Rating: 
Summary: Useless
Review: If you want to learn the form of this style, look else ware. Instructions on the form are very poor. One photo for a posture is not enough to understand how to communicate the movements of the form. The rest of the information given in the book is rather superficial.
This book serves no purpose at any level...
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book for Tai Chi / Chi Kung Beginners!
Review: If you're just getting started in Tai Chi and/or Chi Kung, or thinking about starting, then this is a book you REALLY want! It's absolutely full of information on the basics of Tai Chi and Chi Kung: where they come from, what's involved in practicing them, what they can do for you. An excellent companion book for your class in Tai Chi or Chi Kung. BE WARNED, however: you WILL NOT learn either of these effectively just from a book! Find yourself a competent instructor if you're seriously wanting to learn.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, but not totally clear
Review: Let's face it, you'll never learn the true form of Tai Ji from a book. The only way to learn it, and Qi Gong, is from a qualified teacher, in person. I tried to learn from this book but could never get the forms right. The book itself is highly readable and easy to follow, but sometimes you can get lost. Taking a class totally improved my Tai Ji. Then afterwards I re-read this book, and it was much easier to follow the right way.
Rating:
Summary: Ok, but not totally clear
Review: Let's face it, you'll never learn the true form of Tai Ji from a book. The only way to learn it, and Qi Gong, is from a qualified teacher, in person. I tried to learn from this book but could never get the forms right. The book itself is highly readable and easy to follow, but sometimes you can get lost. Taking a class totally improved my Tai Ji. Then afterwards I re-read this book, and it was much easier to follow the right way.
Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: The author tries to present the theory and the practice of tai chi and ends up doing neither effectively. In the first 13 chapters, he goes through endless psychobabble, new age stuff. Finally, he begins presenting the form in Chapter 15 (after a chapter of the history of the form which is largely redundant of what came before). In chapter 15 he presents 12 movements. Each movement concists of 4 to 6 instructions, but only one photograph. In Chapter 16, he writes, "This chpater will give you an overview of movements 13 through 25 of the Kuang Ping form. Rather than detailing the movements, this chapter will focus on some of the benefits of each moment." What follows is one photo for each movement and a paragraph telling the reading the benefits of this previous movement. This is tedious and redundant and not at all helpful for someone who wishes to learn the form. If the reader wants to know the theory of tai chi, an excellent book is "The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tai Chi" by Angus Clark. He presents Chinese philosophy within a Chinese setting not in New AGe babble. If the reader wants to learn the form of tai chi, an excellent book is "Tai Chi, For Inner Harmony and Balance" by Paul Tucker. In this book, he presents a short form with amble photographs and illustrations and breaks the book into 31 very management lessons. The Tucker book is an excellent book. Do not waste your time and money on the Douglas book.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of info in plain English, low on instruction
Review: This book is a nice overview of traditional Tai Chi, western Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and traditional Eastern medicine. Layed out in the popular "For Dummies" style, the writer covers a ton of ground. Very informative. He even discusses what to wear and how to find a good instructor. What isn't covered (in any great detail any way) is how to do tai chi. There is an exhaustive section of Qi Gong excercises, but the section on a modern Tai Chi form is rushed. Each movement is only accompanied by one poorly printed photograph and a very abbreviated explination. But, as a suppliment, this book is priceless. Buy this to expand your knowledge of Tai Chi, but find a book/vid/class on forms to go with it.
| 
