Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I enjoyed this. A straightforward, easy to understand guide for people wanting to try refloxogy themselves. Covers hand and ear reflexology, not only feet, which I liked as I mostly like to treat hands. Nicely laid out and formatted.

A good resource for someone interested in reflexology. I had very little knowledge and appreciated how detailed it was.

A decent introduction to topics and things to consider in reflexology. The good starting point and jump-off point. In this, you get a wall chart which could be cool who wants something like that. Topics include the basics, the feet, hand, and more.

In Focus Reflexology: Your Personal Guide, by Tina Chantrey, published by Wellfleet Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018. I am reviewing a digital version of the book made available by the publisher via NetGalley, so my personal descriptions are a bit limited. Amazon lists this book as a hard cover, showing an image on the front cover of the bottom of the feet with reflexology zones outlined, and a brief description of reflexology on the back cover. The digital book contains 144 pages with an easily readable black typeface and both color and black and white images. The hardcover book also comes with an 18 by 24 inch frameable wall chart; nice bonus!

The book begins with a Table of Contents followed by a 5-page Introduction that nicely sets the stage for the information that follows, and includes a history of reflexology, a description of the many benefits and how reflexology works, and a few important things to remember. Lots of great information for those who do not know about reflexology, presented in a non-technical and easy to understand manner.

Chapter 1 is titled “Reflexology Basics,” and it presents more in-depth but still easy to understand information. The physical anatomy of the foot, the different areas of the foot that connect to other body parts, and the longitudinal zones of the hands, feet and body are introduced, complete with images. What to expect during a session and after a session are addressed, possible benefits, as well as situations that could be an indication that reflexology should not be practiced.

Chapter 2, “The Main Zones of the Hands and Feet,” dives into the actual practice. The reflexology zones and corresponding organs of each foot and each hand are briefly described, complete with useful images. Then each area of the foot and ankle are defined. Chapter 3, “The Map of the Feet,” offers detailed locations of individual zones and correspondences to organs and body parts are described, again with great images. Chapter 4, “Reflexology Areas of the Feet,” offers details regarding potential issues to be addressed, including informative descriptions of the reflexes of the toes and the bottoms, the tops and the sides of the feet, and the way those reflexes can bring about a body environment that promotes healing and health. Chapter 5, “Massage Techniques for Feet,” presents easily understood guidance and methods to access and awaken the reflexes presented in the previous chapters, again complete with images. These methods are broken down further in Chapter 6, “The Toes” and Chapter 7, “Moving Down the Foot.”

Chapter 8, “Hand Reflexology,” begins the study of the hands. Like the previous chapters focused on the foot and the ankle, reflexology zones and images are presented, including images. The benefits of hand reflexology are described, and a few practices are offered with easy to follow instructions. Both the palmist’s map of the hand and the lines of the hand are described, as well as the health benefits associated with each zone. The appearances of the hands and fingers and what those appearances can indicate are included, as well as a bit of information and an image covering the reflexology zones of the ear.

Chapter 9 describes the setup of a space for offering reflexology sessions to others, including suggested equipment, the questions to ask a client before beginning, and creating a relaxing atmosphere. Chapter 10 covers treating babies, children and teenagers, Chapter 11 covers reflexology specifically for women, Chapter 12 covers reflexology specifically for men. Chapter 13 addresses reflexology for dieters, and Chapter 14 covers reflexology for athletic people.

The book ends with a Conclusion, a bio of the author and image credits, and an Index useful for revisiting specific information or instructions found in the different chapters of the book.

In Focus Reflexology: Your Personal Guide is a very useful handbook for those interested in learning about and making use of reflexology, either as part of a massage practice or as a standalone practice. This book contains more than enough information to allow someone to learn about and actually use reflexology on themselves or offer it to others. Because the descriptions are user-friendly and the images support and flesh out the descriptions, the reader can literally create a therapy immediately as needed. For those interested in training to become a licensed therapist, In Focus Reflexology offers a great introduction to this method, its history and its practice. For already-licensed therapists, this book offers a great review as well as at-your-fingertips information. Even if you are only interested in giving yourself a great foot massage, this book will inform, enlighten and encourage you to include reflexology in your daily routine.

Tina Chantrey is an author, running coach, massage therapist, reflexologist, and Reiki practitioner. She is the fitness editor of Women’s Running UK and regularly writes for health, fitness and outdoor women’s publications. Her website, https://www.tinachantrey.com contains her bio, a list of her books, her blog, and online contact information.

Reviewed by Raushanna of PaganPages.org
https://paganpages.org/emagazine/2020/09/01/book-review-in-focus-reflexology-your-personal-guide-by-tina-chantrey/

I wasn't able to finish reading the book before it was archived and an ARC was not offered on Kindle where they don't self destruct before you can finish. What I was able to seemed to be an excellent guide that I think I would have highly recommended.

I wasn't able to finish the whole book before it was archived, but I plan on buying a physical copy so that I can finish and also have it for reference in the future. The portion that I did read was very interesting and easy to follow.

For the beginner reflexology. There is excellent illustrations to demonstrate how different parts of your body will affect other parts.
This would be an excellent book to purchase to use for reference.

I've always interested in reflexology and was looking for a book to read about it. This book came to my rescue. It is effortless to read; the illustrations manage to be informative and pretty at the same time. I'm sure most of the people who don't know much about reflexology would enjoy reading this book because it is simple, far from boring and teaches a lot. I'll be trying some of the techniques on family members.

A real in depth book of reflexology that helps you understand it so much easier. Would highly recommend to anyone that has an interest in starting it or to further their knowledge

This is a wonderful little book (I say "little" advisedly - I'm not sure of its actual dimensions) for anyone interested in reflexology. I am pretty much a newcomer to the subject (apart from some knowledge I gleaned from an old girlfriend many years ago) and this book appears to be perfect for beginners, with plenty of diagrams and charts. That said, I don't intend to imply that it's only for newcomers, I think it would be of value to anyone, even those with a fair amount of understanding of the subject already. There are useful separate sections on reflexology for women, for babies/children and for men. The author writes deftly and the book is easy to read, either from cover to cover or just to dip into the area of interest. I read this as a PDF and will almost certainly buy a hard copy when it is published - i highly recommend this book and have no reservations in doing so.

I have always been interested in the concept of reflexology (another form of Eastern medicine that too easily gets dismissed by us Westerners). This book was a great introduction for someone like me who didn't know anything about the topic previously. It described the beliefs behind why reflexology can be effective and gave the basics on how someone would get started in the practice. I was hoping for a little bit more of a guide (like this is the exact point for headaches, etc.) for complete novices, but I can see how this book would be super helpful for someone that is trying to decide whether to go into reflexology as a career (or someone who wants to be able to treat their friends and family). I'm definitely a fan of this "In Focus" series because they simplify a topic that could seem confusing and water it down in a really understandable and relatable way. I'll definitely be reading more about reflexology in the future and checking out which other books they have in this series.

An excellent introductory book on reflexology that covers a huge amount of material. It is easy to follow and understand and the diagrams and pictures are excellent to aid understanding. The massage section and the clear details on which area relates to which part of the body make it very easy to have a go on yourself at home. There is also some really useful information relating to running a business in this area. Overall a really useful and easy to read book.

Brilliant book, professionally written and fully explained throughout. Illustrations clear and precise.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This is a useful book, for reference and reading. I will refer to it often, as I find I cannot take it all in at once, but need to re read things. Highly recommended.

A really simple to follow guide to reflexology. As an absolute beginner to Reflexology I found this book was just the right level of information for me. I loved how each area was broke down into different categories and found the pictures really helpful. The techniques were simple to put into practice. Any specialist terminology was explained well and anything more advanced was easy to follow too. I also enjoyed the extra information on using reflexology for children, babies and teens. A definite must read for those just starting out on their reflexology journey.

I really enjoyed reading this book on reflexology. I have heard of reflexology before this but have never had a session done before and was interested in learning more about it. This book is so thorough and includes a lot of photos and diagrams which I personally found to be very helpful with understanding what reflexology is and what it is used for. I liked the map of the feet and how it shows literally every corresponding part on your foot to the rest of your body. That is so neat.
I also really enjoyed the chapter on massage techniques because it shows how you can use reflexology at home.
I enjoyed learning about reflexology for infants and kids because I have an almost 16 month old son and I think this could be really helpful! I want to try this for teething. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!