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....
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.
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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.As a fibromyalgia patient, I've found massage to be a great help in managing my disease. When my husband indicated he'd like to learn how to help me through painful moments, I began looking for a book to help teach him the basics. The combination of clear instructions, multiple suggestions for customizing massage experiences, and fantastic illustrations made this a winner (and I checked out about twenty or so different books). For someone who started with movements similar to what you'd use to pet a cat, the techniques absorbed from this book greatly increased not only his skills but his creativity in working knots out of sore muscles. I also found myself suddenly figuring out exactly how mysterious moves (from the client's perspective) were pulled off, such as using forearms or elbows instead of just palms or fingers. A few combinations of area-specific instructions intrigued me, and once suggested to a massage therapist, ended up being just the ticket for sore shoulders.Althought you can learn incredible things from this book, it's not a substitute for actual training. Even my middle-ground position as having learned from several talented massage therapists and being able to replicate their results on friends and family members do not make me nearly as adept or knowledgeable as the professionals. It's a resource and perhaps a "Layman's Guide," but not nearly enough to open a business on or to claim expert status. It's not at all comprehensive of all the techniques out there, but it's a great place to start.
Although some of the illustrations are not youth-appropriate (I would not give this to a teen curious about massage), they are still handled tastefully and within context most of the time, especially considering when this was published. While my experiences in massage have always included being covered or semi-clothed, I can understand some of the rationale behind the body-baring photographs. Another note is that this book also features aromatherapy and cultural ideas of healing/massage, especially Eastern techniques. The authors don't seem to claim that these beliefs are absolute/completely necessary for massage, they do take them seriously and present them as concepts to consider and potentially include in a massage experience (personally, I don't buy into them).
Overall, if you're wanting a clear, concise guide that goes in-depth on massage techniques without being too complicated for beginners, I highly suggest getting this book.
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As a connoisseur of massages and a practitioner I thought to get this book for a friend of mine who is beginning their own massage practice. Although the title promises alot, it really just gives you the following information:-Basic Western Massage (Basic Body rub techniques)
-Shiatsu
-Reflexology
There are many of other disciplines I would have liked to see covered, but for fundamentals it is a good beginners book. It gives you the basics and some common sense advice on creating an environment and why human touch is so important. The illustrations are easy to understand, and the artist conveys the sensuality of touch very well. If you want an introductory book this is one to get, especially for the novice and beginning masseur/masseuse.
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