(1) Thinking About Thinking About Ourselves, The F.M. Alexander Memorial Lecture, 1984;
(2) In Our Own Image, an eight part series of articles on human design and functioning, 1986-1989;
(3) On Fitness, extracts from a conversation with David Gorman, interviewed by Sean Carey, 1989; and
(4) Overview, four short columns about politics in the Alexander world.

Added to these are two short articles:

(a) Experience and Experiments in the Alexander World, a masterclass at the 3rd International Congress, 1991; and
(b) The Rounder We Go, The Samer We Get, The Nature of Circular Habits and How to Escape Them (1996).

The main theme of David Gorman's Memorial Lecture is “belief-systems”: how our individual beliefs tend to organise themselves into a system of beliefs and how these belief systems in turn create our internal as well as external 'reality'. This, in turn, tends to imply certain patterns of use which are always in accordance with these belief systems. This lecture marks a turning point in Gorman's own development. It is the first time that he tries to communicate concepts that were new to him at that time. His enthusiasm for them comes across quite clearly, but the presentation itself lacks structure and clarity.

“In Our Own Image” is a series of articles, first published in The Alexander Review, on human design and functioning. In them Gorman covers a wide range of topics: general ideas of how we think about ourselves, the torso as a distorsion structure, how the connective tissue functions, the body as a tensegrity structure, and, last but not least, the primary control. These articles are written in an easy, almost conversational style. They are very well structured and show Gorman's strength of being able to present anatomical and physiological, information in a clear, understandable way without oversimplification.

“On Fitness” analyses popular myths of the fitness-craze and shows how they tend to produce more harm than good and offers a different concept based on strengthening the use of the whole during any specific activity.

“Experience and Experiments in the Alexander World” describes how we tend to have habitual ways of preparing ourselves for teaching, and what happens when we inhibit these habitual patterns of doing something 'special' to get ready for teaching.

“The Rounder We Go, The Samer We Get” is a lecture Gorman gave at his own training course and deals with the fascinating problem of how the habitual way of trying to change the habit can be part of the pattern which actually maintains the problem. (Anybody interested in this phenomenon should read Change by Paul Watzlawick et al, New York, 1974).

For those who don't already have copies of The Alexander Review with Gorman's “In Our Own Image” articles I recommend buying this little book. For those who do have them I think it is more interesting to wait for his next book which he announces in this book's introduction.

© Jan Pullmann. Reproduced with permission.