Bold Consumer TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE VOICE 5.0 out of 5 starsFascinating History of Pilates and some of the best OLD and NEW instruction I have seen!July 21, 2012Format: PaperbackI strongly recommend this book for both instructors and students of Pilates. This is a serious book that belongs on the shelves of instructors. At the same time, it is easy enough to follow so that serious students of Pilates will be able to benefit from it as well.

I was asked to review Pilates Evolution The 21st Century. I was glad to do it because I’ve enjoyed learning about and practicing Pilates for years, long before it became a popular form of exercise practiced by celebrities. Pilates was a genius with a passion for correcting fitness problems. I really didn’t expect to find more about the Pilates theories and principles than I had found over the years in all of the many books and videos I’ve enjoyed. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I learned from this book. This one is a keeper for me.

If you are interested in the hows and whys, this book just may be exactly what you are looking for. It goes back to the source – Joseph Hubertus Pilates.

I didn’t know that the old material here existed in a form that could be published. I had only seen a little here and there about the origins of Pilates. I found the new section to be expertly demonstrated, with clear and concise instructions.

Part I is the “1934 Edition of Joseph Pilates’ Your Health.” That section was amazing. I’ve seen some of the old pictures of Joseph Hubertus Pilates before, but had never seen any of his writing. Very interesting, definitely worth reading if you are interested in learning about the passion behind Pilates’ practical approach to fitness. I think of it as Pilates’ description of the problem he is trying to solve.

Part II is the “1945 Edition of Joseph Pilates’ Return to Life through Contrology.” Here I found definitions relating to Pilates’ proposed practical solutions to the problems he described in Part I.

The historical practical section includes the best Pilates instruction I’ve ever seen, clear and concise, easy to follow.

Part III is excellent. It’s the “21st Century Pilates Evolution.” I want to describe this section in detail, because this is where many of us will be spending most of our time.

It starts with a very brief but informative history which puts it all into perspective and then brings us up to the present time.

Especially helpful were the paragraphs on specific benefits to each section. As a student, I like to know WHY I am doing what I am doing.

Chapter 1: Pilates Magic Circle. I have to admit that I’ve had my Magic Circle for many years and never really could get a feel for it. This is the best practical set of detailed instructions and demonstration than I have seen.

Chapter 2: Weights
Chapter 3: Seated Pilates
Chapter 4: Mini Stability Ball
Chapter 5: Elastic Resistance
Chapter 6: Standing Work
Chapter 7: Circular Work
Chapter 8: Unstable Surfaces
Chapter 9: Fusion Classes
Chapter 10: Sports Specific Pilates

Appendix A: Glossary of PIlates’ terms
Appendix B: Index

There are RESOURCE sections all throughout the book for recommended books and DVDs. It’s going to take me quite some time to practice all that I’ve learned in this book, but I may check out some of the resources listed eventually. Right now I have a renewed enthusiasm about Pilates brought out of history to the present time.Read less