The Alexander Technique Manual [Hardcover]

Now, then. The area once called "Turkestan" is one of the most mysterious areas on the globe to most Americans. It now consists of the independent nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, all former Soviet "republics". It is that broad area north of Afghanistan and Iran, east of the Caspian Sea, and west of China. A great amount of the area is desert or barren mountains, but cotton farming is also practiced, and a great deal of the world's pistachio nuts are grown here.

This great place is the home of the saiga antelope, the kulan, a wild ass, numerous birds, and the desert monitor, a large dangerous lizard. All are shown in marvelous photographs. Also shown are a wild beautiful landscape, sand dunes, grassy and forested mountain peaks, and numerous photos of Issyk Kul, the world's sixth deepest lake. There is an entire chapter on this amazing feature, and also a half chapter on the Kara Bogaz, an inland evaporation sump the Caspian Sea drains into on its eastern side.

It is next to impossible to find any other book that examines this region, and, certainly, to find any book so enjoyable. The author is a former Siberian, who captures the spirit and temper, not only of the Soviet government as it then existed, but also of the inhabitants of the region. Mr. St George narrates his wanderings with an easy grace, complete with local idioms, in a manner that reader will find so comforting as to believe that Mr. St. George is telling the story personally.

This book is a five-star keeper for anyone who likes history, geography, remote lands, biology or just simply, interesting writing about interesting places. DON"T LOAN IT OUT.

Very, very highly recommended

Well, this book is nothing more than a very basic intro to which areas of life Alexander can be applied. It says the same thing over and over - how great poise and good breathing can be for sitting, standing, golf, dance, singing, pool. I would think that your average person who has puchased this book would have already made up their mind that Alexander was a good thing and wouldn't need a glorified, extended promotional pamphlet to confirm this.

There are about 8 pages in the whole thing that give you some tips on self-evaluation and positioning, but other than that, it is really not of much practical use. Yes, there are many photos of people "before and after" alexander in particular positions, but that wasn't enough for my $13.

If you are looking to see how alexander can be applied to your life, maybe then this book would provide some value, but in truth, the Gelb book does a better job doing that anyway.