In spite of what some of the previous negative reviewers have said about the book, the Buteyko Method is neither a "crock" nor is it "pseudoscience". The approach works, but you have to work at it. This book by Teresa Hale is an excellent introduction to the method-only recently brought into the US via Australia and England-that's been practiced over the past 40 years in the former Soviet Union. Some of the negative comments by previous reviewers are accurate. The book is a bit self-promotional and the claim that you can "cure" asthma in only five days is not quite correct. You can learn the method in three to five days, and in some cases even then experience significant relief from your respiratory symptoms. However, to raise your control pause to 50 or 60 as they recommend for optimal health will probably take you anywhere from a couple of months to a year to accomplish. The method can be difficult and uncomfortable to do, and continual practice is necessary. Nonetheless, the method works if you work at it. You may need to take a full Buteyko seminar rather than rely on the book alone. I suspect the negative reviewers either were expecting too much from a book alone, were looking for a quick fix, or had medical complications that would necessitate their taking the full seminar. The book even advises most people to take the seminar and not rely on the book for all of the answers. Some people's conditions require subtle modifications of the Method that only an experienced trainer can coach them in. Maybe they should take the course. In any event, I would most strongly encourage any of you out there who suffers from any kind of respiratory illness, from sinusitus to asthma, to buy this book, as I would recommend any of you who suffer from symptoms of stress or anxiety disorder--including panic attack-- to buy this book. Don't expect the exercises to be too easy, and don't expect a quick cure. Think about taking the Buteyko course if you need to. It'll set you back around $500. But as one who started off with a control pause of less than 10 and who now has an average control pause of 40 - 45, I will say the benefits in my case are obvious and worth it. My chronic sinusitus which I've had from childhood is cleared up entirely, as are my migraine headaches and most of my tendencies to overeat. I've lost weight and am continuing to lose. My ten year old son is even starting to practice the Method a little bit at a time. His sleeping is very much improved, and he no longer wakes up with a dry or a sort throat as he used to before. I cannot recommend this book to you enough. :-)