I received this book for free through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program.
It is the most accessible book about tai chi practice that I've seen, very clearly showing poses, chi routes and other aspects of the practice. I suspect that it was clear to me partly because I studied tai chi and qigong for a number of years, so the concepts and movement styles were familiar. However there was enough new here to keep my interest and lead me to try out a few of the short forms. All in all, very nice, but I suspect it could be confusing for newbies. ( )

I starting reading through the poses and routines slowly, carefully and in great detail, but only while lying in bed before bedtime. After about 30% into the book, I got tired and a little confused, too. Although there are ample photographs of several of the steps in each pose, there is no point of reference in the photos. It would've helped that model posed on a floor that had a 24" (or so) circle painted on it.

For something like Tai Chi or Yoga, I think a DVD with video should be included. Or, a link to a website that provides videos would be very helpful. There are links to additional resources included at the back of the book. To be fair, I'll mention that I didn't investigate them, but they didn't sound promising because they didn't refer to website's from the publisher or authors.

I've read two other books on Tai Chi or Qi Gong. This book was by far way more comprehensive, including more routines and photos.

I received this book for free through the Library Thing Early Reviewer program.

This book works very effectively as an introduction to one form of Tai Chi and as a reference for "fine tuning" specific movements. It is not, however, a substitute for a class in which you can see a demonstration of several movements in sequence, complete with transitioning steps. And, of course, part of the value of Tai Chi is working in harmony with a group of people--a benefit that is not available through the use of a book or tape for independent work. Having said all that, I would unhesitatingly recommend the book to anyone interested in learning more about Tai Chi as an introductory work, or who wish to work independently in addition to a class. The illustrations are as thorough an complete as still photographs can be and the verbal explanations are sufficiently comprehensive to be genuinely useful. The beginner should understand that the form of Tai Chi introduced in the book is one of several types available. Classes available to you locally may differ. ( )

I have been a longtime student of the Martial Arts and as I have gotten older I have had to find ones that accommodate my flexibility and other changes of life. I found this book to be very helpful in getting me up to speed on Tai Chi. I have since taken some classes but refer to the book to help me remember the moves. If you do not have access to classes this book will teach you what you need to know. ( )

Master Pixiang Qiu and Weimo Zhu's _Tai Chi Illustrated_ is a useful introduction to the practice of taiji for health purposes. As with all of Human Kenetics' books, _Tai Chi Illustrated_ is heavily illustrated with photographs of various practitioners going through the described movements. These help the reader understand the sometimes complex movements found in taiji practice. While that is very helpful there may still be areas that are unclear, as is often the case with described movement. This is especially true for taiji, where the transitioning movements are often as important as what is found in the pictures. This is not a minus for the book but an overall reality when dealing with martial arts in text.

The practices found in _Tai Chi Illustrated_ are based on Chan style taiji, which is the most popular of the several different styles. The book is not, however, an introduction to either the Chan short or long forms but to exercise routines based on the Chan style. If you are looking for the complete forms, or for martial applications of the art, you will have to look elsewhere. If, however, you are looking to get into taiji practice without going through forms with over 100 movements, or are interested in specific health benefits related to taiji practice, then _Tai Chi Illustrated_ is an excellent place to begin. ( )