The Book Of Massage : The Complete Stepbystep Guide To Eastern And Western Technique

Rating:
Summary: A good start in massage, but lacking a medical perspective
Review: As someone who is about to graduate to be a Massage Therapist, I find the techniques in this book to be good, and the massage sequences outlined in the Sweedish Massage quite similar to the sequences I learned in school. The pictures and diagrams are thorough, and the instruction on Shiatsu is good as well.

From a professional perspective, I had some problems with this book though. One big probelm is the book discounts knowledge of anatomy as unnessicary for massage, and I strongly disagree with that. Massage is applied anatomy, and the study of anatomy is essential for anyone who wishes to be a massage therapist, or even a good ameture. Without understanding what it is you are pressing, kneading, rubbing, and tapping you're not going to be able to be very theraputic.

I was dissapointed that the book hardly touched on contraindications(cautions, conditions in which massage can be harmfull) such as cancer, diabeties, AIDS, alcohol consumption and others. Where it does mention contraindications, it's more of a short sidenote than anything.

The book has full nudity in most of the books pictures. While this isn't a bad thing nessicarily, I didn't see any information about draping procedures and protecting client modesty. Also, most of the massage is done on the floor, rather than a massage table and there was little discussion of body mechanics of the therapist. I get the feeling the book was actually meant for 'sensual' couples massage, rather than a guide for someone who is out to become a good massage therapist. In that light, it is a decent book for couples sensual massage.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, well-written book on therapeutic massage
Review: I found this book to be an excellent source for learning therapeutic massage. It also had an excellent section on reflexology. This book is easy to understand (like every book should be!). I disagree with the previous review. This is a massage book focusing on the wellness and holistic perspective. It is not meant to focus on the medical prospective which is mostly giving a medication for every condition, which only masks the symptoms. Masking the symptoms of a disease is the medical prospective and does not heal patients. Massage has been around thousands of years before the modernized concept of modern medicine in America. This book includes shiatsu also. This book can teach any massage therapist and bodyworker the essence of how to let a client heal themselves through the powers of touch.
I also used this book as a reference for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. In addition, I highly recommend getting these other books for preparing for the National Certification Examination:
The Ultimate Study Guide for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Topics: Human Anatomy, Physiology and Kinesiology) Volume 1
The Ultimate Study Guide for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 2)
The Ultimate Study Guide for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Key Review Questions and Answers (Volume 3)
These study guide aided me in preparing for the National Certification Test. These 4 books are well worth your time. I give each 5 stars!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource for the beginner
Review: I wanted a basic book of massage techniques, this is it. I also bought another book with photos that I don't find nearly as good. This one has drawings with helpful diagrams as to direction etc. This book also covers the basics of shiatsu and reflexology but by far the most extensive section is on massage. I learned a lot just from scanning the text and studying the diagrams/drawings. This is a great book and worth the money.

Rating:
Summary: A great book for learning at home
Review: I'm not interested in massage professionaly, just for my boyfriend and I to have a way to treat each other. And this was the perfect book for us to learn. It goes over the three main types of massage in a clear precise manner, describes each kind of stroke, the positions the massuesse should be in for each stage of massage, everything! This is a great book for trying at home. It would be a cool if they did it with a spiral bound though so that you could leave it open to a certain page....

Rating:
Summary: Attractive, clear, wonderfully instructive! A must-have.
Review: The Book of Massage is clearly and attractively illustrated, with numerous photographs. (Sensitive readers should be aware that there is mild nudity in the book.) The instructions are well-written, easy-to-understand, and presented in a friendly manner.

Each of the three main sections of the book -- traditional massage, acupressure, and reflexology -- demonstrate the same richness and clarity of instruction.

I'm personally more inclined towards traditional massage rather than the Eastern/holistic techniques. But to my surprise, I found the chapters on reflexology and acupressure to be full of useful information, and I have incorporated several of these routines into my massages.

Regardless of which school of massage therapy you favor, you'll find the techniques presented in the book to be a valuable addition to your repertoire.

This is a superior book on massage, and I regularly recommend it to friends. Give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: Muddled, but comprehensive
Review: This was the only general massage book I've found that included everything I wanted to know. There were a great many techniques and useful supplementary information. The only way in which it is lacking is that it is too dense. The techniques, though useful, are so closely packed that it's really difficult to extract a good routine. It can be done, surely, but it will take a little patience.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, well-written book on therapeutic massage
Review: Use this book mainly to learn some massage techniques that will probably feel really good. It is a step-by-step guide that teaches the reader both Eastern and Western techniques so you get a good smattering of what's out there. My personal recommendation is to practice the techniques on your spouse- they'll more than likely love it and it's a great way to spend time together while relieving a little stress. I have also found massage good for back pain and additionally recommend "The Multifidus Back Pain Solution" to get strengthening your multifidus muscle found to be abnormal in a lot of people with back pain.