Gymnastics Books

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.

After the Magnifecent Seven's wonderful performance at the '96 Olympic Games, I decided to read this book to find out more about these talented young women. I thought it was terrific! There are biographies of each of the seven members along with really cool pictures. This book was awesome. These seven are really magnificint and it shows!

The book was pretty good for writing a book. Gave good information but it was a hard book to just sit down and read but I would for sure buy the book!

A must read with lots of good pictures. Gives good info. on all the athletes, with quotes.

This book is what really got me interested in gymnastics.

I had gotten introduced to gymnastics through a book about Mary Lou Retton I had picked up at a thrift store, but I didn't become too interested until I saw a picture of Kim Zmeskal in an Encyclopedia Annual. I looked her up on the Internet, and the rest they say is history.

Through the Internet I discovered the Magnificent Seven, and I found this book at our library. I couldn't have been more satisfied!

The Magnificent Seven was a team of US girls that consisted of Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug. These talented gymnasts won the very first Olympic Gold team medal in US. Gymnastic history.

This book has very informative biographies about each girl, complete with full color photos. It is very well written, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Magnificent Seven, or just want to see some great pictures about them.

If you like gymnastics you'll love this book! It tells about the lives of the seven gymnasts on the 1996 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Kerri Strug, Dominque Dawes, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, and Amy Chow. There are pictures of each girl from their very young life to the 1996 Olympics.

In perhaps the most comprehensive autobiography of a gymnast on the market thus far, Kerri Strug details her life as an elite gymnast from her early memories all the way through the 1996 Olympics. Younger gymnasts (upper elementary school/middle school aged) will be able to understand the book, but the ideas contained will appeal to older readers as well.

Strug addresses her success, her aspirations, and most importantly, the difficulties of competing at the elite level. She talks openly about her eating disorder and problems with coaches. Strug also makes it clear that the person who pushed her hardest was her- not her parents, or her coaches. While Bela is known for pushing his gymnastics, Strug lets it be known that he never pushed her too far, and that it was her idea to perform the second vault.

Strug also addresses something that all gymnasts will understand: the frustrations. Not getting a certain score, not qualifying for something, or simply not progressing skill-wise are all common frustrations that any gymnast experiences. Most gymnasts will appreciate knowing that other people have gone through what they are currently going through. This is a great book for someone who is already familiar with gymnastics.

I do gymnastics and love to read about is so this book is great for me! This book is full of pictures and useful information. It has from when she was a baby to when she stuck that wonderful vault. If you are looking for a good gymnastics book or just a good book I would buy this one. If you do buy it I hope you enjoy reading it like I did!

Before I read this book, I didn't really know much about Kerri, except that she had hurt her foot doing a vault at the Olympics, and had somehow become America's darling.

But after reading this book, I now know Kerri for who she is: a marvelous gymnast who was always in the shadows and never seemed to pull everything together during competitions. How she came so close to making the All-Around competition in Barcelona, only to be edged out by .14 of a point.

This book will make you laugh, cry, and wonder how she could come back after injury upon injury and still continue gymnastics. This book will tell you about her joys and triumphs, and her defeats and despairs.

Since I have read this book, Kerri Strug has become my favorite gymnast, not just because of what she did at Atlanta, but what she did to get there. I promise you, if you read this book, you will be left with a profound respect of the girl who could continue on, despite the pain and setbacks.

My only recommendation is read it!

I really enjoyed reading Kerri Strug's autobiography. Her legendery vault, the Yurchenko with a one-and-a-half twist, helped the USA 1996 Olympic Team win a gold medal! I really thought this was a terrific book. Kerri talks about her triumphs, struggles, victories, experiences and so much more. She tells her complete story, starting from baby years, all the way up untill after the 1996 Olympic Games. Her story is a great inspiration to all gymnasts. If you enjoy gymnastics or are a fan of Kerri Strug, then this book is a must-read!

This is definitely the best gymnasics biography I've read! In this book, published right after the 1996 Olympics, Kerri really opens her heart to the reader...we learn about her passion for gymnasics which started at a VERY young age, her progression through the sport, what it was really like training under Bela Karolyi, and about her family. One thing that impressed me about Kerri was how she is truly self-motivated...I think many gymnasts are pushed by parents living their own dreams through their children, but this was NOT the case with Kerri. It was refreshing to read of the loving, supportive family she has, and how completely sane her parents are (as opposed to other gym parents we've heard about, like in "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes" which I also think is an important book). I think people who are THIS driven, as Kerri is, are incredibly rare...which is why she flourished under Bela's harsh training instead of cracking like so many other girls did. She is honest about the often-times brutal training under Bela, but obviously loves and deeply respects both him and Marta and she gives them credit for contributing to her successes. There are great photos included of Kerri through the years. Awesome!!

dominique moceanu is the best gymnast anyone could ever know.i'm a gymnast my self,and reading about her,seeing her on tv,seeing her smile,makes me wan't to go out there and do the same.and i do!saying this,you probubly won't believe me,but being a fan of hers,seeing her doing the things she does(smile)has inproved my skills in gymnastics!i hope she has done the same for you,cause if you don't know her.you better know her to day,cause she is the best you'll ever love!i used to hate gymnastics some times,and till i saw dominique moceanu with that beatiful smile.i've loved gymnastics ever since then.every time i compete.i act like her,smile,and show that i love doing what i'm doing,cause i know dominique moceanu~and you gotta know her too!thanks dominique,for making me win my first silver(on floor),cause seeing you smile all the time,and always being happy,has made me do the same,and it improved only because i love you!

You will find this book to give many details on the young gymnast at a professional view point. If you are looking to get more personal information such as characteristics, personality, etc.. Get another book. This is about her and the sport of gymnastics from the time she started up to late '96. I enjoyed the book a great deal and was amazed to find out how very succesful she is in every day living at such a young age. That is much to be said for our day and age!

Also recommended: Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion: An Autobiography Dominique Moceanu

The book was fully detailed and was a very easy to read book. I read it in a matter of hours, and I am 11 years old. I love gymnastics and Dominique. Since the first time I saw her on T.V. I wanted to be just like her. Now I am taking acrobatics at a great little studio. even though we only do floor excersises, I still someday would like to be just like Dominique! The book has really encouraged me too succeed, and I really hope that anyone that wants to be something, jumps on it, you only live once!

This book is perfect for any fan of Dominique Moceanu. You learn so much about her, starting from her birth all the way up to the 1996 Olympics. This was a very vivid and detailed biography. I really thought it was cool to read about the gymnastics school she used to train at before she went to Karolyi's. It tells about all her early compititions and experiences. It felt like I really knew Dominique Moceanu! I learned so much from this book, and like Krista Quiner's other gymnastics biographys, this was a great one!

This book was truly awesome. Krista did an excellent job writing this book. You feel that you actually know Dominique. I reccomend this book for ALL Dominique fans. A must read book!!

Also recommended: Dominique Moceanu: An American Champion: An Autobiography Dominique Moceanu

Johnson's book is an excellent resource for anyone with rotator cuff issues. It is well written and easy to understand.

This book, written by a Physical Therapist, explains and shows the muscles involved in the rotator cuff more clearly than any other anatomy book I've picked up on the subject. He explains what muscles you are strengthening for each exercise. Stretching, very much like yoga stretching, is also included. If I could talk to the author, I would ask him to look up Supported Headstand as a very effective treatment for RCS, too. This is thoroughly explained in volume 16 of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy in a research article entitled Headstand for Rotator Cuff Tear: Shirshasana or Surgery.

So easy to understand! I know have a good knowledge of how the shoulder works. The exercises are very helpful. Got me closer of achieving zero pain. Hardly have pain anymore, mostly tight or a little uncomfortable but that's better than chronic pain ay!! It only takes around 3-4 hours to read. DO IT IF YOU KAIN'T TAKES NO MORES!!

I was afraid I would never be able to lift weights again. Both of my shoulders were in pain, even causing me to have to lie on my back to sleep. I read this book carefully, and have followed the exercise exactly as he directs, and I have zero pain in my shoulders now ! Zero ! And I'm back to lifting weights !
I can't tell you how impressed I am with the research that went into Mr. Johnson's work. He only goes by scientific evidence based upon peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials. This stuff really works!
By the way, I had the same experience with my back problems after reading "Treat Your Own Back" by Dr. McKenzie
Thank you Mr. Johnson!
Ken
Los Angeles, CA

I hurt my rotator cuffs doing some bag work. I waited a long time (I'm a guy) to go into an ortho. He gave me the advice to work on my posture, lose weight and a photocopy of some exercises to do. Told me that how I injured myself didn't matter, fixing it was what counted. Well, posture and losing weight solved that problem.

Had a completely different feeling problem. Went back after eight months of worsening pain. Same diagnosis, they told me it was "referred pain" which was why it felt completely different. Same exercises. You can find them all over the internet.

Didn't do much for me. I slowly got more or less better on my own. But, I had nagging pain every morning, the exercises and stretches did nothing for me.

Rather than go back, I decided to try this book first, based on recommendations from a friend I followed up.

First, the explanations aside, the core of the book is short. You are only going to do about four exercises and four stretches at any one time. There are routines for severe to very mild problems (beginning to advanced).

Second, the explanations made sense and I've been able to apply them to a few other areas.

But, it has been less than a month and I'm waking up pain free from time to time, the first time in a very long time.

Would I pay this much for a paperback? Not usually, but it was a lot better than blowing half a day off from work seeing the ortho sports med guy again. Would I buy a book when the internet is swimming with essays, charts, etc.?

Well, but for the fact it works and the free stuff didn't, no. But the free stuff doesn't quite put it all together the way this does and it didn't quite do the trick.

If you've got pain, if your doctor's routines haven't really done much for you, if the internet hasn't led you anywhere new, you might really want to try this book. It has details on how to do things, number of repetitions, how long to hold the stretches, etc.

Simple? Yes. Five to ten minutes a day simple, but just the right five to ten minutes a day have made all the difference for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I personally am a gymnast so I can relat. It is a really great book. It tells you about a girl who is the under dog but comes out on top. Then when she is on top and after her first Olympics everione says she is too oldfor a gymnast. But she goes over what everione says .And she wins the Olympic Gold

This book goes into great detail about Shannon's gymnastics career from the beginning up until the 96 Olympics and her professional career. It's the best book I have read on her so far. This book is great for a fan who wants this book as a "map" of her career, or for someone who did not watch gymnastics before 96.

I am a huge Shannon Miller fan, and this book is great. I have read it twice and I am still not bored with it. It gives great insight into her past competitions, what she went through, and the things that led up to them. It is really wonderful and detailed.

This is a great book to know what Shannon Miller was like what she she had to do everyday. everything she won all the times she fell and practicly everything you wanted to know.

Here's another awesome gymnastics bio from Krista Quiner! This was a terrific, nice and detailed book about Shannon Miller's life. From the minute she was born to the end of the '96 Olympic Games, this book is the ultimate one to learn about Shannon Miller. The book had plenty of great information, and you learn tons and tons of stuff about her. There were also tons of awesome pictures too! This is a must-read for all gymnastics fans.

Last I checked, website Grips Etc was still selling new copies of this book for $35. So before you drop $240+ on a used copy, I suggest you investigate that avenue.

Not quite a coffee table volume, but more than a mere history, this is easily the most comprehensive, thoroughly illustrated, and ambitious history of the sport I've ever encountered. With its play-by-play of every major gymnastics event, it threatens to be TOO detailed. But who can really complain, especially when there's so much interesting stuff on offer (particularly the fascinating "where are they now" interviews with the legends of the sport)? And it's all printed on glossy white paper. Classy.

Book has some drawbacks. There isn't an index, which is a sin considering there's 400 pages of detailed text to sort through. The prose is frustratingly passive in tone and, at times, chaotically arranged (quoting paragraphs-long passages from other sources really breaks the flow). This robs the book significantly of dramatic power. The photography is good, but not breathtaking, and most of the images are relatively small, which might frustrate fans seeking something more, er, coffee-tably. In other words, this is a history for fans of 1966-1974 gymnastics only--which must be a very small audience indeed.

But that small audience will be hugely impressed. You realize how special this book is when you consider how most gymnastics history books today are just heavily authorized biographies, "inspirational" works that, quite honestly, are very dull (the only really good reads lately have been those that criticize the sport--at least there's *drama* when things go horribly wrong). It amazes me that there is a void that has yet to be filled for a great illustrated history of gymnastics (even the International Gymnastics Federation has failed to address that, preferring to put out coffee table photo books that are frustratingly devoid of detail--more propaganda works peppered with inspirational writing than real histories).

So, this book stands alone. There's never been anything like it--making the fact that the sequels seem fated never to materialize all the sadder. The thing really is (almost) worth $240. But go to Grips Etc. first for your $35 copy anyway. ;-)

The most wonderful women's gymnastics book written.
I have been waiting for a long time for volume II, and that is the ONLY dissapointing thing about this book. Worth every cent.
Mr. Simons----please put out Volume II soon!!!!

It just does not get any better than this. This book is an absolute must for any gymnastics fan. I bought it as soon as it was published and do not understand why volume 2 is not yet available. I understand four volumes were originally planned. I really hope they will be out soon.

For those who dispair that there are no books for the gymnastics fan written for an average age above 10, here is your book! I love the sport as a fan. Beyond back issues of gymnastics magazines, it is hard to find good information. This book is excellent! It describes in detail the competitions, routines, and competitors of its time. My only disappointment is that it ends in 1974, and I have yet to see Volume 2 hit the shelves. A great read!

For all you fans of women's gymnastics, this is the book you have been waiting for! It leaves no stone unturned in the gymnastics happenings between 1966-1974. We see the descriptions, both in word and in Code of Points illustrations, of the routines performed by famous gymnasts such as Caslavska, Tourisheva, Rigby, Korbut, Zuchold, Janz, and many others. The pictures are terrific! So are the bio's.

This book takes you back to the glory days when women's gymnastics was performed by WOMEN, not by anorexic teenaged dwarves. In fact, it inspired me to resume gymnastics after an 18-year hiautus!

I got in touch recently with Mr. Simons, the author, to order Volume II, but it has not yet been released. Please do so immediately, sir!! So many people are waiting eagerly for it!

Once again, an Angelina winner! My granddaughter's favorite character, after Angelina herself, is Alice so she is delighted to find a whole book about just the two of them. As usual, a small crisis (a hiccup the Aussies would call it) and then as usual, a happy ending. Loud applause from a delighted child and her grandmother.

Don't pay $45 dollars for this new book with character doll. I was told it was discontinued by a local book store today, 12/7. I went to two other stores and found 1 Angelina and Alice with the character doll. There were a couple Angelina Ballerinas left too. It only cost me $27.95. Shame on the book store listed on this website charging $45! Check your bookstores they are going fast.

This is a wonderful book and we have enjoyed it very much. I have checked it out of the library repeatedly. So I very much wanted the book with the doll to give to my daughter for Christmas. Thankfully, I didn't give up today!

beautifully illustrated, heartwarming childrens stories. Even though the Angelina stories are geared towards girls, my little boy, at 8, enjoyed these as well, especially when mom read to him. These are good stories to read to your child at bedtime.

The artwork is detailed and delightful to look at-you'll see new things each time you look, and children love that that every scene is filled with many little mice.

This Angelina story deals with how it feels when we are sometimes left out, bullied, or when a "best friend" chooses to play with other children. Each book is filled with wonderful life lessons told in a gentle, non preachy way.

I highly recommend this series for any child.
5 stars!

Whoa, has Amazon got the age range wrong here. I think some teenage girls might even enjoy this story. Certainly my children did -- 3 and 5 years of age.

"Angelina and Alice" is a lovely story about friendship and how even the best of friendships can hit a bump or two along the road. In this tale Angelina is made fun of because she can't do a decent handstand. The older girls hurt her feelings by laughing at her efforts on the playground, but what really makes her sad is when Alice joins the other girls in making fun of her.

We don't know what thoughts Alice has, but soon she repents her harsh actions and is back to help Angelina as she practices and practices to get the handstand just right. And when the school puts on a show at the Village Festival even the older girls have to give a hand to the great performance of Angelina and Alice.

Five Stars. A good read-aloud and a fine story of friendship. I particularly like the fact that importance of practicing is emphasized. And far from being a book for preschoolers, I think this is a book for 5 year olds on up. In fact, even a mommy can enjoy it.

That's exactly what this book is. Cute. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the story is enjoyable. Angelina and Alice are both mice. One day they meet each other and become friends because they both like the same things. When other kids (mice) at school begin making fun of Angelina, Alice joins in. Angelina is left with no friends, and no partner in gym. I won't tell you what happens in the end. You'll have to find out for yourself.

I recommend this book to children and adults alike.

We found this book to be very educational. It's a great resource for inspiring gymnast giving them a realistic view of the sport. It's also a reality check for the parent. A fantastic guide and a must have book for those who are serious about the sport!

Very good book to read for parents and gymnasts. It covers basics of gymnastics and mental gymnastics training as well. It's written in the way you don't get bored by reading it. I think author has a good understanding of gymnastics and wants the reader to understand involvement in the sport of gymnastics.

This book has a lot of useful information for the beginning parent who wants to learn more about the sport. It covered a variety of aspects, from finding the right gymnastics club to the mental and physical preparation of a competing gymnast.

This is a wonderful book for beginning gymnasts and their parents to understand more and gain the best from gymnastics. It's a helpful guide that will serve as a companion during your gymnastics journey. "Gymnastics" features a lot of burning answers to your questions, from what to pack in your gym bag to preparing for competition. It has an easy-to-read format that's interesting and imformative without trying to shove material down your throat.

"Gymnastics" gives you stories about famous gymnasts when they first started off, conditioning and stretching excercises to do at home, drills and excercises for landing safely, competition advice and information, information about gymnastics-related injuries, information about deciding your future in gymnastics, and much more. It is a very valuable resource that all gymnasts can benefit from. My only complaint is that it is a little bit outdated and it would be nice if a new edition was published. Otherwise, it's a fantastic book!

I think that very gymnast needs this book because it helps you w/ what to pack in your gym bag to how to aid hurt parts of your body to the cost of grips& etc.

Clifford Pickover is a fountain of ideas, and in this book, he presents a set of puzzles and problems that display some of those ideas. They range from the simple to the hard, and the premise is that Dorothy has been abducted by the alien Dr. Oz and his assistant Mr. Plex. Dr. Oz presents the puzzles to Dorothy with the general caveat that she will be rewarded if she can solve them. All of the puzzles are given a difficulty rating, although there are times when the rating seems inaccurate.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and got so involved with a few of the problems that I used them as the basis for a presentation I made to a gathering of college and university mathematicians. It will stretch your mental mathematical muscles.

Awesome blend of stories mixing in some interesting puzzles. Being a Kansas girl, I was intrigued by the entertaining story line set in the "Sunflower state". My son graduated from the Unversity of Kansas and there is a fictional story of the campus in the book that builds toward a puzzle. I gave the book to my son on his 25th birthday and I had marked the KU story. He turned to it and was totally endeared to the book. Couldn't be a better present for anyone who loves Kansas or puzzles. Just great!!!

I found the puzzles and problems in this book to be original and varied, and with a wide range of difficulty levels. I enjoyed the fact that some puzzles might actually have more than one answer, which leaves room for healthy debate and for better understanding the way different people think. I think this book can be enjoyed by readers of different levels of mathematical sophistication. For example, a freshman in high school could skip the more difficult problems, like the one on Ramanujan Congruences, although this is one of the most interesting chapters. My favorite chapter is one that poses a statistics-like question, dealing with bones thrown into a pit. You have to figure out the ratio of the long piece to the short piece. Here's a sample of other chapters that I really enjoyed:

1. The Yellow-brick Road
2. An Experiment with Kansas
8. The Problem of the Bones
16. Omega Sphere
28. Legions' Number
29. The Problem of the Tombs
35. Prime-poor Equations
36. Number Satellite
43. Ramanujan Congruences and the Quest for Transcendence
49. The Jellyfish of Europa
99. A Connection Between Pi and e
103. The Scarecrow Formula
107. The Omega Crystal
108. Attack of the Undulating Undecamorphs

I've already spent hours reading and rereading the book, and showing it to friends, and I know I'll spend many hours more!

This wonderful mathematical puzzle book has over 100 puzzles sure to delight readers -- from kids to adults. The problems include: mazes, sequences, probability, and more. Most puzzles are very clever and fun. I liked considering the yellow-brick road that crosses America. How many bricks would it take? I also liked the zebra numbers and circular primes. Legion's number is a number so big that it makes a a billion look puny.

Anyone who has pondered the vastness of our mathematical universe will love this book.

I prefer mathematical puzzles that have two features:
- they are interesting (i.e. they have that difficulty that make them worth trying to solve);
- they are solvable without developing a whole new theory and without writing program code.
In this book most problems that are interesting (very interesting and intriguing, I must admit) are not solvable in the foresaid sense, and most solvable ones are not interestin. Of course, a few are both. The picture sequences to be completed are very original, and sometimes difficult, examples of QI tests.
However, in spite of that slight flaw, I have really enjoyed reading it. It may depends on my appreciation of Oz novels and movie, and even if this book is not likely to mark the history of mathematical entertainment, it remains a worthy reading.