Tai chi step-by-step

Gr 9 Up-The concept behind this series is fantastic: it uses what look like time-delayed images to show each part of a movement process to guide beginners through postures, forms, or exercises. In practice, each of these three titles plays out differently. Pilates uses the format to show movements for exercises, along with timed breathing, with a high degree of success, though the images sometimes overlap, keeping beginners from being able to put together the movements on their own. Yoga also focuses on the movements and breathing, but the vocabulary is never well explained, and postures explained later in the book are referenced in earlier exercises. In addition, sometimes the camera rotates, rather than the model, making it difficult to tell if the person practicing yoga is supposed to be moving or if readers are just seeing the posture from a different angle. Tai Chi has the greatest success-the movements are clean and precise, easy to identify, and clear from the images with helpful text. While Pilates offers a concise, informative history of the practice, Tai Chi gives only a very brief introduction, and Yoga overwhelms readers with information not only about the physical practice, but also the mental and philosophical aspects and lifestyle that should be adhered to by any serious practitioner. It organizes the exercises in theme-based sections, placing advanced poses earlier on than would be appropriate for beginning students. All three books recommend studying with an instructor, and despite generally approachable writing styles, they seem geared toward adults rather than the audience to which they are marketed. These titles would be better used as supplements to classes than on their own.-Alana Joli Abbott, formerly at James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.