Logo and Sydney Opera House
Alexander Technique Institute North Sydney

Recommended Reading

F.M. Alexander's four books,

  • Man's Supreme Inheritance
  • Constructive Conscious of the Individual
  • The Use of the Self
  • The Universal Constant in Living

The Complete Illustrated Guide to ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE - For Health, Poise and Fitness by Glynn Macdonald. Published by Element, (UK, USA, Australia)

F.M. Alexander's teaching Aphorisms Illustrated by Birgit Meyer-Woycke. Mouritz publishing

Authorised Summaries of F.M. Alexander's Four Books by Ron Brown. STATbooks, U.K.

An Examined Life - Marjory Barlow (Alexander's niece) and The Alexander Technique - in conversation with Trevor Allen Davies, Mouritz publishing.

F. Matthias Alexander: The Man and His Work - Memoirs of Training in the Alexander Technique (with FM Alexander) 1931 -34 by Lulie Westfeldt. Mouritz.

The Alexander Principle by Wilfred Barlow, M.D.

More Talks of Alexander by Wilfred Barlow, M.D.(Articles on applying Alexander's principles in various fields, Educational, Psychological, Artistic, Scientific, Medical and Theological). Mouritz publishing.

The Alexander Technique - As I See It by Patrick Macdonald (1st Generation teacher / Head of Training) London. Mouritz publishing.

Taking Time - Six interviews with first generation teachers of the Alexander Technique on Alexander teacher training. Conducted by Crissman Taylor and Carmen Tarnowski. Edited by Chariclia Gounaris, 2000. Novis publications, Denmark. Email: books@novis.dk

The Essential Writings of F.Matthias Alexander - The Alexander Technique, The World-Renowned System of Mind-Body Coordination by Edward Maisel

The Expanding Self. Diary of lessons with F.M. Alexander / Notes From (F.M. Alexander's) Training Course, by Goddard Binkley. Mouritz publishing.

NOT to 'DO' - An Account of Lessons in the Alexander Technique with Margaret Goldie by Fiona Robb, Camon Press, London, UK.

Never Ask Why - The Life Adventure of Kitty Wielopolska (1st Generation teacher, A memoir of Kitty Merrick Wielopolska's self-recovery from schizophrenia). Novis Publications. Email: books@novis.dk

Curiosity Recaptured - Exploring Ways We Think and More - Forward by Robinson Davies, Edited by Jerry Sontag

A Neglected Influence - Frederick Matthias Alexander and Prof John Dewey by Eric David McCormack. Mouritz publishing.

A Means To An End - Articles and Lectures on the Alexander Technique 1909-1955 Edited by Jean M.O. Fischer. Mouritz publishing

A Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a884
Published in the British Medical Journal, August, 2008.
Paul Little, professor of primary care. Primary Care Group, Community Clinical Science, University of Southampton, SO16 5ST. UK.

Books not with a listed publisher: Try secondhand book sellers, Google or Abebooks


The Little Thing That Puzzles Him is - Himself

Cartoon


Girl reading

"Change involves carrying out an activity against the habit of life."

F.M. Alexander


"All that I am trying to give you is a new experience."

F.M. Alexander


RE: Hands-on Alexander lessons

"This experience of passing from a "known" to the "unknown" manner of use of the self is the basic need in making fundamental change in the control of man's reaction…Although these experiences feel wrong at first, they will gradually replace the old experience...and in time the new experience becomes established as a constant in the use of the self in daily activity."

F.M. Alexander
From, The Universal Constant in Living. P.160


RE: Future Research & F.M. Alexander teaching

"After working for a lifetime in this new field I am conscious that the knowledge gained is but a beginning, but I think I may confidently predict that - those who are sufficiently interested in the findings I have recorded, and who will be guided by them in any further search, will find their outlook and understanding towards the question of the control of human reaction (behaviour) so completely changed that they will see that the knowledge of the self is fundamental to all other knowledge, particularly to that which can make for the raising of the standard of human understanding and reaction essential to a sane plan for civilisation."

F.M. Alexander
From, The Universal Constant in Living P. xxxvi