Rating: 
Summary: Good Book for Beginners
Review: Absolution is a good book. It has some good tips but many things aren't so well explained. Shawn focus a lot on his diet and he has a reason to do it (70% of your fitness results comes from diet/supplements).Workouts are very similar to Body For Life Program.
6 days a week - 3 cardios and 3 weight trains.
The differences are: - he recommends doing abs 03 times a week after cardio exercises (03 exercises, 3 sets 15 reps each) Meals - Same as Body for Life
06 a day (03 regular meals / 02 Myoplex and the last meal is 02 scoops of Designer Protein with no carb).
Supplements include: MRP, protein, Betagen (HMB and Creatine), Flaxseed Oil, Anti Oxidants, Multivitamins and a fat loss product called 07 Lean System. The book has 130 pages but you can easily read in 2-3 hours. Great pictures (Shawn has a great an incredible shape). He repeats a lot what he says. The letters are huge and phrases ends in the middle of the page. If you are expecting to learn new theories or didn't like Body for Life, forget this book and save your money. Everything you'll read has already been writen in magazines and other books. I asked few questions more than a month and hadn't have them answered. He promises "frequently updating information and answering even more question about ABSlution Program" but he doesn't do it !!!! I wonder why ... Don't be wrong, if are not a full time fitness professional and have great genetics you won't achieve Shawn's look. Shawn spends all day from morning to night taking pills (it's not his falt but almost impossible for an average guy). Forget also social life and your wife (who would merry a guy that can't eat an ice cream, drink a glass of beer or wine sometimes, go to that nice restaurant and keep more than 03 hours without nourishing his body). Plus, he doesn't tell you but it's impossible to have this ripped look during the whole year ! Of course he prepared to each photo, probably taking diuretics, drinking little water the day before and photos I believe were taken with an empty stomach. That's my opinion, I'm not a fitness expert or a personal trainer but I am a fanatic reader and I've been working out for 06 years achieving great results. I don't believe either, he just perform 02 exercises a week for each body part (even lifting a lot of weight you can't stress a muscle that lasts 07 days until the next weight train). Recovery is important but too much recovery isn't that beneficial. He doesn't mention advanced techniques that I'm sure he does (super set, extended sets, ...) What I'm trying to say is don't forget Shawn is a PROFESSIONAL, it might be possible achieve his great shape but you are gonna have to sacrifice your life and worst, you are not going to be the next cover of Men's Health (unless you are lucky), earn money (like Shawn do)and will have to buy all the supplements needed spending lot's of money. My advice: get information (from this book or other source), write down a reasonable plan that fits your needs, try to keep a health life style, eat clean, take supplements like MRP, flaxseed oil and multi vitamins/minerals and exercise regularly. Every fitness book claim the importance of drink water, eating protein, etc. Join all the info and make your own treasure map. Results will come but don't torture yourself trying to be Shawn Phillips or you will be disapointed and quit a health life.
Rating: 
Summary: Alot of Anticipation, Huge Disappointment
Review: After reading Body-For-Life several times over, I was very excited upon hearing that Shawn Phillips was releasing ABSolution. Body-For-Life is by far one of the best motivational tools that I own. I am a personal trainer and group exercise instructor (part-time), and BFL is very accurate in its description of exercise protocol and techniques. Overall, the fitness and nutrition program it recommends are good, especially for those new to exercise or simply trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I had the same expectations for ABSolution. I waited for many months for the book to be released, hoping that the book would inspire me much as BFL has. However, upon receiving the book in June 2002 and immediately reading it, I can honestly say that I wish I hadn't wasted my money. I acknowledge the time and dedication it takes to write a book, but it lacks so much in terms of detail, and it offers very little new material. To be quite honest, this book seemed like a tool for Shawn Phillips and an unnamed female model to take beautiful pictures together. The book has an air of arrogance and conceit conveyed by the author. I definitely would not recommend this book to others, unless you are a collector of fitness photography.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT for motivation - little thin on content...
Review: The first thing that strikes you upon opening Shawn's book are the fantastic gloss art high quality photographs that show what fantastic shape he's in. No question this man has great abs. Unfortunately the same can not be said for his writing style nor ability to convey the information necessary to achieve these results! The actual programme to me is a slight rehash of huis brother Bill's book 'Body for Life' and I read the book cover to cover without learning a single fact I had not already been taught in Body for Life. Don't get me wrong however, the book got me off my butt and into the gym! But it was a source of INSPIRATION as opposed to INFORMATION. For my money I'd buy Body for Life as a complete 'how to' guide to changing your physique (it certainly changed mine). However, if you need a good motivational kick, then most certainly grab a copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Lame Lame Lame !!
Review: If you have $ to burn, then buy the book. If you like to waste $, buy the book. If you are smart, DON'T buy the book. It tells nothing new, Shawn Phillips is just envious of his more successful and richer younger brother Bill and is trying to make a buck on the Phillips bandwagon, ie, Bill's shirt tail. Speaking of tails[tales really] this book is a fairy tale if you think you can look like Shawn following his book. He forgets the small detail about steroids, diuretics and extreme shredder dieting before a photo shoot. SAVE YOUR $ AND DO NOT BUY.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book...good info...good pictures.
Review: I've seen this book cover to cover and while his brother Bill Phillips I'm sure was Shawn's "in" with the publication of this book, I do feel that the info contained is solid. Check out GREGG AVEDON's web site for great info as well. His site is under his name GREGGAVEDON(dot)com! He was named among the top 5 abs guys in the industry by People Magazine (August 2003).
In any case...I would reccomend you flip through this book while in the book store. It's a hard cover "coffee table" style book and I'm not sure if it will ever be made into soft cover.
Rating: 
Summary: Just the facts: hard intense work/diet/cardio/rest= Results!
Review: Another fine Phillips brothers publication. I have been following their methods for the last few years and can say they do work. Hey, I'm 45 and have abs, no easy task to be sure. I wonder if the reviewer who claims to be a "doctor" has a great physique and washboard abs? I doubt it. He probably recommends the empty-calorie laden and fat-bod insuring three meals a day plan that our less enlightened fellow americans have been led to follow. If you have the will power and discipline to follow the books simple and effective regimen then you will see results.Be intense. Be prepared to sweat.
Rating:
Summary: The Simple Truth of Abs
Review: I'm mystified by some of the poor reviews for this book, including some rather mean spirited ones ("best as a table book for gays?" uh, yeah, there are some nice physique photos of Shawn Phillips, along with a lady friend, but oh well; they are artful, like living sculpture.) I completed one Bill Phillips' Body for Life Challenge, and am on my second one, and have nearly regained the physique of my dreams using Bill Phillips' approach. I ordered AbSolution, because my abs were still not reaching their potential. I found the book to be well written and easy to follow, and the Abs program to be very well explained in terms of the actual exercises. Sure, the exercises may SEEM simple, but they are VERY effective, when done slowly and to his specs. Shawn also wisely shares how having great abs is perhaps the final result you'll get in pursuing an all around great body. He minces no words about saying this is Hard Work, and the culmination of a lifestyle, that there is no "one thing", but the "one thing" you need to do is the "everything", the way you live your life. I highly recommend this book, as a great tool in your kit for getting into your best shape. I found it to be easy reading; I sometimes find books with tons of exercises and exhaustive explanations more difficult to follow than a simple, concise, well done book like this one. Makes a great companion to Body for Life.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a good information source
Review: This book may be written by a PHILLIPS, but he ain't no Bill! This book by Shawn Phillips is outstanding. I have bought and read hundreds of books and magazines (including Body For Life) and have found no information of value to the "regular" person just trying to get that 20 year old look again - or close to it! This book brought it all together, nutrition, warm up (something Bill Phillips forgot about), work out, and stretching (another thing Bill forgot). Shawn Phillips did an excellent job at making the "average Joe" see that they can do it too.
Rating:
Summary: The Apocolypse is Upon Us ...
Review: ... if this book is any evidence. Holy smokes. I'm a doctor and this book belies virtually every basic medical fact known to man. On top of it, this guy is to steroids what Scooby Doo is to the hairlip population. I've now figured out who buys it: gays. This is a gay segment coffee table book. 'Nuff said.
Rating:
Summary: Not what they claim
Review: I have taught aerobics for 7 years and worked out with weights for over 6 years now. I cannot get a 6 pack. I saw this book being advertised at the gym several times before ordering and actually I did enjoy the BFL book so I finally ordered ABSolution. Unfortunately it is a waste of money for anyone who has the slightest bit of knowledge about working out. There are no secret tips here or no unique excercise that you have not already seen. I found myself skimming through the book to get to the exercises at the end. As I said earlier if your a novice to the gym this is a good start ... All he states is that you need to eat right 24/7 and do your workouts. Duh? I didn't need to spend [$$] on pictures.
| 
