Man's Supreme Inheritance

by Frederick Matthias Alexander

This book will have you break free of all stress and glide among people like a feather carried by a gentle breeze.
It reveals the technique used by many actors and performers, like Keanu Reeves and Sting, to always seem comfortable and confident. How to break habits, conquer stage-fright, maintain a healthy posture, and look attractive all the time? All questions answered in this display of The Alexander Technique, still taught today, a century after its introduction.
It's a routine that can be learned and applied by anyone. It teaches how to gain conscious control over movement and breath, eliminating physical pains and persistent fatigue. "Every man, woman, and child holds the possibility of physical perfection."
Instead of common methods, like medication or therapy, Fredrick Alexander aims to improve the quality of life by creating better conditions for the body. "I look to that wonderful instrument, the human body, for the true solution of our difficulty," he writes.
Although Alexander's methods were unprecedented, they continue to be one of the most used among elite communities, and this book hands them to you in their original, untainted quality.
"I know that I shall be regarded in many quarters as a revolutionary and a heretic, for my theory and practice, though founded on a principle as old as the life of man, are not in accord with, nor even a development of, the tradition which still obtains."

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

90 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

Frederick Matthias Alexander (20 January 1869 – 10 October 1955) was an Australian actor who developed the educational process that is today called the Alexander Technique: a form of education that is applied to recognize and overcome reactive, habitual limitations in movement and thinking.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think this is Alexander's best work. His incredibly long run-on sentences make his writing confusing. Many of my teachers were confused when they first read this but have since changed their views. Maybe in 10 years I'll understand what he's talking about. For now I'm glad I'm finished with it and will stick with The Use of the Self.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by the founder of the Alexander Technique, this book reads like it was written in the early 1900s. It is quite hard to penetrate, though lays down some of the foundation principles in regards to posture, body use, 'conscious guidance' of movement, habit, and the Alexander Technique in general. Probably best suited to those with some experience in the method, or hardcore AT fans, rather than beginners. Sets the scene for how the technique started and where it currently sits today.

[Chris Hogan]

Very strange to read. I wonder how people will view things written today 100 years later.