I received The Red Thread of Pilates about a week ago. As soon as I heard it had been released I was anxious to get my hands on this piece of GENIUS. I haven’t put it down since. This is, absolutely, the definitive guide to The Classical Method on the Mat. I am not a teacher but a enthusiast with a classical home studio. Unfortunately, there are no classical Pilates studios within hundreds of miles of where I live so I rely heavily on instructional materials such as this, Skype lessons, workshops afar, Pilatesology, etc.This is not just a simple “how to” guide on Pilates. It’s a deep manual you will use for a lifetime of performing and teaching The Pilates Method thoroughly and safely. The “Red Thread” connection given for the spinal connection with each exercise provides a valued reference. Also handy, the POS (Point of Stability) to focus on for each exercise. Also included are Transitions for the entire flow. There just hasn’t been anything (to my knowledge) like this before in print and it’s pretty frickin’ AWEsome.I am amazed to see all the variations within each exercise but maybe that’s because I am not teaching; I’m stoked if I just get one variation right! To see the variety within each exercise in The Method is astounding. Quick example: This book clearly guides one through The Hundred…but wait! there is more! You get exact how to guidance with photos and eleven variations within The Hundred. ELEVEN. The variations help you “build” or “challenge” the body. Also stated are the connections with each exercise to the prior exercise, and others on the Mat and Reformer.There are also numerous flow charts for every level, injury and issues charts, etc. These would be super handy for teachers. Each exercise has a “teaching” section as well (spotting, cautions, corrections, body placements, etc.)The cost. At first glance, it might seem expensive. For those of you that are aware of how self publishing works, the book itself was probably close to $100 just to print, maybe more. It’s a dandy (almost 400 loaded pages). I saw it simply as four private lessons, a weekend workshop or three bags of groceries. It’s not a just a glance/flip through type of coffee table book but something one would always refer to. It really comes down to priorities and what you are willing to invest in. It’s obvious this is a lifetime of work. Putting that all down on paper and sharing it is a feat of great value and I thank Kathi for passing on her wealth of knowledge!This book will require months and years to digest. As an experienced teacher, I see this book as the accumulation of Kathi's decades of experience in teaching Joe Pilates true method. You cannot learn to do or teach Pilates from this book. For that you need teachers, an equipped studio, passion, patience, and persistence. However, if you have teachers, a studio, and the zest and vigor to do the rest then this book is a tool that will change your practice, your teaching, and your belief in the truth of the method. One of my early teachers told me to trust the method, and it would reveal itself to me, and it does. Kathi, you are a gift to this world. You have graciously given us your life's work with your trust in us and our will and desire learn and grow.The photos, descriptions, explanations, connections, and more are second to none. I have never seen a book like this and I look forward to Kathi's future books. To all Pilates teachers out there - buy it. It is worth it's weight and gold and then some.This book is an absolute must for anyone practicing pilates, even if you are not a teacher. It gives a detailed explanation of the pilates mat exercises, how should be done at different levels (foundation (basic) to advance), how to make the variations keeping the objective of the exercise. How to build on the variations. It also explains the link between the mat and the different apparatus and it goes even beyond that to clarify how to use the apparatus to improve the mat. It is simply a gem for any pilates practitioner.After having just begun to leaf through this amazing work, I can tell you that as many great books as there are out there from people I perceive to be the most amazing, of the most amazing teachers of The Method, there is nothing by far that even begins to compare to this unbelievable outpouring of love, heart, and passion. I am overwhelmed really by the amount of knowledge packed into these pages. The photo's are stunning, the arrangement of the sections, the connections...how you even began to organize this in your head, and get it into clear thoughts and on paper is an astounding process in itself. Thank you for writing this, I hope more teachers can get their hands on one of these precious gems. Even if they already know what they know, they will learn.This book is amazing. I am overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge, love of the method and the incredible magnitude of work that went into writing this work of art. And, that is exactly what it is- a MUST HAVE for any Pilates teacher or serious student of Pilates. Kathi poured the contents of her decades of dedication to preserving the Authentic work of Joseph Pilates into this beautiful work. This is a textbook and VERY fairly priced for its content. It will take me years to get through every word. Thank you for writing this book- in my opinion, this knowledge is worth thousands more- thank you so very much for sharing with us. The pictures are outstanding, the information phenomenal, the presentation, just stunning.The author, Kathy Ross Nash is incredibly gifted in her understanding of the Pilates Method. This book offers insights and adjustments to Mat exercises. It's expensive, it's very useful for a daily practitioner.Very thorough and detailed, the Red Thread is an incredible achievement and is a valuable text for anyone who wants to learn more about the Pilates Method. It's pricy, but given the depth of detail, the stunning photos and the fact that it is the output of a lifetime of study by Kathi it is priceless. I'm thrilled to have this book as it will shape my practice and my teaching. My one complaint, Amazon literally threw it in an oversized box so my copy arrived with bent covers and pages. For the price, the shipping packaging should have been much more careful. So you may want to look at another venue to buy this great book from if you want a pristine copyMy package arrived open and looked like someone had flicked through the pages. Also it looked as though the book had been dropped and the pages were frayed. really disappointed with my purchase.Yes, it is an investment but what an amazing piece of work. As committed Pilates teachers we spend so much time and money on continuing education - think of this book as an amazing workshop with more notes and photos than you could ever hope to take in a day or weekend.La reina del Pilates nos regala una obra monumental (décadas de experiencia con profesores de primera generación). Todo el mat con sus variaciones. Para procesar toda la información, que es masiva, se necesitan meses. Sé que el precio puede tirar para atrás pero después de malgastar mucho dinero en supuestas certificaciones de "Pilates", me parece un precio más que razonable con todo lo que ofrece. Una obra imprescindible para conocer el auténtico método de una de las más grandes difusoras del mismo. Me encanta el sentido del humor que se desprende de sus páginas. Espero algún día poder asistir a algún curso con ella. Estoy deseando hincar el diente a sus otras obras. ¡Gracias, Kathi!Das Buch an sich ist vom Inhalt und der reichlich vorhandenen guten Bilder einmalig gut. Abzug von 1 Stern nur, weil für diesen teuren Preis der Einband nicht fest genug ist, so dass ich befürchte, dass das Buch irgendwann auseinanderfällt.Absolutly love this book. Very well written.