5 comments about Mia (American Girl).

1. This is a great book for girls of all ages. I have read almost every american girl book ever made and this is definatley a winner! Mia really comes alive in her first book and unlike most books these days her character grows and learns. I would definately recomend this book!



2. I loved this book. I am personally a figure skater myself so I could relate to the book. This book is about a young girl named Mia who is trying to do her best at her sport. This is a good book for girls.



3. Great story about a modern girl who loves hockey and figure-skating. A++ read for 3 generations in our family!



4. I thought this was the best girl of the year american girl books i have ever read!!! Its about a girl named Mia St.Clair who was born in a hockey playing family, but Mia's big dream is to become a skater. When shes asked to perform at the winter show, shes got a lot of practice and learning to do. This is a wonderful book and i recomand it.



5. I was very happy with the book. It was in great condition and it was received in a couple of days.

3 comments about Bravo, Mia! (American Girl).

1. My daughter and I both enjoyed this book. It was great to have further development of Mia's story. No one engages a child's interest like the American Girl!



2. Bravo Mia! was a great book. I think i almost enjoyed it better then the first one. The begininng is really funny when shes Zuzu!!! The pictures our really good and add to the story very well. I thought Laurence Yep did a very good job on the stories, both of them.



3. This is the second book in the Mia series. My daughter, being a figure skater, loves this book!

5 comments about My Sergei: A Love Story.

1. I remember watching this pair when they were competing. I wasn't an ice dancing fan, but they were so incredible to watch, I started watching any competition they were in. When Sergei died, I was devastated for Ekaterina. When her book came out, I read it, and cried all the way through. But really, it isn't a sad ending. I find it to be very inspirational to see how Ekaterina faced the worst that could happen, and came out on the other side with a wonderful attitude and will to go on. It is now 12 years later, and this book STILL makes me cry, and still inspires me.



2. What a wonderful story this was. I love to watch skating and have not missed watching an Olympics since I was a kid. I am familiar with a lot of the skaters mentioned in this book. I thought this story was so touching and full of emotion. Katia considers her life with Sergei almost too perfect. They were so in love and their life together was indeed a fairy tale. I commend Katia for being able to pick herself and go on with her life no matter how difficult after Sergei's unexpected death in 1995. I thought the comparison between Russian and American customs was very interesting. This was an enjoyable and heartwarming read.



3. I'm really glad I found this book at a library book sale last year. Though this story is no longer current news, I hadn't forgotten about the tragic death of Sergey Grinkov or watching him perform with his wife Katya in the 1994 Winter Olympics. And even though the world has long since moved onto other headlines and stories of interest in the figure skating world, the love story told in this book is truly timeless. As a Russophile and a historian whose field of expertise is Russian history, it was a double joy to read because of all of the descriptions of Russian culture, the differences between Russian and American customs, and what life was like in the late Soviet period and the early post-Soviet period. (Although I have to say that the transliteration style wasn't completely pleasing to me; for example, I don't think I've ever read any other book where a double O is used in place of the letter U, as in Ligooshina or Katoosha, and I'm still trying to figure out how the nicknames Serioque and Katuuh are supposed to be written in Russian characters.)
   
   Though the book begins and ends sadly, in between there's a lot of happiness and love, making this into a beautiful heartfelt love letter to a wonderful person, skating partner, friend, lover, husband, and father. The love between Katya and Seryozha is so pure and genuine, nothing like the type of superficial and problem-plagued celebrity relationships we're used to hearing about. It even made me a little jealous of their storybook love story! All throughout, Katya is very honest and open, about their relationship, the world of young skaters in the Soviet Union, what goes on behind the scenes at the Olympics, the hectic life on the road of skaters, and how difficult it was to constantly have to leave their daughter Darya behind while they skated. While I'm sure there are some things she chose not to write about, overall a very detailed and honest life and love story emerges. She was so lucky to have this wonderful man, who was so much more than just an athletic partner, for (what was then) half of her life.
   
   Because the love story is so beautiful and like a dream come true, the reader can really feel her deep grief and sorrow expressed at the beginning and end of the book. It's a terrible thing to lose the love of your life, the father of your child, the only person you've ever skated with for the past 13 years, when you're only 24 years old. This beautiful love story isn't diminished for me by knowing that Katya has since moved on with her life and found love again. She had a child with Ilya Kulik six years after Sergey died, and married him a year later; it's not like she jumped into his bed soon after this book was published! (And since Kulik is six years younger, he would have been a bit too young for her then anyway.) When you're widowed at such a young age, you should hardly be expected to be in mourning forever, and it may help the more current reader to not feel quite so sad at the end, knowing that this intense pain and sorrow isn't such an overpowering force in Katya's life anymore. And new husband or not, there's no denying that her first husband, her first love, was indeed the greatest love of her life.



4. I was in love with Katia Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov from the moment I first saw them skating together. Their classic routines were perfect enough to win many world championships including a 1988 Olympic gold medal in Calgary Canada.
   
   Romance eventually blossomed and the beautifully matched pair were married in April of 1991. Their daughter, Daria Sergeyevna Grinkova, was born in my favorite Morristown NJ a little over a year later.
   
   Reading Katia's memories of their life and love still brings tears to my eyes.
   
   I recommend this book for its portrait of pure innocence enframed in the magical world of ice skating.



5. Love this book! I always was fan of G&G and only discovered little bit more about their life now. It's amazing to find out, that there is actually love like this! I can only wish I could ever have even 1/3 of such level of love! Sorry for my mistakes, English is not my first language:)

5 comments about The Complete Book of Figure Skating.

1. I agree with previous reviews. This is an excellent book for both skaters and their parents. It not only provides detail information and graphics about each move and jump on ice, but also give a good advice on how important it is for off ice training and passion of the sport.



2. This is a much more visual book than Petkevich's, which has detailed verbal explanations that take a bit of effort to visualize. Unfortunately, some of the pictures in Shulman's book leave large gaps between frames, and it's hard to tell how to get from one position to the next.
   
   There are some editorial or proofing mistakes that really hurt the book. Figure skating spins and jumps are done in one direction (counterclockwise for most, clockwise for some) that the skater chooses early-on in their training. Shulman explains this, and the fact that her directions are for counterclockwise spinners and need to be reversed by clockwise spinners. Unfortunately the picture and directions for the one-footed spin are backwards, and describe a *clockwise* entry and spin when all the other spins are written for counter-clockwise skaters. This will be very confusing for a begining skater who has no coach of their own!
   
   In one or two other places a picture is reversed (mirror image), which again can be very confusing if you're trying to learn on your own and don't know that there's a mistake in the book.
   
   There is a good section on modern off-ice strength training, including periodization.
   
   Overall I'd recommend this book *in conjunction* with Petkevich's book: both have gaps that the other complements. And of course there's no substitute for a real coach!



3. I was disappointed in the book because I wanted it for a new young figure sakter, and I was anticipating more pictures -- this book is very technical and for older skaters.



4. It has information to all of the essential movements in figure skating, spins, jumps, footworks. It also has a lot of interesting and related stories to the movements such as Paul Wylie's spread eagle.
   
   A great book for a figure skater.



5. When they say complete they mean it. Having searched the internet for several technical terms I was often frustrated with the limited information. This book not only provides great on ice information but great 360-degree review for the avid skater.

5 comments about Speed on Skates: A Complete Technique, Training and Racing Guide for In-Line and Ice Skaters.

1. This is a great book for anyone involved in in-line or ice speedskating. Being a speedskater myself, I have had much success using the book. It is great for novice and elite skaters. The book offers a lot of information regarding techinique and training. I hope others have or will have as much success using this book as I have.

   A MUST-HAVE FOR ANY SPEEDSKATERS LIBRARY!!!




2. A must have. Loaded with information and great pictures. Also very technical training schedules for the serious skaters. Not too much for short trackers but still alot of useful skating information.



3. From the background I had during my competitive years in the sport of inline speedskating, I believe the book is a complete and technical guide to the basic terminology, strategy, and mechanics that are involved with speedskating; both on ice and inline skates. There is heavy usage on photographs to show you the correct way to skate to reach your potential but to achieve what is seen in the picture typically takes years of training with coaches to show you the ways to train your body to achieve the form and stride of an effecient inline skater.
   
   I also believe that some of the material is dated regarding the current face of the sport but the book is a staple in the sport and is a worthy look for outsiders and internally at the facets of the sport of inline and ice speedskating. For anyone interested in speedskating either on ice skates or inline skates, this book is the most comprehensive guide from a champion speedskater that covers most facets of the sport.



4. This book is thorugh and even those of us that are completely uneducated about athletics and how to improve in them can understand clearly what is written in this book. I was afraid it would be too technical but it caters to all levels of knowledge. I am very impressed. I plan to start impleting these practices very soon.



5. This book is like a personal trainer for inline (roller skating). I started reading this book in July 2006 and by August 2006 I was so much faster in inline skating. This is from someone who has never taken any lessons and started to skate on his own. I did the Northshore Inline (Duluth) half marathon later in Sept 2006 in 1 hour 6 mts (pretty impressive by my own standards). I keep referrring to it once in a while to keep up my training and speed.

5 comments about Young Cam Jansen and the Ice Skate Mystery.

1. This is a great book for your first grader to step up to the next level with. This book is perfect for catching your young scolars intrest in reading.



2. ...We have most of the Young Cam Jansen paperbacks and recommend them unreservedly for other read-along parents, especially parents of young girls. Less-than-ideal personalities, personal conflicts and misunderstandings are all presented, WITH good resolutions, character modeling, and handling of sticky situations.
   
   The main character is a self-confident, intelligent thinker and investigator, with a boy as her best friend. Not exactly typical, and not for ultraconservative parents who think that only boys should use their minds and have adventures.
   
   One particularly nice aspect is that most of the stories take place outside of a public-school setting, recognizing that most discovery and meaningful social interactions take place outside of that institution -- a point not lost on homeschooling-minded parents. The one public-school setting (see the "Lost Tooth" mystery) is in the Art class, where creativity and fun are the dominant theme.
   
   Get and read the Young Cam Jansen series!....



3. While my daughter, age 3 1/2, is younger than the targeted readers of this series, she has loved Cam Jansen since she was 2. These stories are wonderfully written and illustrated and they encourage children to think. My daughter has red hair and brown eyes just like Cam, and now she wants to have long hair like Cam. I highly recommend all of the Cam Jansen books.



4. You have to love Cam Jansen. When you're a kid, you read all of these stories about magic powers, mystery, and adventure. But everyone tells you magic can't exist. Cam Jansen manages to solve every case without the use of magic... she's a real girl. That's what makes her special and what makes you want to red more and more. Cam Jansen is a real kid superhero, and the thought that a person like her could actually exist... makes her the best kid detective ever! The Ice-Skate Mystery is one of the best in the Young Cam series.



5. I home school my son, he's a struggling reader. The Young Cam Jansen series has proven to be wonderful for the transition to books with smaller type face and more words per page. He's feeling successful and loves to help solve the mystery as he reads them.
   The series has good pictures that relate well to the written text. And the text is well done in short sentences. There are some challenging words here and there, but my son is so engrossed is the story he tries his darndest to sound the word out. As they say nothing suceeds like success.

5 comments about Ice Skating: Steps to Success (Steps to Success Activity Series).

1. This book is excellent for the beginner! I just recently started skating and take weekly group lessons. This book has helped me greatly by providing specific excercises to put into my practice sessions which in turn have made me feel like I am finally "getting" the whole concept of edges and especially the crossover maneuver. I highly recommend this book for the beginning skater.



2. If you're looking for a companion read to your lessons or solo forays onto the ice, this is a great start. The illustrations are easy to follow and the tips on how to troubleshoot and how to increase your proficiency are helpful. Ice skating is a difficult thing to learn through a book, but this is a great one to consult as you get your bearings.



3. This book is good for the beginner. A lot of basic and experienced informations are included. A new edition is expected.



4. This book is daunting for a true beginner. However, I found myself reading sections over and over again, and each time I got more out of it. I didn't skate as a child, and started at age 55. It hasn't come easily to me. I'm glad I didn't get this book at the very beginning, but now I find it is particularly useful for pointing out common mistakes, and tips for correcting them. There are drills and diagrams, and detailed explanations of what each part of your body should be doing on a turn, for example. It's definitely a technical manual more than a coffee table book with pretty photographs, so if that's what you need, I recommend it.



5. I will echo what other reviewers have said: this is an excellent book for beginning skaters. It will help you understand and develop basic skills so you can progress in whatever direction you choose, even if it's just to have more fun and be a more confident recreational skater.
   
   I like that she explains the value in each drill; what it does specifically (i.e. "swizzles" teach you to keep your weight on a certain part of the blade), and how it will improve your skills as a skater. I'm currently taking group classes, but it was due to the written information in this book, plus the illustrations, that I am finally able to properly do the one foot glide (and am getting better at it every day).
   
   The actual instructions are generally detailed enough that the reader can usually grasp what she means just by reading, but the illustrations take it to a whole new level. The only possible improvement would be a companion DVD, but as well done as the illustrations and written descriptions are, it probably isn't necessary.
   
   My only complaint with the book is that every once in awhile, she uses descriptions/terminology that are non-intuitive and would not be familiar to a new skater. It's infrequent, but a brand-spanking-new beginner will have to head to google from time to time to look up some of the terminology. In a book written specifically for beginners, that shouldn't be happening. She does specify in the beginning that the book isn't meant to be a substitute for a good coach, but realistically, she should have known that many of her readers would be people who do not have access to professional coaching of any kind.
   
   Overall, for any beginner looking to learn some basics on their own, or supplement what they're learning in classes or lessons, this book is worth checking out.

5 comments about Conditioning for Figure Skating: Off-Ice Techniques for On-Ice Performance.

1. I highly recommend this book. It details off-ice conditioning programs for singles, pairs, or dance and skaters of all ages and skill levels. Strength training, effective warm-up and cool down, plyometric, and other off-ice conditioning programs are detailed, as well as effectively improving your muscular and cardiovascular conditioning on ice. The only negative to this book is the photos and text explaining some of the moves - they could be a bit more descriptive.
   A great book from a very qualified author. These programs will yield great results on the ice if you put the time and effort in to conditioning.



2. A wealth of information that is hard to find elsewhere. After reading from cover to cover, I handed it over to my daughters coach and together we developed an off ice training regimen that suits her skill level and reflects her goals. Definite improvement in sucessful jumps completed noticed right away.
   
   I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is serious about ice skating.



3. This is a well writen book that explains different exercises that will be of benefit to figure skaters and athletes alike. It is more of an adult/young adult read. Overall, very informational.



4. This book was so good from the library I wanted my own copy so that I could dog ear the pages and make sure I stay on track to get my skating to the level it can be to be great!



5. My daughter has trained with Carl Poe and it is great to have his techniques available whenever she needs them.

5 comments about A Journey The Autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno.

1. I was incredibly impressed by Apolo during the Olympics - not only is he an amazing athlete to watch in one of the best sports in the Olympics, but he was also gracious, seemed to know the real meaning of the games - participation and being in the moment as opposed to winning - and his celebration upon winning the silver moved me to tears but after reading the book, I didn't get the same feeling and I admit it left me disappointed. The book was not very well written and I half expected it to be since he had a co-author. Apolo seems to take himself a bit too seriously. He dwells on leaving home at age 14, something many kids do to go to boarding school and the like and I don't hear them whining. He also failed to take responsibility for his own health and injuries and appears to blame others for that. Yes, he was young, but it is clear he didn't have a hard time defying his father, which leads me to believe he was quite capable of speaking up for himself. I also didn't find his defense of the race fixing scandal very persuasive. In his interviews, Apolo seems very nice, unassuming and gracious but in the book he just didn't come across that way. Maybe he had too much of an axe to grind against his coaches and his accusers. I think he will regret publishing this. Sometimes it is best to write down how you feel and then put it away until you have come to terms with your feelings and then decide if you really want to share them or not and my guess is, in a few years, Apolo will regret sharing many of the ones he put in this book.



2. Spare & lean, this young man tells his story with aplomb & humor. Nancy Ann Richardson has not tampered with his way of expressing himself, allowing Apolo Anton Ohno to shine on through.

   A JOURNEY is as much a biography of a modern, unassuming hero as it is a tribute to a father's job well done.

   A must-read for anyone with a hunger for excellence, & a clue about self-awareness. A splendid read in which we catch glimpses of how one person, with many strikes against him, found something to pull him out of a typical city-bound boyhood, out of the terrible teens, out of obscurity to be the best at what he does.

   Apolo Anton Ohno can also add storyteller/author to his accomplishments. Highly recommended.




3. Apolo Anton Ohno is a great speedskater . . . and after reading the book I find that he has a pretty good potential for a writer too. After watching him in the 2002 Winter Olympics, I was intrigued with his story. This gives me something elso to build off of as well. He sets a good example for kids because he is a true good sport -- always with a "That's the sport. What happens happens" attitude. A great read.



4. This is a great story about Apolo and he writes the book so that you are able to feel like your are on the ice with him on every win and fall. You will really enjoy this book.



5. The book A Journey is inspirational to everyone that tries their hardest and loves the sport or other thing that you are trying to achieve. This book shows use the hardship of growing up and how we can trust our family for our problems. The thought of trying harder to be a success is always a part of all lives and should never be forgoten. This book will always be insiring and must be read by young and old.

5 comments about Mind Gym : An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence.

1. This book includes many of the basic mental concepts discussed in sports: staying positive, etc. Although there were some helpful tips, it was a task to sort through the excessive name dropping. As an athlete, I don't need to know the names of everyone the author has ever helped. I assume, since I am buying and reading the book, that I will at least somewhat trust what is being said and that I will be willing to try it myself. If you need the 150/224 pages of professional athlete anecdotes, then this book is for you. If, like most athletes, you don't have time to sit and read fluff, find another book.



2. I am an 1,90 and 120kg marathon runner. When I announced that I intend to run a marathon the reactions varied from amusement to worry that I will not survive. That might have been the case if I wouldn't have had THIS book. It made all the difference in the world. Maybe half of the training time was "mind gym".
   The result? Not only I have finished alive but I made quite a good time (3h44). This performance changed not my weight (I am still 120kg) but my self-image. I know now that the only limits are in my head. I changed. A lot. From the introvertit obese to the cocky, confident obese :) I fired my boss. Actually, the company fired him for mobbing. I got a fat settlement. I switched careers. I took one sabbatical year and focused on learning trading. Here, again, the "Mind gym" made a huge difference. I become profitable and then ... very profitable. I don't own a Porsche but I am free (of worries, schedules, bosses)
   
   If you intend to buy only one book for the next year: BUY THIS ONE !!



3. Pretty good book if you need some general motivation... The author knows the topic and gives some good examples, but doesn't really get into specific actions to help resolve issues. Also, alot of baseball and golf examples, I found it hard to relate it to the sports I am involved in. Tons of great quotes, etc to get you amped.



4. This book is tough to review because people have different expectations with sport psychology books. If you are looking for a neatly organized system of beliefs, principles, and exercises to begin applying to your game tomorrow this might not be the book for you. Maybe you should check out With Winning In Mind or 10-Minute Mental Toughness? With that said, I loved this book. Once you start it you might not be able to put it down. Its a motivational book that weaves sports psychology principles into stories to illustrate the importance of each principle. This book inspired me to write down an effective system of beliefs and checklists I can go through before a game. The important part is the system and beliefs are mine.



5. This book was recommended to me get over issues I had playing racquetball. I kept making mental mistakes and things got worse as the match progressed. This book has taught me how to stay focus and keep moving forward. My game has improved quite a bit and I have beaten players that I have never beaten before. When things go wrong I use the techniques in this book. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to take the next step. This is one of those books that you will read more than once and make notes of certain chapters.