Ellie Herman's Pilates Mat: A Manual for Pilates Instructors & Serious Pilates Students

A reference for the serious student and coach alike. Nice job Ellie!

All the authentic Pilates exercises are shown, explained and given with modifications. Always interesting to read and learn someones view on the exercises. Ellie is very thorough and as an authentic Pilatestrainer myself I find this book adding to my knowledge.

As with all Ellie Herman's books, informative, clear and easy to read. I am a level IV instructor and have no problems recommending this book to even an absolute beginner.

Ellie Herman, judging from the photos, is a physical specimen who can do the full run of Pilates exercises and make it look effortless. For the most part the photos of the exercises are very helpful, as are the descriptions. This is one of the clearest books as far as describing each exercise and showing it. I'm giving it three stars not four because it's quite expensive, and because Herman has adulterated Pilates's teaching with a lot of her own concepts. This is not to say that her own concepts are not useful. But when I buy a book on Pilates I want and assume I'm getting a book on Pilates as taught by Joe Pilates. Herman has added exercises, and terms, and ideas that are her own, such as favoring the neutral spine whereas Pilates favors keeping the spine as flat to the floor as possible. Also, she has altered the sequencing in many cases and doesn't distinguish between her additions and the movements/sequences as originally taught. Like Winsor Pilates or Stott Pilates this should be called "Herman Pilates." You can save about thirty bucks and get much of the same info from her very clear (yet still unorthodox) "Pilates for Dummies."