3 comments about Alfred's Basic Adult Finger Aerobics: Exercises to Develop the Strength, Flexibility and Agility of Each Finger, Level 1 (Alfred's Basic Piano Library).

1. I am an adult beginner and using the Alfred Basic Adult course books. I like this 'Finger Aerobics' book and I use it every day in conjunction with the lesson book. I use the exercises in this book as warm-ups because it gets my mind thinking about which fingers play which notes before I open up and review lesson material.
   
   Highly recommend this book for piano students of any age, young or old. My kids who are also piano students, have fun with this book as well.



2. Never played piano in my life. I used this book in conjunction with Play Piano Now Book 1 of the Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course. The exercises are easy to learn and understand. I have memorized the warm ups by using them every day. My fingers behave themselves now when I sit down to practice. I'm moving on to Play Piano Now Book 2. Woohoo! Not bad for a great grandma.



3. I like this book for the older students. Age 7 up. A little too much for the 5-6 group.

5 comments about The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.

1. His take on fitness is unique. While I tend to dismiss chiropractors, his ideas make some sense. He also has clinical experience to support his ideas.
   
   His overall diet ideas are sound. That advice will take you far. I'm not so convinced by the low-carb test, but its worth a try. My low-carb experiences have been less than pleasant. Probably give it a try again his way in the next few months.
   
   His stress on aerobic stuff is questionable as well. Plenty of good evidence supports more build mass and speed approach. Before an injury limited my exercise, I was following his approach on the treadmill and it seemed to be working. But my "experiment" was cut short.
   
   Finally, I am glad somebody has covered at least a bit on issues like stress reduction, breathing and footwear.



2. An excellent, educational read for anyone who wants to maximise performance, or just get healthy.



3. I have done a lot of research on exercise and the concepts presented here are boiled down from extensive research. This works! It is really not much different than Friel, just explained in a different way.



4. I don't agree with him at all about the diet that he is recommending. If you ever have read "The China Study", then you know what impact this kind of diet has on your health.
   But what he writes about training is really really good. Combine this two books and your life will improve.



5. I love this guide! I think that Maffetone has a great way to train & have been doing heart rate training recently. The book has so much useful information about being a healthy, fit person completely--not just focusing on 'times' for races, etc. I used to train & my heart rate was so high all the time that I feel so much more fit training by my heart rate. Great information!

5 comments about Aerobics of the Mind Cards: 100 Exercises for a Healthy Brain.

1. I've been usingthese cards with one on one conversations with the elderly people in my church and it's opened up avenues of good conversation. I've used them in a couple of small groups I lead and you can almost hear their brains working as they reflect on the questions, work the puzzles. In fact they have "aha" experiences as they solve the puzzles and cry out "Amazing, I did it!" with great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Several in one group want to get the cards for themselves.



2. I work with seniors and used these cards with one who had stayed sharp and wanted to continue that way. Was able to pick out the ones she could handle more easily re declining sight and arthritic hands, and we had plenty to work with. She found them both fun and challenging, as did I -- despite the fact that I'm in my early 50's and she's in her late 90's!!



3. I had brain surgery two years ago and have had slight memory problems since then. I ordered these cards after seeing a PBS show on brain plasticity and thinking that I might improve my memory with exercise (not just doing the same type of brain game over and over). These cards give you all kinds of ideas to work different parts of your brain, in groups or by yourself. I not only have improved my memory, but also my focus and mental alertness. I have receommended them to many other friends and and we're just in our fifties!



4. I bought these cards because my mom was recently diagnosed with "age-related memory loss" and I thought these would be great for her. They are. Turns out she (who is 76) and my dad (who is 86) do one card every night after dinner - instead of watching TV - and are absolutely loving it. It stimulates their brains, they have fun and they find out things about each other that they never knew! I'm very happy with my purchase and recommend this product to anyone with memory issues. I may even buy a set for myself as preventative medicine!



5. I highly recommend these cards for someone who has a loved one with slight dementia. They are plastic coated, so they are very durable and they help a loved one work their mind doing different tasks every day. Each card has things listed for that person to do or work on that day. Its a great product.

5 comments about The Nia Technique: The High-Powered Energizing Workout that Gives You a New Body and a New Life.

1. I started NIA 4 months ago. This book is an excellent supplement to the two classes a week that I take. NIA is an incredible fitness and spiritual experience and this book supports my participation.



2. Find a Nia class ([...]), take a Nia class, buy the book to deepen your practice. You'll never experience life the same again. I use this book in conjunction with regular weekly Nia classes to explore pleasure in my Body. How much pleasure can you stand?



3. I've had the pleasure of attending Nia classes at my health club, and at a local spa, but have had difficulty following the routines. This book breaks down the individual movements, making it easy for me to understand and remember them. I'm eager to take this new knowledge into the Nia classroom, and relax in the knowing. If you haven't tried Nia, and have the opportunity to attend a class, by all means -- don't hesitate!



4. Through The Nia Technique, I learn to life joyfully. Stories of personal healing from Nia fill my heart with love. Through movement I find health, joy and so much more. This is the book to begin a journey and connect you to Nia classes in your area. [...] to find your path.



5. Start with this book if you are thinking of taking a Nia class. The history and theory behind the technique are clearly and compellingly explained. Photos of the basic movements let you practice at home to get an idea of the Nia benefits possible.

4 comments about Balance Training: Stability Workouts for Core Strength and a Sculpted Body.

1. This is an excellent tool for both professional and amateur fitness buffs. There are several different workouts for different skill levels, and it's also fun to mix and match, using different balance tools. I particularly like the foam roller exercises.



2. it has the information you need to help with balance and statbility. It is put very simply and is easy to understand.



3. THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC! THERE ARE NUMEROUS PICTURES ON EACH PAGE AND ONE TO TWO PICTURES AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER. THIS BOOK STARTS WITH BASIC BALANCE EXCERCISES YOU CAN DO W/O USING THE BOSU BALL. IT THEN GOES ON TO INSTRUCT (WITH FEW , BUT SPECIFIC WORDS) YOU ON HOW TO USE THE BOSU AND/OR A FOAM ROLLER (A VERY LOW COST PIECE OF EQUIPMENT). THE FOAM ROLLER IS NOT NEEDED IN ORDER TO USE THE BOSU BALL. THE TABLE OF CONTENTS CONSISTS OF:
   *PART ONE, AN OVERVIEW (PAGES 1-16),
   *PART TWO, THE WORKOUTS (19-32),
   - FOOT STRENGTHENER (35-47),
   - FOAM ROLLER (48-65),
   - BALANCE BALL (66-86),
   - BOSU, BALANCE BOARD, BALANCE CUSHION (87-104),
   - INDEX (106-109
   
   THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK ARE 'CHARTS' (WITH PICTURES) WHICH HELP YOU WITH ROUTINES:
   *PAGES (NO REPETITIONS GIVEN...THAT IS LEFT UP TO YOU, GO AT YOUR OWN
   PACE):
   - ONE-LEGGED WORKOUT-23,
   - ROLLER WORKOUT-25,
   - BALL WORKOUT-27,
   - MULT-PROP WORKOUT-29,
   - QUICK TOTAL BODY WORKOUT-31 TO 33
   
   I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY. THIS BOOK IS A GREAT ASSET WHEN YOU ARE LEARNING TO USE THE BOSU BALL. THE EXAMPLES ARE MANY AND VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. YOU CAN NOT GO WROMG WITH THIS BOOK, AND YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH 'CHANGING UP' YOUR EXERCISES.
   
   GOOD LUCK, AND HAVE FUN WITH YOUR NEW BOSU BALL AND THIS BOOK!



4. For beginners outside the fitness industry. I bought this book based on previous reviews so, hope this will set the record straight... To be honest, yes, there is a lot of pictures in this book... But many of them show improper form or misalignment. Note to the author: Scapulae retraction and protraction are inverted throughout the book which shows, poor knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology. I gave it one star because I like the variety of foam roller exercises. The rest is just same old and bad. I wish I could have browsed this book before buying it. It would have saved me time and money.

4 comments about Fitness: Theory & Practice (The Comprehensive Resource for Fitness Instruction).

1. Hey aerobic instructors!!! This is the book for you. The text covers everything you need to know to be a quality fitness instructor.



2. I was pleased to get this book for an inexpensive price. It saved me a lot of money! I needed it to take an exam so it was great to have! Thank you!



3. The book was a fraction of the cost of a new one. I received it within a week. The book was in great condition and I saved a tree!



4. What can I say, its a book. It came as described and I am using it to study for the AFAA exam.

5 comments about The Ultimate Fit or Fat.

1. It's nothing but an exercise book. I don't need a book to know that exercise is good for me. I'm not sure what I expected but this book wasn't it.



2. Covert Bailey is the smartest man in America. How easy it all is when someone finally tells the truth. Through out the diet books and make room on the shelf for The Ultimate Fit or Fat! There are no quick fixes or majic pill, there is only commom sense. Follow what he says, it will change your live in ways you never imagined.
   Thank you Covert Bailey.



3. I'm a "normal" 68 year old woman, and I've been doing various kinds of exercise in fits and starts for years.
   
   The thing that has got me exercising regularly now, for past few months, is the new knowledge about how exercise prevents Alzheimer's (my mother had it) and Parkinson's -- How serious exercise actually takes advantage of the brain's plasticity (and I have been feeling smarter -- memory much better).
   
   I bought this Ultimate Fit or Fat because I heard somewhere that it was a superior and really informative and user friendly book about exercise. All true. I've been reading this stuff for ages and I've never seen it explained so carefully and clearly and in such a FRIENDLY tone. This guy is a genius explainer, a genius motivator. I now can understand pulse rates, body fat percentages, etc. etc. Okay, sorry, I've gotta go get on my elliptical trainer, now.



4. Sensible, logical, motivational. Packs a good punch and gets one going. Should be prescribed reading for anyone over 10.



5. Amazing that this 10 year old book purports to "put an end to the diet mania." At least the author concludes the introductory interview with this statement. He is right, it should have. But still there are bestsellers year after year that tell people what to eat. Clearly, by now, everyone in the US knows what to eat.
   
   This book explains how to exercise so that eating is just one part of your overall fitness plan.
   
   The sad thing is that there is still no social penalty for being fat in the US. As the book suggests, health care insurance MIGHT become more expensive in the US if you are fat, but that has not happened yet.
   
   In any case, this is an excellent book that gives you a metric, body fat, and along with eating healthy, if you exercise as per Bailey's plan, leaves you zero excuses for being unhealthy. This book plus a single diet book should allow anyone to become healthy. But still there is a steady stream of books on diet and fitness which do NOT have new information. Irrational? Yes (welcome to the US circa 2009)
   
   Don't look beyond this book, its information is not going to become dated. Maybe the explanations of why this program works will be expanded but it has the correct tools to help you.

5 comments about Marathon: You Can Do It!.

1. I used this book to run my first marathon at the age of 50 in 2006 and successfully completed the marathon injury free. I bought two more copies for my daughters and we are going to run the Yakima, WA marathon together, this being a first time for them. I highly reccommend this book for anyone considerning a marathon. Success will be yours if you follow the training guides in the book.



2. At age 55, I felt as though I was running out of time to cross "Run a Marathon" off my lifetime list of things to do before leaving this planet. Galloway's book was the first book on training for a marathon that I happened upon, and it was a lucky find indeed.
   
   I trained with my 24 year old son, who had never run a marathon. Neither of us particularly liked running, neither of us were in great shape. Galloway's sensible, step by step, interesting and informative book worked so well for us that we were both able to claim "First time is the charm". The book includes several training detailed running schedules based on speed, and one that is simply labeled "To Finish". We chose "To Finish", and signed up for the 2007 Portland Marathon.
   
   Sticking with the nutritional and motivational advice provided in abundance by the book, we finished each training run with the conclusion "No WAY we can run any further than this". But we did, and as the weeks went by, the distances increased just as Galloway had promised. Injury free, we showed up in Portland, ran the entire race together, stepped on the finish line together, and experienced that incredible feeling of taking on a task that seems impossible, and succeeding.
   
   The book is interesting, full of anecdotes, warm, and encouraging. Think you're too old or too slow to ever run a marathon? Pick up this book, and think again!



3. I'm training for my frist full marathon and this book has been very helpful! I am a huge fan of walk breaks and the motivational stuff has even been helpful. It is the perfect way to start if you've never run long distances before.



4. I ran my first marathon in Jan using this book and the training methods. I was a beginner runner and trained over the course of 6 months without injury thanks to Jeff. I would recommend and do recommend this book to everyone because I enjoyed my training.



5. I have this book and recently bought it for a friend who will running in her first race. Although I don't ever plan to run a marathon, I found the book to be full of useful information for me, the average runner. The book is so much fun to look through!

5 comments about Guitar Aerobics: A 52-Week, One-lick-per-day Workout Program for Developing, Improving and Maintaining Guitar Technique.

1. If you have acoustic, I think you will have some problems. The single star reviewer was correct. Just starting out you need another book. This books (at least to me) should be used in conjunction with other beginner books (I am using Guitar method). I do like that it gives you the tabs as well as the musical notation it corresponds to. So if you know tabs, you could possibly learn to read musical note placement with this. I give it a 3 because if used with other books a beginner can get a rounded practice in and not get to board. Many beginner books have simple songs, yet you want to sound like a rock star, so having your practice remind you that your still a beginner works.
   
   The CD's are nice, but as the title suggest, the music is played on Electric. I don't think I would have bought this book knowing that what I play on my acoustic won't sound the same and with some of the lessons I don't know if you can do that on acoustic.
   thanks



2. I can't imagine how this book could be much better than it is. It is exactly what it claims to be. A half hour or so workout per day for 365 days concentrating on necessary, fundamental, rock/pop guitar pick techniques.
   There is enough overlap from the exercises from one week to the next so that there is no need to really completely master each lick on each day. The same lick will come up the following week with slight variations. In other words, beginners, just do the workout and don't get so down in the mouth if you can't perform each lick perfectly at the end of each day. If you can't play the thing at the top recommended tempo, then practice more at the lower speeds and just give the top speeds ten good tries. That is all the workout asks. Just follow the program and in a year you will be much better. Maybe not "second to none" as Troy Nelson suggests, but certainly a much, much better guitar player.
   No big complaints from me about this book/CD package. The "Metal" click track is a little tough to make sense of, but you can listen to the first few drumstick taps that start the track, and they tap out one measure each. Also the demonstrations of the licks are recorded in the middle range of the tempos of the workout, but there are a couple around week seven that seem too fast for the notation. No big problem.



3. This is a fun book and can be used in my opinion by anybody who has a little time playing guitar under their belt basically an understanding and ability of notes values and other beginning technical stuff that other books provide.
   This book is fun and very quick daily licks to learn.The two Cd's are also nice one with the actuall examples of each exercise and the second is a drum metronome with many different tempos for different examples and according to each listed daily lick.
   One thing I have discovered their are some days where you may put down the lick very quickly and some days examples you may hit a block showing you where you may have a weakness compared to the other days examples.(Each day of the week is targeted on a specific technique ie sweep picking).Its nice to learn something and to actually have something melodic to show for it.



4. I really love this book. It's fits so nicely into my guitar playing. Every day I can spend perhaps 10 minutes on the daily exercise, and really learn something from it. There are many different genres of music covered, so I am learning things that really broaden my knowledge.
   
   Great concept and execution!
   
   I fit this into my routine of first performing technical exercises for things I'm trying to learn, then the daily exercise from this book, then the music I am playing or learning to play.
   
   I look forward to every day's lesson. I just tick them off as I do them, and put a bookmark on the page I'm at. If I miss a day, I just pick up where I left off.



5. Under normal circumstances I am not one to take the time to write book reviews. This is going to be short and to the point. Disregard the reviews that do not give this book a high rating. I am a beginner and dearly wish that I had purchased this book before spending hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars on worthless instruction books and lessons from mediocre guitar teachers.
   
   The critics are correct in their statements that the book does not contain thorough instruction on each and every aspect, i.e. holding the pick, building speed, how to hold your mouth, etc., of playing the guitar. But, look at the price of it...... There are pages and pages of free material on the internet regarding the actual mechanics of playing. This book provides exactly what is advertised; useful exercises for "Developing, Improving, and Maintaining Guitar Technique"
   
   If you are fortunate enough to have stumbled across this book before spending countless dollars on other worthless material and instruction, consider yourself blessed and buy this book.

5 comments about Zumba®: Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! The Zumba Weight Loss Program.

1. I honestly had never heard of Zumba before I read this book. When I flipped through it to see what it was about I noticed there was a Demo DVD in the back of the book. I felt that was as good of a starting place as any to learn what this was about so I popped the DVD into my laptop and watched the demo. The music got me right away. I love a good beat and I love working out to good strong rhythmic music.... this was exactly what I was watching as they demonstrated the basic moves. I liked it. A lot.
   
   The book is filled with step by step instructions of the dances with lots of pictures to follow along. I loved reading about the tips about healthy choices and taking care of yourself. I enjoyed the lists of healthy foods and the sample menu's. I took a lot of notes and practiced with the Demo DVD. I will refer to this book frequently in the future.
   
   I enjoyed this so much I went on line to find a class near me. I am going to pursue this more and I am actually considering taking the instructor classes they are offering in January in Wisconsin. I seriously am loving this high energy workout!



2. I have been taking ZUMBA classes for the past 6 months at a gym and they are absolutely fantastic. But I began having scheduling problems and couldn't always make it to the gym to attend a class. I decided to buy this book along with the lastest ZUMBA DVDs (from their website) and now I can have a ZUMBA party anytime at home. What I love about the book is the background history of the creator, Beto Perez and the history of how ZUMBA got started. It gave me a deeper love for Zumba. Get this book with the DVDs and get ready to party!!!



3. Zumba is the workout program that has taken the fitness world by storm. It features a fun way to dance yourself into the best shape of your life. Zumba consists of a high energy fitness routine that includes salsa, samba, and the meringue. Its sultry Latin moves are easy to learn and are very effective in burning calories.
   
   The ability to learn Zumba without joining a health club is now available through Beto Perez and Maggie Greenwood-Robinson book Zumba(R): Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! The Zumba Weight Loss Program. The book is priceless, not only do you learn the moves of Zumba by viewing the in-depth illustrations it also includes an instructional DVD, along with the Zumba diet.
   
   I discovered Zumba approximately six months ago at my local gym. From the first class I instantly fell in love with all that it offered. Within six weeks of practicing this workout routine twice a week, I lost more weight and inches than with anything I had ever tired. What is so amazing is that it had kept my interest; I now look forward to my Zumba classes each week.
   
   Get an early start on your New Year's resolution to lose weight and have fun doing it. Zumba(R): Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! The Zumba Weight Loss Program is the only book you need to help you achieve your goal. Once you see that you can actually have fun and lose weight you will quickly become a Zumba fan.



4. This is not a balanced review because I'm too upset. My daughters wanted a Zumba workout DVD for Christmas. I thought I was buying a basic Zumba workout DVD. I was totally surprised to find a book was delivered to my door. Even more surprised when my daughters said the DVD is nothing close to a workout video. We are all disappointed. Beto Inc. have certainly learned the techniques of crass and deceptive commercialism.



5. The product description of this item claims it's "an exclusive instructional DVD with 60 minutes worth of music to help you Zumba your way to the perfect body." It claims to provide "Hot moves that make you feel like you're on the dance floor-not on the elliptical machine!" This leads the buyer to believe that there will be a work-out provided on the DVD. There isn't. The DVD consists of a few minutes of basic Zumba moves and the rest is music -- just music, no moves. The buyer is expected to create his/her own workout from reading the book. The book's title is: "Zumba: Ditch the Workout, Join the Party! The Zumba Weight Loss Program." Only half the title is appropriate. You do get a weight loss program. But if you are new to Zumba, and want to learn how to "Ditch the Workout" and "Join the Party," you are going to have to buy another Zumba product. I can't give this more than one star, due to shady marketing practices.