted to buy Pilates for Dummies and noticed that a new "hardcover edition" was selling for $1.02 so I immediately ordered. What I received, was not the full edition but a mouse sized (3" x3") "minature edition" that only contains a portion of the full text and no pictures. I immediately requested a refund and found that I would have to pay $3.99 to return it to get the $1.02 refund. The book should not be even listed along with the original title because it really doesn't qualify as "edition" if it is a substantionally different book. Amazon should fix this.I suppose the book might be useful for someone wanting to outfit their Barbie Doll Pilates display with a cute tiny book. For the rest of us, it is pure junk. Burn your money instead. It will save your aggravation.

Please read this review and save yourself the Hassel of having to return it. It's smaller than my hand.

Useful. Highly recommended if serious about fitness

This is a good introduction to Pilates, however, the exercises are a bit hard to understand via a book, but it is easy to look the stuff up on YouTube, which is why I didn't dock the book another star. May be something to think of if you are getting as a book for a technophobe, though.

I usually don't like this line of books, but this one is great. I started doing Pilates at home with DVDs and needed a good book to explain the principles that a teacher in a class would normally do. This book is it. The author has a nice, breezy way of writing that is easy and interesting to read. I keep this book by my bed and read it at night in order to inspire me to work out the next day. So far it's working!

I expected to find visuals for a step by step on how to complete a 30 minute session of Pilates; however, what I found was a history of the exercises and descriptions of what to do. I find that with Pilates you gain more from visuals. Pass on this book.