Last Leaf Press Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy

Such a beautiful book. Written very well. I am into Pilates so reading about ‘the legend’ was such a pleasure. If you are familiar with the name ‘Joseph Pilates’ please do yourself a favor and buy this book.

A very interesting read that allows one to understand Joseph a little bit more than what is written in other books. It’s important to understand history and to learn about how others have made it possible to have this great form of physical rehabilitation available to us today. I even bought a shower brush (when you read the book you’ll know what I mean). Thank you for taking the time to research and write this book!

As a pilates trainer this is a fun book about the creator Joseph Pilates. It's a good read and gives personal insights about the way he was.

This book relates the history of Pilates and gives a good understanding of Pilates practice

My journey into pilates started a decade ago when I chanced upon the story of a 57 year old lawyer turned pilates advocate in my local papers(in Singapore). I was impressed with what he had achieved with his body at that age. If he could have that kind of strength and flexibility at 57(my age today), I wanted in. That very day, I bugged my wife to ring him up for a trial lesson and to accompany her very shy husband for the session. I have become a ardent pilates student, and have pulled her along ever since.Every practitioner appreciates the genius of Pilates, but to discover through this book the intrigue of Joe Pilates the man, the tumultuous start of the movement and its transition to the Pilates of today was a delightful read. I had some goosebumps moments. Surely it was my mind and body connecting to a well written book on the story of Contrology.I always wondered how Joe Pilates the boxer, the gruff and stocky man that he was, produced a movement that often leaned towards the graceful and feminine. I found my answer in this book. Some men(like me) instinctively recoil at the thought of a less than masculine pursuit, or being intimidated(or distracted) by a roomful of beautiful bodies in colourful skin tight clothing. This was the reason, as curious as I was about the method, I bugged my wife to make the appointment for trial lesson that day. I could always claim she was the one who dragged me into it reluctantly if things didn’t pan out.Some of the discovery from this book were fascinating- eg the notion of reformers originating from Joe rehabilitating injured soldiers lying on beds with springs being a myth. Some were eyebrow raising(eg “I made my exercises like movements in sex.. it tricks the body into moving naturally and fluidly like it is having sex, and it strengthens the right muscles, so it improves their sex life”). The slight letdown however was the discovery that the claim of classical pilates being the true and original Joe Pilates method was more an interpretation of the true method of Joseph Pilates by the elders, most of whom had dance background, and no doubt injected many of their dance and ballet influences into the clinical approach of Joe’s original method. I imagine myself to be an exception, but I would have preferred the more clinical approach and less of the fancier moves of today, even if the substance remained true to its origins. Even the colorless attire of the early practitioners will proved helpful in aiding concentration during the workout, although I am sure there will be howls of disapproval today from the many who willingly indulge in distractions.Overall, a masterly told tale. Kudos to the author. I could not put the book down.

I found it hard to put this book down- it is so compelling to read. Facinating details, so well remembered and or researched that brought more to life the man we know as the genius who created the method of Contrology, now known world-wide as Pilates.My greatest disappointment was the book itself - the binding was so terrible that the first 70 pages came apart on the first reading. I treat my books with love and respect - so this was a sad situation in which to find myself .