United States Books

I love this book, it has to be my favorite book of all time. Abby is the new girl in town and she moved her from Long Island with her mom and twin sis, Anna.

Anyways Abby is made to write a bio about her life for English. I seriously think this is the best one out of the Portrait Collection. Abby is so down to earth, humorous, and down right honest it's hard not to like her.

There are painful siturations in the book such as the details of her father's death, and the way she and her family handled it. It was with such honestly, you felt for Abby really bad espeically if you lost someone you truly and honestly love.

The hightlights of the book were whenever her family decided to go to Florida for Winter Break, and they althrough started out in seperate ways, but ended up retelling their favorite holiday stories, and creating new ways to celebrate the holidays together as a new family.

If you haven't read this book you should have. You will not be dissappointed. The way the book was written you find it hard not to like Abby especially after all the tragic situration her and her family had to endure, makes her a winner in all levels.

This book was so sad, it went into alot of detail about Abby's dad's death and how her mum never really gets over it (well, thats my impression) and how and how she went through everything. You really start to feel bad for Abby in the end! Read it if you like serious books, but not if you dont!

This book is the best, since Abby's the best baby-sitter! I really miss her in the new series, Friends Forever! I wish that there was a real person like Abby, so I could meet her! Please write some more regular BSC books, Ann, I really miss Abby!

Abby is, without question, my favorite member of the BSC series. (Yes, folks, the BSC has a following of ALL ages). Abby is smart, funny, wonderfully clever and gifted with natural expression. She's great! I like the way she tells her story in a tone of unflinching honesty and the part about the deep bond she and her dad have is classic. I also loved the way Abby's twin, Anna used musical terms to name the chapters of her version of their lives together. The sisters balance one another well. Abby is a very distinct personality and she is sorely missed in the new series. I wish Ann M. Martin would bring her back. Abby rocks!

The book has some parts which are funny and sad. Abby tells us how she was born and how she lived on Long Island.

Authors Jerry Sprout and Janine Sprout have explored the Sierra Nevada for more than twenty years; Alpine Sierra Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Ski, Bike, Fish, Drive from Tahoe to Yosemite is the culmination of their combined experience. Written for families and veteran hikers alike, Alpine Sierra Trailblazer covers 88 different trailheads suitable for assorted levels of experience, 51 cross country ski and snowshoeing spots, 72 places ideal for fishing in lakes and rivers or creeks, 6 driving tours, 148 black-and-white photographs, 7 maps, and much more. Organized primarily by site - each ideal location to visit is listed successively, along with notes about its highlights and extensive directions - Alpine Sierra Trailblazer is an excellent supplementary resource for anyone seeking to see Sierra Nevada's natural beauty and wonders for themselves.

My first visit to Lake Tahoe last week and not knowing where to go I picked up this travel guide. Off trail and on trail the seepsprings were alive with yellows, blues, oranges and it's only going to get better. Some of the hikes at the higher elevations are still snowbound but there are plenty of listings around the lake to keep me going. The list of dayhikes in this book is staggering and since it's written by locals has real credo. You can't beat all the clean air up at Big Blue.

Since I live downslope from Yosemite and Tahoe I consider it my backyard recreation area. Cross country ski trails, hiking trails, trails bordering the Great Basin, they're all in here. I like to fish and this serves as my river guide too. It's very user friendly and has a real personal touch. These guys are trail experts and list all the good ones and those less traveled. My son and his wife have gone to Hawaii with their Kauai book and tell me it's also a winner.

This is the third guide we've used in this outdoor series. The Kauai and Golden Gate books have become mainstays in our hiking collection. I like their system for organizing their activities according to region and this one follows the same format. It spans the area from Yosemite's Tioga Pass, takes in Ebbetts and Monitor and Carson passes and covers south Lake Tahoe's turf. This is the author's home base and they certainly have the credentials for knowing all the best trails and sightseeing backroads.

There aren't many adventure guides that feel as personal or are multi-use like this one. We cross country ski, fish, hike, camp and mountain bike so for our family it's a perfect fit.

Two books you most definitely need if you're hanging out at Tahoe is this one and the Tahoe Rim Trail guide. This area has some of the best hiking in the western U.S. We found both books to be extremely current and clearly written.

So far we've used them for both dayhiking and and overnight backpacking trips up at the north end of Lake Tahoe and due south around Carson Pass. Having two to compare has given us extra ideas for sidetrips. We're a family of four and have gotten alot of use from these top notch trail resources.

I received this book for my 10th birthday from my parents, many years ago. At the time, I was very impressionable and this book made a significant impact on my life. I learned then that what we as fallible humans consider to be "imperfect" according to our standards of ignorance and bias is usually the most precious of all things to God.

Now, I have a two-year-old son with Down Syndrome and I can relate in so many ways to this book. As I look back over my life and various correlating events that have taken place, I see that God was preparing me to be the mother of a special needs child all along. And it all started with this one little book.

I doubt even Dale Evans knew how much this little book would touch lives. It was published in 1953 and my 6th grade teacher read the book to all of us in her class years later. Of course, we were all Dale and Roy's fans so we could not wait until the next day when she read another chapter. It is one book that I have read over and over again. It is amazing how Dale got Robin's message which was told from her point of view. If you want to read a book that is life touching, then read "Angel Unaware". The Bible verse from Hebrews is still my favorite verse.

I bought this as a present for my wife and it moved both of us to tears. Wonderful.

I first read this book shortly after I learned to read, at my grandparents house. The book was hardcover with a pink cover page.

Every time I went to my grandparents I would reread the book.

This book will bring tears to your eyes, and it shows that you are truly not alone.

Karen

A brief story of a child with Downs Syndrome, born to Dale Evans & Roy Rogers, this story reaffirms the obvious...God makes no mistakes, & uses all things to draw us closer to Him.

These are well written and richly tex-tured coming of age sagas of Hampton-dwellers. It turns out that they are just as interesting as anyone else's young trials and struggles.

if not the best book ever... then I don't know what is.
This book is so strong and so entrancingly written. Her style is amazing, as is her insight.
The main character describes herself, and the things which happen to her through amazingly new, bodily metaphors. The man she falls in love with reminds one of Howard Roark from The Fountainhead, though not as blatantly preachy.

I just finished H.T. Hamann's "Anthropology of an American Girl" and I loved it! A friend of mine recommended it to me and I was skeptical--I thought it would be a "girl book." I was completely wrong. (I guess you should never judge a book by it's cover, or title for that matter.) It was one of the best books I've ever read. Intellegent, vivid and real are the three words that come to mind. This book spoke to me like no other book has. I want everyone to share in this experience.

What an amazing coincidence that almost all of the reviews of this book are rated 5 stars, that almost all of the reviews are by reviewers who haven't reviewed any other books, and that almost all the reviews say almost the same things about the book.

Gosh, It's almost like the writer had all his friends go out and write positive reviews of the book!

Anthropology of an American Girl is an amazing book that is meant to be read slowly and savored. It's one of the most well-written books I've ever read- every word was so carefully chosen that each sentence is like a line of poetry. Don't be intimidated, though- it's totally readable and accessible. It's just the type of book that should be read thoroughly to truly be enjoyed and appreciated. Even the book itself is exquisite- it's rare to see a book that was so thoughtfully created with the essence of the novel in mind. It's really something to save and to treasure.
The story itself is beautiful as well- it's written in the first person so insightfully that by the end of the novel, you feel like you really know Eveline (the main character), whose life we follow from the end of high school through the end of college. The author is excellent at developing characters: Eveline is complex, flawed, and real, as are the other characters whose lives we follow through Eveline. As a girl around Eveline's age, I could relate to many of her struggles, but the issues that she confronts (falling in love, breaking up, the deaths of loved ones, evolving friendships, moving out, and growing up in general) are universal.
I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates beautiful writing and loves to become immersed in a story. The book's website, www.anthropologyofanamericangirl.com, gave insight into the author's creative process and helped me understand the book as a whole much better- the site has author interviews recorded from the radio, reviews, excerpts from the book, and thoughts from the author herself. Definitely worth a look- even if it's just to check out the website, which, like the book, was beautifully designed.
All in all, highly recommended for someone looking for something different.

Interesting book really makes you think about self defense in todays world. I grew up with guns, hunting and target shooting so I might have a different perspective than most. Having a loaded gun readily accessable is a huge responsibility that can either save your life or ruin it forever.

If you even thought about owning a gun you should have this book. It is full of factual information regarding crime statistics, dos and don'ts regarding gun ownership and use. It is written by a women for women and I bought it for my wife but I read every page. I recommend it highly.

Larry C

Informative
Great to give your lady if you would like her to consider arming herself

Thoughtful, informative and written in simple language for the woman who has, or is intending to own/carry a concealed weapon.
Covers types of handguns, true life experiences, other means of self defense and consequences of using lethal force.

I bought it for her and she thought it was worthwhile. So much so I ordered some similar titles. These books aren't crazy. They're for women that refuse to be victims.

As one who can personally relate to the stories told by Schaeffer, I just couldn't put the book down. He cycles from view to view of multiple characters, fully examining the situations and events throughout the book. The multiple viewpoints don't lend themselves to individual favor, aka good and bad people, but more to the thoughts and actions you commonly wouldn't assosiate with people put in these situations.

Great book, very detailed and descriptive of events you wouldn't associate with a military enlistment.

I loved this book. Mr. Schaeffer is not only a very, very good writer, he also captures the feelings of an unlikely military family. I highly recommend this book for military and non military. If you are a military family, you will cry, we always do. If you are not, read it anyway, it's a good read.

I have read Schaeffer's Calvin Becker trilogy plus the book (title escapes me) written jointly with his son. Baby Jack starts out sounding written in one voice (Frank's) which I was finding a little disappointing. The author surprised me as he introduced new voices to further the story a definite new twist. I hesitate to say more for giving away the story. A must read for all families with sons and daughters in the military. It is also a must read for those of us who oppose the war in the Middle East to remind us at what cost we have the freedoms we have today.

Baby Jack

Todd Ogden, an acclaimed painter with works in museums around the world and a supposedly successful thirty-year marriage is living in and painting his two hundred year old house when his youngest son, Jack joins the Marines instead of going to college. Jack goes to Iraq and is killed. Baby Jack is the story of how his baby son is coped with by the baby's grandfather.

Recommended for fans of Frank Schaeffer

Gunner December 2007

This is an extraordinary book about the meaning of service and sacrifice. Given that we are at war, it is a book that "must be read" if we are to understand that the war is being fought by a very few and their loved ones. It is not a political polemic. It is the story of a young man who chooses to become a Marine and the profound impact of that choice.

Highly recommended.

Upon rereading this recently, I discover many areas in which Niven's memory is faulty in recalling certain events. This isn't surprising, given the fact that he was writing his memoirs decades after said events took place.

Some are frantic to know who "Our Little Girl" could have been. It can only have been Vivien Leigh. No, she wasn't from Arizona, she wasn't a blonde, etc. This would have been Niven's way of protecting her identity by creating an entirely different look and background from Leigh's own. When Leigh had her famous breakdown, Niven stayed with her for two days until Laurence Olivier, who was still married to her at the time, could come from England. Niven writes about this very occurrence in "Our Little Girl", which helps to identify the actress as Leigh. He was good friends with both of them, which may be why he chose to hide her identity rather than to give it out straight - Leigh died years before the book was published, but Olivier was still very much alive.

Niven has a style that is very easy to read, very human, warm, and often hysterically funny. He shows us a Hollywood apart from the glamor, the opening nights of movies, the gorgeous people. His Hollywood is populated by real people with real faults. A widower himself (his first wife died as the result of a tragic accident), he treats the stories of Clark Gable and Fred Astaire, both widowers, with empathy and compassion.

Tricky memory notwithstanding, it's still a wonderful read.

What a treat! So refreshing to have someone as talented and connected as Niven share his uncensored experiences. The stories of Errol were moving beyond anything I'd ever read about him before. Everyone has sung this book's merits, I want to concentrate on "Our Little Girl". WHO THE HECK WAS THAT???? People are saying Vivien Leigh (came from Arizona, left her mother behind, had a baby, married a camera man, married three times, grew up in the Hollywood system, a blonde known as the Erector set?????) Vivien Leigh doesn't even begin to fit this description. Lana Turner seems most viable but these details do not fit her story either. Same with Rita Hayworth. WHO WAS IT???

I read both books at school in the eighties. I well remember coming across them at the back of the room in my English teacher's large bookcase. I don't remember much, just that they were a great read. Well his first time sticks in my memory....

There is another book about David Niven, titled The Other Side of the Moon. Its author is Sheridan Morley. You might want to read Mr. Morley's recitation of David Niven's life in order to get a more balanced picture. Bring on the Empty Horses is much more about the famous people with whom David Niven hobnobbed during his Hollywood career, than it is about David Niven himself. As to himself, Mr. Niven plays it close to the vest in his autobiography. Mr. Niven makes only a passing reference to the multi-year affair he conducted with Merle Oberon. And a mystery that was not addressed in the autobiography, or in Mr. Morley's book, is exactly how Mr. Niven's wife died. The story from Mr. Niven is that his first wife died accidentally by taking a fall while playing "hide and go seek" at a party at a friend's house. Oh, please! No adult, let alone the sophisticated glitterati of Hollywood, played "hide and go seek." I get the impression that Mr. Niven's autobiography presents a very calculated and sanitized image of himself and his life. But the stories his book relates of his Hollywood friends are indeed fascinating.

David Niven is an often neglected actor from the Golden Age, but as a man, he was very likable. This book is proof that the talented actor was also a talented writer. He discusses many different people and scenerios in this book, the title of which is derived from an amusing incident on a film set. He writes with depth and clarity; it is obvious he has really analyzed the people he mentions. His respect for fellow stars and directors is admirable, especially the malligned ones.

Here we learn that the "Goldwynisms" that Samuel Goldwyn is so famous for might have all been made-up. We learn that Errol Flynn was indeed a womanizer, but no rapist. We hear an amusing story about Edward Goulding's funeral complete with the worst pallbearer casting in history.

The oddest thing in the book is a short story in the form of a chapter called "Our Little Girl." I still am not sure why it was included.

Never fails to delight. Enjoyable reading. Mayhem in an antique shop is no match for the feline with more than the usual amount of whiskers.

With the third installement in The Cat Who...series this is by far the funniest.

With his new assignment in junktown, learning all about antiques and the dealers that come with it Qwill stumbbles onto what looks like another odd murder mystery. Once his mustache starts twiching and his partners, KoKo and Yum, start their usual shenanigans Qwill knows for sure he is right. The only thing left for him to do is to figure out which of the colorful characters of junktown could be the culprit.
With even more colorful, fun and way out there characters this book will definitely leave you wanting more and more of Qwill and his furry gang of friends. Next on the list is The Cat Who Saw Red.

Always great listening to a Braun mystery narrated by the talented George Guidall.

In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

I am Pete Sampras` fan and of course I enjoyed this book a lot!
I knew about most of the matches and important events, so it was really interesting to read Pete`s view of things.
And at the end I had a feeling, that the book was too thin:)

Pete Sampras is my all time favorite tennis player and this book was a unique opportunity to gain insight into the personality and make up of one of the greatest champions of all time. It is hard to put the book down, once you start reading it. I would definitely recommend it to tennis players and non-tennis players alike.

What a wonderful book. I could read a section about a match and want to pull out a tape and watch the match over because the book explained what Pete was feeling as he went through the match. Also, it was so interesting to read about how he was feeling during the many emotional times times in his life. The book shows us a Sampras that we rarely saw on the court.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to everyone, not just tennis fans.

The audio book I purchased by Pete Sampras called A Champion's Mind was a great price and in great condition. It has been very enjoyable to listen to. I couldn't get over the reasonable price and how quickly I received it!

Pete Sampras - A Champions Mind was truly an amazing experience. Sampras lets you into his heart & mind and once you start reading his autobiography you just cannot put this book down. He really deserved more
respect than what he had received. I truly recommend this book to everyone, especially up and coming young athletes. Sampras was born with TALENT and was a true Gentleman but hard work is what made him a true Champion.

I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down. The reason I gave it three stars was that I found the written descriptions of the stunts, etc. REALLY hard to picture in my mind's eye, and it was frustrating. Obviously, I am NOT an ex-cheerleader!

So that's what drags my score down. Now, that "faux movie trailer" here on Amazon REALLY helped me envision the moves. It was cool to see the three teams "come to life." It is AMAZING what these true athletes can do.

I have been in the cheerleading world for 11+ years, competing at high school, collegic and All Star level. Reading this book was a great experience for me as I no longer get to cheer in the college environment, but do miss it. Reading this book was a walk down memory lane for me.

In some places throughout the book, I had trouble following the descriptions of the of the routines. I would have done better with the use of the technical terms of each move, rather than the verbose descriptions, as I didn't really have the patients to read the full descriptions. I'm not sure how they will translate to someone who is not familiar with the sport.

What is really exciting about this book is the accuracy. Many modern portrayals of cheerleading treat it as a joke. This book explains the sport, why it's difficult, how dangerous the sport really is and isn't. It is really refreshing in that aspect.

There is a word of caution: THIS BOOK COVERS MATURE CONTENT. There are references to the very ugly sides of college cheerleading like: drug use, and eating disorders. As a coach, I wish this book had taken a stronger stance against these practices. There are MANY college cheerleaders who do not take drugs, and who do not have eating restrictions. This is a very sensitive subject, and I would hate for young cheerleaders to aspire to this type of behavior because of heroes found in this book.

All in all, this was a good book, and I would recommend it.

What do you really know about cheerleading? Not the silly dance-stepping of Lakers girls, but competitive cheerleading, where extreme athletes fight to get into the colleges with the best teams, and train obsessively to compete in National Championships, where trained gymnasts are thrown thirty feet into the air with only the hope that their partner will catch them before they hit the ground. Kate Torgovnick has done a fascinating job of reporting, and this book will open your eyes to a whole new sport.

In the Authors Note to CHEER!, Kate Torgovnick writes that "I wanted to fell the story of competitive cheerleading." MS. Torgovnick thus informs the reader that hers is to be a non-fiction journalistic endeaver. Kate reinforces this understanding between writer and reader by thanking her high school teacher for making Kate the journalist that she is today.
"Journalism" is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as "[t]he style of writing characteristic of material in newspapers and magazines, consisting of direct presentation of facts or occurrences with little attempt at analysis or interpretation." Think: Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Joe "Nothing-But-The-Facts" Friday; "fly-on-the-wall" reporting.
When Ms. Torgovnick decides to be a journalist, her writing is nothing short of phenomenal. She has an uncanny ability to create images, most notably of people, by the use of unique vocabulary. Her blondes are not the trite and overused "platinum", her large men not "Hercules". The descriptions were all fresh. Kate also has a remarkable talent for conveying emotions simply and efficiently. For instance, when Southern University Coach James is pounding that floor a this teams' final performance, I'm right there with him, ecstatic for both him and his team. (To be honest, I found myself crying?!?) Ms. Torgovnick has a deft ear for conversations. I believe them to be accurate in their retelling. Finally, MS. Torgovnick is a very good interviewer. She asks short, simple, and intelligent questions that compel mor than a "yes" or "no", and then gets out of the way and lets the answers flow.
And for 95% of the book, Kate decides to be a journalist. The book only veers from perfection when Kate occasionally abandons journalist and either (1) becomes an opinionist, or, even worse, (2) becomes part of the story.
As an example of the first cited offense, I offer up the writing on page 64. On her first trip to Stephen F. Austin University, Kate met Coach Brad. On her second trip she learned that Coach Brad had quit to take another job out of state. When discussing the resignation of SFA Coach Brad, team member Kali Seitzer says that she is not good with change. Kate responded "Neither am I. What had seemed like a sure-win year just a few months ago now seems like a gamble." These sentences cause real problems for Kate. First, as a reader I've got to ask: Who cares what Kate thinks? Nobody ever cares what the fly thinks. Just report the facts, i.e. what the team members think! Second, as a reader I've got to be annoyed with Kate: It is awfully presumptuous of her to think that in a few short weeks of watching only three squads she feels capable of assessing a team's chances in nationals when she obviously has no real experience in the field and she has not seen the many other squads. Third, as a reader I've got to ask: On what basis are you making this proclamation? You are a journalist - present me the facts to support your conclusion. But of course, she didn't provide any factual support for her claim.
A fantastic journalistic opportunity on the issue of safety training is lost when Ms Torgovnick merely notes her distaste with the training (page 66), rather than delve into the issue and develop the problem and the proposed cure.
Kate asks what I consider to be a brilliant question regarding steroid, to wit - "I wonder if performance enhancer use could be a side effect of so many coaches right out of college rather than the absolute "adults" who coach other sports?", but then fails to put back on her journalistic cap and do some research and develop the argument. Especially in this testosterone-drenched era, when every participants in cycling to beach volleyball is suspect, Ms. Torgovnicj had, but dropped, the opportunity to blow this subject wide open in the world of cheerleading.
My advice is to either keep your opinions to yourself or make them, but then follow them up with journalistic investigation and reporting.
The other glaring error was in Kate's becoming a character in her story rather than an outside observer. She admits as much on page 85 when, reporting about Southern U's teak prayer for victory the following day, kate writes "...I am no longer just observing. I am a part of the circle holding hands with the team, my head bowed too....All I want in this moment is for them to win tomorrow."
In my humble opinion, Kate, as merely a chronicler of events, should have "no dog in this race."
There was one point in the book that absolutely enraged me; that caused me to want to hurl the book into the roaring fireplace. At pages 140-141, when writing about the feeling of a Southern U. cheerleader from New Orleans whose family was impacted by Hurricane Katrina, Kate wrote "...While the situation in New Orleans got worse, the government seemingly turning its back on rescue efforts because the grand majority of the people remaining in the city were black." This Liberal canard is demonstrably untrue, and the publication of it unfortunately establishes Ms. Torgovnick's ignorance and liberal bias.
I have a small quibble regarding the physical stunts. Although each stunt was adequately described in words, both in the text and in a Dictionary at the back of the book, I still wanted either a picture (or series of pictures" of each stunt, or at the minimum a drawing or graphic.
Finally, I found one spelling error and one grammatical error. This is surprising to see considering the publisher is the well respected Simon and Shuster. An editor is supposed to cover your back, not stab it.
While I seem to have spent the vast majority of this review picking apart this book, it is not really the case. I consider this book to be a major tour de force and the author to be an up and coming star in the field of Modern American Journalism.
So only two questions remain -
(1) What is next for Ms. Torgovnick? I can't believe that Kate wants at the end of her career to be known as the Queen of the cheerleading literature genre. Hopefully she has aspirations that far exceed in seriousness the world of cheerleading. The world of politics beckons Kate to next turn her guns.
(2) Can Ms. Torgovnick grow? Can she attain wisdom in correlation to her biological clock? One does not ordinarily expect such from an "Ivy League" alumna from New York City, but Kate is no ordinary liberal. Kate's May 2006 JANE article, "Welcome to Screw U." demonstrates that she DOES get it, that she is capable of mature (i.e. conservative) thought.
I'm a big fan and I'm look forward to future books!
***Full disclosure: I am Ms Torgovnick's oldest first cousin. Her father and my mother are brother and sister.***
BTW - LCLM - "Land clean, land mean"

Cheer Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading's Ultimate Prize follows three college cheer squads as they work towards their ultimate goal....a national cheer championship. From tryouts to the final competition Kate Torgovnick accompanies the three teams, all girl team from Memphis State, the Stephen F. Austin coed team, and the team from historically black college Southern University. These squads mirror much of the realities on any college athletic program. The big programs, the proven winners, have school funding, scholarships and heavy expectations from alumni as well as themselves. The all girl squad has to scramble and compete with the coed squad to get scholarships, financial backing, their own coaching and respect, even though they are proven winners. Southern University has to raise the money to travel and to find a championship competition to enter, as the stages Black colleges evaporate, despite being a proven crowd draw. Cheerleaders have their own struggles....leaving school to care for an ailing parent, romances, "ringchasing" (transferring from one program to another in hopes of winning a championship ring), balancing work and school, injuries, pregnancies, eating disorders and coaching changes. No matter what, they are expected to bound onto the field with endless enthusiasm and cheer.


I have to admit a bias; I am a band geek, through and through. After growing up in Texas, I swore no child of mine would do either of these two things... cheerleading or football. I forgot to tell my children! During their high school years I developed a healthy respect for the amount of work and athleticism involved in cheer. I also developed a deep dread that still rises in my throat when watching a particularly dangerous stunt or a missed catch. Torgovnick follows each squad throughout their year and is able to show the inner workings of the sport, warts and all. The challenges each program faces seem insurmountable at times. Ultimately it is the individuals behind the smiles that carry the squad. She treats the participants with respect and steps back just enough to be honest. Cheer was an unexpected good read.