Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates & His Legacy

“John Steel’s vivid firsthand account of his unlikely friendship—and his life-changing workout routines—with the legendary Joseph Pilates reads like a ballet fairy tale. But it’s all true. Steel recounts with verve (and admirable modesty) his own crucial role in assuring that the exercises Pilates used to heal famous dancers and ordinary New Yorkers alike would bloom into the worldwide wellness movement that millions know today.”

“John Howard Steel from his unique perspective tells us about Joseph Pilates through the remembered lens of student, friend, and quasi family member of this brilliant, single-minded, destructively stubborn yet enigmatic creative force. John shares the barriers and legal hurdles that Pilates has overcome, many with John’s unintentional leadership. John explains Pilates’s enduring popularity from his fifty-seven years of being there. I highly recommend Caged Lion. It is an exciting, well-written, eye-opening story. As with a Pilates session, you will enjoy every minute of it and feel better for having read it.”

“I binge-read in one sitting this engrossing biography of Joseph and Clara Pilates and the Pilates phenomenon written by a man who was not only a Pilates student for many years but also their friend. John Howard Steel is a great writer with a fascinating tale to tell!”

“John has such a great writing voice. He doesn’t waste words, is clear, funny, and able to efficiently paint vivid images with colorful vocabulary. I’m so happy how good this is and thankful it wasn’t six hundred pages long. I believe it stands out from other Pilates books, because John is a wonderful storyteller. He knows how to tell a compelling story. Even his hypotheses and interpretations about Pilates are fascinating, humble, and insightful.”

“A huge debt of gratitude is owed John Howard Steel, not only for his contribution to the Pilates method at a time when it wasn’t clear if it would survive after Mr. Pilates death, but also for his delightful, insightful writing. Steel looks inside the complicated yet focused mind of Joseph Pilates and the behind-the-scenes life in his studio to provide the reader a deeper understanding of the man and his life’s work. Thank you.”

“What an informative and fun read! Everybody will get something from this book: Pilates teachers and students and everyone who likes a good book. John Steel gives life to Joseph Pilates in ways that will only deepen your appreciation for or understanding of the method and the handful of people who saved it from sure extinction. This story is rich with suspense, intrigue, humor, and information about Joseph Pilates that you’ve never heard before. Some will find long-held notions completely upended in one sentence. Steel’s writing style is clear, full of nuance and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.”

“Caged Lion is a fascinating story about the inside history of Pilates. John Howard Steel takes the reader on an extraordinary journey from first meeting Joseph Pilates in New York City to the global phenomenon that is modern-day Pilates. With a front-row seat, we’re able to experience the ins and outs, ups and downs of moving Pilates from a mom-and-pop enterprise into what it is today. As someone who started a fitness studio and someone who enjoys a good book, I loved this story of focus, passion, grit, and enterprise. Not to be missed.”

“Caged Lion is a story of two men: Joseph Pilates, who created a brilliant method of exercise, and the author John Howard Steel, who as Joseph’s proxy, carried Joseph’s vision and passion into what Pilates is today. Steel, from his unique perspective and deep personal connection, sets out a fascinating story of passion and perseverance. Caged Lion reads like a novel . . . a very, very good novel!”

“Caged Lion introduces the reader to Joseph Pilates as a person. Not as an icon, or a guru or a genius. Instead, John Steel shows us the human side of an enterprising and brilliant immigrant with a profound and very ahead-of-his-time idea about the importance of full body movement as a pillar of health. The book strips away some of the myth and legend surrounding Joseph Pilates and instead leaves us with an accurate account of the challenges encountered in bringing this amazing exercise method into the present. Unlike other biographies of Mr. Pilates, John has a lawyer’s interest in research and facts, along with a personal relationship as a friend and supporter, that create a clearer picture of Mr. Pilates character and circumstances than other books have managed to achieve. John Steel was part of Joseph Pilates life and the development of the method after he died, but rather than using the biography to promote his own claim to legitimacy as a lineage holder in the Pilates tradition, he just tells the story of how the Pilates method was born.”