Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

This book was very informative and helpful.
This book was very helpful.However, it gave too much advice about things I am good at.Such as skating, simple shots, etc.This is the ideal book for beginners and those who want to get started. ... Read more

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This entertaining series features fascinating quick-reference guides to all the Winter Olympic sports and events. Filled with fun facts, dramatic stories, and dynamic photographs, each book is a terrific guide to both historical and current records, as well as to the reigning Olympic champions. This wonderful book will explain how skaters train, and what they do to achieve their fantastic jumps and spins. It will show you what to look for in a performance and profile some of the many figure skaters who have become global celebrities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Service and Quality
I really appreciate the service and quality of the books received from you and the fast service. The 3 books purchased on Olympics was great especially for Elementary School. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fun and Enjoyable
My children received the book from their uncle, an avid hockey player, as a Christmas present.A quick flip through the 24 page book revealed the wonderful color and black and white illustrations (similar to what you would find in Peter Rabbit stories).

The story is an enjoyable tale of an old carpenter making skates for his animal friends to use when the pond freezes.A second character, Tom Badger, appears as the bully that shows off his skating to the chagrin of his fellow animals.The conceited Tom ends up falling through the ice.He is saved by his fellow skaters.Tom learns from his humility that it is better to be kind to others.He goes forward as a new badger, much to the delight of his fellow woodland animals.

This makes a great bedtime story (not too long, easy to follow) and a great gift that others would not be able to copy (the first edition was 1977). ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Filling a niche, and it's about time!
The History of Roller Skating is a wonderful book about a topic that has been sorely neglected. Even most competitive roller skaters have very little knowledge of the history of their sport; Turner's book goes a long way toward filling in those gaps, with emphasis on the USA skating scene.

With lots of detail and many wonderful photos, this History is entertaining for those both in and out of the US competitive skating community. It's also of interest to ice skaters and ice skating fans who are curious about the shared history of ice and roller skating.

Color photos would be a nice edition to a future edition of this book (the current edition features black and white photos), especially in the chapter that talks about changes in skating costuming over the years. If there was anything else I would change, it would be to add more about the skaters who have made history throughout the years.Who were the great skaters, the equals of ice skating's Dorothy Hamill or Brian Boitano? Since roller skating doesn't get TV coverage, those skaters are unknown, and they shouldn't be. The book mentions some of the skaters and their feats, but more photos and statistics would be tremendous -- there really is no other source for them.

Even without those improvements, this is an excellent book that I can recommend with no reservations. ... Read more

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Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true...Brand new pupils arrive at the magical skating school for some sparkling new adventures! ... Read more

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When a Russian figure skating coach collapses during a practice and is pronounced dead, reporter Bex Levy has a hunch it's cold-blooded murder--on ice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun cozy mystery
The Good:
Nice inside looks at the figure skating world, and Russia, which was cool.
Good mystery, a couple of nice twists, cold war intrigue, & skating politics.

The Bad:
I would get tired pretty quickly of the emphasis on ice skating, but they appear to only be one a year, so I could deal with that.

The Verdict:
It's apparently the 3rd in the series--I'll have to check out the earlier ones.

score 9s and 10s for this superb figure skating murder mystery
In 1977 Moscow, fourteen years old Russian figure skating superstar Igor Marchenko defects to America.A few years later, he wins the only American gold figure skating medal at the 1982 Winter Olympics.After he retired Igor became a coach, but never returned to his homeland until now at forty-two years old, as coach of the 2005 U.S. Ladies' Silver Medalist, Jordan Ares competing in the "U.S. vs. Russia: A Figure Skating Challenge" event.

On the first day of practice in Moscow Igor collapses and dies in the Natzionalnaya Arena.24/7 Sports Network researcher Rebecca "Bex" Levy agrees with officials MURDER ON ICE occurred.The evidence points towards Igor's long time American rival Gary Gold, coach of Jordan's prime U.S. challenger Lian Reilly.However, Bex thinks that is hometown judging so she makes inquiries of the Russian skating team and the facility management and staff.As Bex skates closer to the truth, she finds herself ON THIN ICE from an unknown assailant.

The third Bex Levy figure skating cozy is a terrific tale that highlights the changes since the late 1970s between Russian and American relations subtly displayed by two New York Times headlines (in the novel that is): 1977's "Defection" and 2005's "Murder".The first showcases the glee and despair of the Cold War adversaries while the second represents the western media's present ability to investigate what happened to Igor.As the evidence piles up making Gary the golden suspect, only Bex has doubts as she looks at who else would have motive; anyone in the facility had means and opportunity.Fans will score Alina Adams with 9s and 10s for her superb figure skating murder mystery.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The 1998 Edition of the Sourcebook is a MUST for every fan
Alice Berman's Sourcebook is an indispensable resource for figure skating fans, coaches, athletes, and anyone with an interest in the total business of figure skating.I couldn't believe the price remained the same despite the countless improvements to this resource!The Sourcebook contains everything I need including rink locations, vendor/supplier addresses/phone numbers, skating events, historical facts and figures, etc.It is the Bible of figure skating.Thank you Skater's Edge and Alice Berman.

easy read, lots of resources, informative
Although, I commonly refer to this text for skaing information, many editing problems were found. The text offers useful information on skating, ice rinks, companies offering skating goods, list of skating champions, etc.. However, I found the 1995 edition to have many flaws, including mispelled words, inaccurate information regarding rinks and companies, making the book to be a disappointment.The 1998 edition is coming in february and should be much better. ... Read more

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A biography of the young Japanese-American figure skater who won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics and has since become a professional skater. ... Read more

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The brand-new mystery in the USA Today bestselling series finda Jessica Fletcher on the trail of a cold killer...

Christine Allen's dream of competing in pairs figure skating competitions becomes a nightmare when a series of "accidents" ruins her practice sessions with her partner and coach. And when the body of one of the trio is found dead at the arena, Jessica is determined to uncover the chilling motives behind the murder... ... Read more

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The portrait of Reverend Robert Walker by Sir Henry Raeburn is now world famous as an icon of Scottish culture. (More by-products of this painting are sold by the National Gallery in Scotland where it hangs than any other picture in its collection.) This is the story behind the painting of the black-clad minister as he skates enigmatically on a gray and wintry afternoon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

skating minister
Great book.Was thrilled to find a book about the print I bought several years ago.Has a lot of history and interesting facts about the print, painter, and subject of picture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent work of readable honest poetry
Thomas Lynch is one of the great poets of our time."Skating with Heather Grace" made me laugh, cry, think about life... and death... and the time in between.Even if you do not like poetry, you will enjoy this book.I have never read a poet more honest and creative than Lynch. Two of my personal favorite poems of the book (I have many) are called "Where it Came From" and "Woman Gardening."This would be an excellent place to start for someone first reading Lynch.It shows how clever he is as well as the great sensitivity he posesses for describing a singular emotional feeling.If at all possible, finish with "Learning Gravity," a brilliant poem (and the longest of the book - most are very short).It's a poem that can only be deeply appreciated when you get to know the author and his style as well as disposition.Don't be upset because he is an undertaker by trade.While that plays heavily in the book it is not the defining aspect of the man and his poems. Very Highly Recommended!!!!! ... Read more

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Toller Cranston is: six-time Canadian figure-skating champion, celebrity, costume designer, artist extraordinaire, broadcaster, choreographer of skating routines, raconteur, bon vivant, coach, world traveller, art collector, legend, and enigma. In 1976 he won Olympic bronze (so why did it feel like defeat?). This book tells the story of his life after those fateful games at Innsbruck.

The rise and fall of Toller’s first professional ice show is described in soul-searing detail. His subsequent triumphant tour of Europe as the Skater of the Century is recounted, in contrast, with wicked humour. There are vignettes here of his encounters with the rich and famous from Leonard Bernstein to Pierre Cardin and of his life among Europe’s aristocrats and bohemians. Toller has experienced the high life and the low. He has stayed in the most luxurious hotels, held court in palatial houses, sought seclusion in beautiful estates. But the hard times have taken their toll.

In the early 1990s a combination of circumstances, including a disastrous professional association with out-of-control American skater Christopher Bowman and a lawsuit that dragged on for years (ending in complete victory for Toller), led to a personal crisis from which recovery came slowly. But even in the blackest hours, Toller’s humour and creative powers never deserted him.

This generously illustrated book is an extraordinary self-portrait written by a uniquely gifted individual. Toller’s wit, insight, and delicious way with words will entertain and astound readers whether they are skating fans or not. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Zero Tollerance
This book is both inspirational and insightful.It is a delight to read and the voice of Toller can be heard throughout.He is remarkably candid with his opinions

Zero Tolarence; and, not all remembered correctly.
I skated with Toller, as a principal, at Radio City Music Hall in the production of ICE, in New York City. I must admit that this book is extremely entertaining!! A must read for figure skaters and fans. But I was there! And though Toller said there was no closing night party, there was. Toller and I were there along with Peggy Flemming, Robin Cousins, and the rest of the cast. Plus, its producer: Bob Shipstad and choreographer: Sara Kawahara and pair skater, soon to become one of skatings most innovative producers and choreographers, Sandra Bezic.
But anything Toller writes is his interpretation, which is slightly different to what actually happened. Still, take it with a grain of salt -- and enjoy. I think Toller is one of the greatest skaters -- of any era. And perhaps the most esoteric skater of all time. I'll buy anything he writes and enjoy (if not agree)every word. His books are hilarious and witty.

Only readable for the mildly humorous writing style
What a disppointment! As other reviewers have stated, I too enjoyed Mr. Cranston's skating. I had read this in anticipation of his new book coming out, but now I will save my money.

There are some moderately interesting descriptions of skating tours in Japan and Central America. There are some vague descriptions of salacious or bizarre encounters with famous people. It should be a lot more interesting than it is. But Mr Cranston fails to make his era live for the reader, and he fails to offer any analysis of his decisions, making the book essentially pointless.Furthermore, any humor he achieves is ruined by two parallel themes: How great and Artistic Toller is, and how much he has Suffered. These themes were singularly unconvincing. ...

This is definately Toller!
An interesting look into the mind and life of Cranston.The figure skating world is shown, warts and all.Toller is definately THE most innovative and influential skater that has come along in this century.

Brilliant!
Toller Cranston is truly a complex and fascinating person, one of a kind both on the ice and off. I think it took great courage to write such an honest memoir.I had to force myself to put it down so I could savour itover the course of several days, when I really wanted to devour it all atonce. I'm sure he has much more to share, and I'm eagerly awaiting his nextbook! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Very Helpful for Me
I didn't know how to skate at all, and my instructor thought I didn't care, but I just didn't know the basics!This book really helped me learn to skate.

excellent book on ice skating
I didn't know ANYTHING about skating, but this book made me look good on the ice. Now I can skate, stop, do cross-overs and somebody even asked ME for advice the other day. I really recommend it to anyone getting started in skating.

Ohhhhhhhh boy!
Not the greatest guide to ice skating! There is a lot on what you should wear and look for in skates, but as far as the skating goes. . .There's practically nothing in it!But what's in it is written well. ... Read more

Product Description
Some 150 full-color photographs highlight a lavish celebration of the art of figure skating, tracing the history of the sport and its stars, past and present, along with information on the figure skating events, judging, skating records, and more. Lit Guild & Doubleday. IP. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Uhm.....no thanks.
I have the first printing of this book (the one with Bourne and Kraatz on the cover) and I was less than impressed with it.It had a horrendously enormous Canadian bias in it -- if reviewers who complained about Beverly Smith's Figure Skating: A Celebration having too much of a Canadian bias picked up this book, they would be beside themselves.There are certainly many great skaters from Canada, but the lengths this book went to in including low level Canadian skaters while excluding high profile skaters from other countries was absurd.For example, on one page there were several young ladies skaters pictured in color from Canada who might be well known there, however they are all but anonymous to the casual skating public at large.Prominent skaters like Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympic gold medalist, on the other hand, were all but ignored in this book.Some of the pictures were also erroneously labeled as well.

Some of the book was nice -- it had some interesting pictures I've not seen in other books.Hopefully in this next printing of the book (the one shown above) these many problems were fixed -- I only have the first edition so that's the only one I can review.Unless huge changes were made to eliminate the bias in the edition I own, however, I cannot recommend this book to any knowledgeable skating fan.

Outstanding!
This book is a beauty! The photography is beautiful, the writing is thoughtful, and the authors took the time to touch on a variety of topics, some of which are seldom if ever written about elsewhere at any greatlength(ie: precision skating). A great book for fans, athletes, and casualobservers alike!

This is a very good book.
This book talks about many things not written about in other books.It has a chapter on precision skating and skating in movies.It has lists of world, Olympic and national champions as well as members of the Canadain, American and World figure skating hall of fame.The book also looks at the four disaplines of skating and show skating.I reccomend this book to skating fans. ... Read more

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The first in-depth, critical look at figure skating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

hmmm....
An adequate and fair history of the art of figure skating from its origins to the present. One aspect I found troubling was the book's committment to viewing the art through the eyes of feminist "gender identity" theory. I'm not sure what an introduction to post modernist feminism contributes to a book about figure skating.
Another shortcoming is the author's occasional fade into modern academic jargon that borders on gibberish. Consider the following gem of a sentence from page 259: "The conflicting codes of both "feminine" objectification and "masculine" agency in the person of the same skater provide a potentially empowering tension in symbolic identification with a position that is neither purely powerless nor purely powerful, blurring the either/or dichotomy of a structialist reading into an androgenous both/and." What is missing here is basic writing skill.

I really bought this book for the picture of Michelle Kwan on the cover, Still I learned a fair amount about the art of figure skatingfrom reading it.

Figure skating gets the respect it deserves
_Culture on Ice_ is the first skating book I have bought in more than two years.It is also the first skating book where I actually learned something in every chapter and started to think about skating in ways that hadn't occurred to me.

Even though it's an "academic" book, its contents and message appeal to skating fans universally.The first two chapters are heavy on theory and may present some difficulty for those unfamiliar with academic theories of meaning, but they're worth sloughing through.(I think you could even get away with skipping them if you really can't get through the language.)Chapter three onward should be relatively smooth sailing for any confirmed skating fan with the caveats that the language is academic and the sentences are long.

The research is meticulous, and the chapter notes are full of exciting hidden gems of amazing detail.The technical appendix and suggestions for further reading alone would be worth the cover price for anyone looking to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the sport.

_Culture on Ice_ is successful as a work of theory, a work of history, and an appreciation of all who contribute to figure skating.Kudos to Ellyn Kestnbaum for taking figure skating beyond coffee-table-book status and establishing a framework for future critical analysis of the sport. ... Read more

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Welcome to a magical world where dreams come true ...

Emily can't believe her time at ice-skating school in the sparkling Magic Land of Ice and Winter is coming to an end. She has met the most wonderful friends!

But the time has come to find out who will be the true Ice Princess and skate their way to saving this magical world ... ... Read more