The Subtle Body: The Story Of Yoga In America (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I read this very fast. (Ten days for mom of two preschoolers = three days for regular folk) It was full of fascinating connections and revelations. (Yoga was basically planted in America by rich white women! That's not a new phenomena!) It is a cultural history of America with yoga as a mirror. I think it's a good read for the casual reader, and a riveting read for yoga geeks like me. She's able to look at yoga and its practitioners fairly objectively, I feel--you usually find her looking at both sides of a person's actions, but never cutting them much slack. Engagingly written, intricately researched, RECOMMEND. This felt like an academic presentation of yoga's early introduction to the US. The chronological timeline in presentation was helpful. Additionally helpful were the "new" names in the US history of yoga that get overlooked in general discussions and certinaly not in mentioned in teacher training programs. While I completed it in a short time, I found myself skimming parts of it. This is unfortunate because it is quite clear the author gathered quite a bit of research material for her book. Ultimately it felt like a published thesis project with out any new insight or cohesive theme as presented by the author.
What do You think about The Subtle Body: The Story Of Yoga In America (2010)?
I can summarize this book in two words (one, if I really wanted to be concise): Fucking boring.
—boogc999
