Rating: 
Summary: Better than I expected.
Review: First of all, I should tell you the quality of the paper alone is worth the price-- high quality pages with lots of artsy photos, and a cover designed to lay open. It's silly, but I was struck by that when I got the book home and began to flip through it. It's made to be read and read and carried around and abused.Second of all, despite Oprah's adoration of Rodney Yee ;o), after doing 'A.M. Yoga' a couple times and reading a couple other yoga books, I wasn't that impressed with "Rod". I felt like he was serving it up really watered down, if you know what I mean, even for a beginners' tape.
But this book has given me a lot of respect for him, and Nina Zolotow. Between each yoga set there is an unusual thoughtful qoute and then a transcript of a conversation between the authors. I found these conversations to be really helpful in my quest to get into a regular yoga practice, both from the aspect of making me want to practice every day, and encouraging me not to be so critical of myself during practice. Also, with the tape I didn't feel like I was be given the ability to do yoga on my own-- I felt like I needed the tape, when I dreamed of going off into a field, laying out my mat next to a lake and practicing. The book is a nice break from that, I feel like it gives you the skills to practice without a voice directing every movement. (and you take a book into the fields much easier than a TV, he he).
So, yes, I highly recommend this book. It has changed my opinion of Rodney Yee, made me glad I was introduced to Nina Zolotow and her 1-sentence stories, and really helped me to learn more about yoga, as well as help me to dedicate time to regular practice. Excellent for beginners, and great for those with some familiarity as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Good...Especially for Rodney Yee.
Review: I didn't like Rodney Yee from all the videos and TV shows I had seen him on. I bought this book with some trepidation, and now am glad that I did. The discussions between chapters are very enlightening and the descriptions of the poses are very helpful in learning new ones. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that I often felt like there wasn't enough direction on how to put poses together into a personalized practice. Maybe it is just because I am a beginner, but it seemed lacking to me in that respect.
Rating:
Summary: Nice book
Review: I have a lot of respect for Rodney Yee, so I had to buy this book. I enjoy his tapes, and of course he's very famous, but there's a reason that he makes the big money, and it's not just because he looks good in those little shorts! If you've ever been to his workshops, you'll find out that he really is that good. He has lots of subtle tips and tricks that can make a big difference in your practice, and I enjoy his call to be playful and let the postures breathe. This book is quite different from other yoga books, and it captures his playful side and gives insight into his personal views on yoga and life. The postures are definitely beginner's stuff, but advanced practitioners and teachers will benefit from his descriptions and will likely find a new way to look at an old pose. The dialogue between Yee and Zolotow is pretty interesting, but I have to say that Zolotow's stories that were sprinkled throughout the book seem to be out of place. I guess she wanted to publish them somewhere and this was her chance, but I think they should have been edited out. All in all, I'm glad I bought it. It makes a nice addition to my yoga library and I've found some valuable advice to share with my students.
Rating: 
Summary: A Mixed Bag - 3 Stars is a Stretch...
Review: I have been practicing yoga at home with videos for about 2 years from now, and Rodney Yee is my favorite instructor. However, I've heard some people criticize his videos as being too mystical or too fast-paced, especially for beginners. In this book, Yee makes yoga accessible to everyone in part by making HIMSELF accessible--ie, via the reprinted conversations with his co-author, Nina Zolotow. The interviews allow the reader to see Yee as a real person rather than the yogi "master" he is often considered to be (he even jokes about this title in the book!). Furthermore, although he does discuss Eastern influences in his own yoga practice, he places great emphasis on yoga being fun and enjoyable and encourages modifications rather than a strive for "perfect" form. In addition to talking about his craft, Yee offers eight varied yoga practices appropriate for beginning students; each practice focuses on a theme, such as "falling" or "breathing." Beautifully simple black and white photographes of either Yee or his wife, Donna Fone, performing the poses accompany each practice. In the last section, "Posing and Reposing," each of the 45 poses utilized in the practices is photo-illustrated and described in detail. Although this book is aimed at beginners, it will stimulate the thought of any aspiring yogi. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Makes yoga accessible for everyone
Review: I have been practicing yoga at home with videos for about 2 years from now, and Rodney Yee is my favorite instructor. However, I've heard some people criticize his videos as being too mystical or too fast-paced, especially for beginners. In this book, Yee makes yoga accessible to everyone in part by making HIMSELF accessible--ie, via the reprinted conversations with his co-author, Nina Zolotow. The interviews allow the reader to see Yee as a real person rather than the yogi "master" he is often considered to be (he even jokes about this title in the book!). Furthermore, although he does discuss Eastern influences in his own yoga practice, he places great emphasis on yoga being fun and enjoyable and encourages modifications rather than a strive for "perfect" form. In addition to talking about his craft, Yee offers eight varied yoga practices appropriate for beginning students; each practice focuses on a theme, such as "falling" or "breathing." Beautifully simple black and white photographes of either Yee or his wife, Donna Fone, performing the poses accompany each practice. In the last section, "Posing and Reposing," each of the 45 poses utilized in the practices is photo-illustrated and described in detail. Although this book is aimed at beginners, it will stimulate the thought of any aspiring yogi. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Rodney in my Home
Review: I have been studying yoga for several years and in fact, had the opportunity last summer to take a 3-day yoga course with Rodney Yee. He is a beautiful person. Wow...simply amazing. He wants you to realize the benefits of yoga and will make learning easy and comfortable. When I heard about his book I had to get it right away and I am not disappointed. Excellent for those just starting out...yet detailed enough to satisfy those who practice regularly. It is almost like having Rodney sitting there talking with you about yoga. The hundreds of black and white photos, real photos of Rodney and his wife Donna are fantastic. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in yoga. It is a lovely book that I will keep on my shelf forever.
Rating:
Summary: Unique and Masterful
Review: I really loved this book! It was so helpful; the pictures are excellent (although a little small), and the descriptions about each pose are detailed and personal. I actually felt like my postures improved as a result of reading this book -- and I've been doing YOGA for 30 years! One of the really neat things is he tells you how many repetitions of each posture to do and how many breaths to hold them for -- beginners find this enormously helpful. I highly recommend it! http://breathoflifeyoga.vermotion.net
Rating:
Summary: A Mixed Bag - 3 Stars is a Stretch...
Review: I was really looking forward to this book, as I've found Yee's videos (and Patricia Walden's as well) of great use for my practice. But this book was a real letdown. Apart from the photos (the best part), which would be perfect for anyone beginning a yoga practice, there's not much to recommend. The "interview" portions between Yee and Zolotow are totally unnecessary, if not outright annoying; it's more like a schmooze session between "student" and "master". C'mon, already. Isn't that what appearances on "Oprah" are for? And the poetry would be better left in a separate volume - they don't really give anything to the book. All put together, it comes off as a little too "Real Simple" if you know what I mean. For some reason, after reading about all of the interview portions I could stomach, I came away with Yee having this distinct "nobody understands yoga but me" attitude. It could be the way it was written, but it comes off as more than a little prissy. A little humility would be nice, you know? Thanks just the same, but I'd rather re-read the truly essential "Light on Yoga" by B.K.S. Iyengar - THAT'S the book you should buy. Check out Yee's videos for guidance, but buy this only if you want a good looking coffee table book.
Rating:
Summary: Great for a Beginner
Review: I'd tried yoga before, by taking a few classes at my gym. But sometimes the classes were more than I was ready for, and I ended up being self conscious about my ability - or lack thereof - to accomplish some of the poses. Then I started seeing Yee's yoga videotapes around. I bought AM/PM Yoga, and enjoyed the opportunity to re-introduce myself to yoga in the privacy of my own home, with the option to pause and rewinde the video if I needed to see a particular pose again and try it one more time. And now Yee has a book out, and I didn't have to think long before bying it. For someone like me, who is just beginning, and maybe a little intimidated even, this book is bound to be a great resource for learning the basic poses. I'm already trying out some of the first practices. One review mentioned that beginners might be a bit intimidated by Yee's physique, but the book is pretty true to the comforting and encouraging manner that comes across in his videos, that tends to put even the beginner at ease. I've never attended one of his seminars or retreats, but if I ever have the opportunity, I will. In the meantime, this book is helping me get started.
Rating:
Summary: Liked this book in spite of myself
Review: I, like several others stated, did not expect to like this book when I got it. I can't even remember why I bought it as opposed to some other yoga books I was looking at that day. I probably liked the wonderful black and white pictures. This book is not just an instructional manual on how to start a yoga practice at home. The more attractive element of this book for me was the authors seem to attempt to answer the unspoken question 'why we practice yoga'. There are three types of sections in this book. The first are instructional, beginning level yoga asana practices. Another are the interviews between Rodney Yee and Nina. And finally, there are Nina's short stories. These three elements are interwoven throughout the book. So that you will have a one page short story, then an interview, wrapped up with a hatha (physical) yoga practice sequence. I was particularly fond of the interviews. They remind the reader that yoga is more than the physical practice of postures. They also talk about yoga's influence on the authors' lives as a whole. Since the interviews appear to have taken place over a somewhat extended frame of time (a few months to a year), you get a chance to see the authors grow over the course of the book. Anyway, because of this book, I later went on a retreat with Rodney Yee, which is an experience I recommend as well. This book was an unexpected gem.
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