I primarily bought this book for the 40 minute Cardio/Sculpt Circuit workout listed on the back cover. The day I received it I read the entire book in one sitting. For such a tiny book, there was so much information covered that I hadn't read in other books (ex. metabolism, what is a calorie, mental focusing, etc.). I was very impressed by all this, but the workouts themselves WOW. I love the clear descriptions of the workouts and the explanations of what results to expect. I have only tried the 40 minute Cardio/Sculpt Circuit and I incorporated into my current schedule rather than one of those listed in the book. I thought it was awesome and I definitely felt challenged. The exercises themselves have clear and concise descriptions and pictures on the movements. There are many basic exercises that are found in many other books, but there are also many I haven't seen before and love them already (ex. scooped flye for pectorals, lat pull side, single leg squat, most of the core series, etc.). This book doesn't skimp on the stretching moves as do many other books. For only 96 pages it is well packed with information, 4 workouts, 3 programs, and a nice catalog of exercises.
In regard to working out with books: I love this method because (1) I can keep up without having someone else set my pace and rhythm. (2a) Working out doesn't interfere with my TV watching in the evening. (2b) I can get in a workout at a decent time (I don't have a fancy recording device to help with this problem and don't really want to fork out money for one).(3) I am my best motivator. I really felt Ellen Barrett was motivating, especially because her first exercise is a mental one: you are responsible for you and your weight loss < This is a paraphrase.
Overall, I love this book and truly believe it's a great addition to my growing library of exercise and fitness books. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in exercise and fitness.