When I first picked up the Shaolin Workout, I was expecting an instructional type guide with a few static pictures featuring movements loosely derived from Shaolin Kung-Fu and applied to a modern day workout program. My assumpions could not have been further from the truth. With over 290 pages, Shaolin Workout is a fitness book, stretching guide, biography, Shaolin Kung-Fu historiography, and journey into the heart of Chan Buddhism. That all of this is done superbly is not yet enough, because the book is presented with beautiful photography making it great for the coffee table as well.