Customer Rating:  
Summary: Badly written, full of annoying errors, don't waste your money!
Comment: I do not understand how this book has received a 5 rating from any reader. I have never before been motivated to write a review of a book I have bought from Amazon, but I would like to save others from the disappointment I experienced when I started reading this. The only reason I read it to its completion was to be able to write a fair review. Firstly, the title is misleading, as this is first and foremost the autobiography of Jon Jackson and not the story of figure skating. There is no need at all to read anything before page 200. While the battles between the ISU, USFSA and WFS are intriguing, they are marred by Jackson's factual errors, horrific writing, vindictive comments and abundant exclamation points. Again, I am perplexed that this book is actually co-authored and that it has made it through a single round of editing. As well as having more spelling/typing errors than any book I have ever read before, as a skating fan I don't want to see Sergei Grinkov referred to as Alexander Grinkov or Oksana Baiul referred to as Russian (repeatedly, and involved in a Russian conspiracy to boot). Despite having travelled around the world, Jackson knows very little of culture or geography. Even the most fervent defender of US figure skating should be able to treat Russian figure skating with a minimum level of respect. Blinded by the Salt Lake Olympics, Jackson writes off everything Russian. It is extremeley offensive. It may well be that Jackson's investigations of the ISU and the events following Salt Lake have merit, but there are so many errors in the factual information here that I can not take any of his allegations seriously either. I highly recommend Cristine Brennan's Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey into the Secret World of Figure Skating, an objective, well-reported piece of investigative journalism. Jackson's book is gossip.
Customer Rating:
Summary: This is a great book - what a riot
Comment: I love this book! he establishes his childhood in order to show us his passion for figure skating. This book is very insighful into the world of judging.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Insider Look
Comment: I have to admit that I picked up the book because of the catchy title. I expected to find nonstop gossip and talk about how corruption is heavily prevalent in figure skating and how "top skaters" get screwed.
The beginning of the book covers Jackson's childhood, in which he describes how he first got involved with skating. He describes how the beginning of his skating career was constantly under the control of a "family friend," Charles Kennedy, a wealthy individual who had connections with top figure skating figures such as the Propotonovs. Furthermore, Jackson illustrates the troubles he faced as a young boy trying to come to terms with his sexuality as a gay man.
There are some notable sections in the book that is directly connected to the title of the book. He mentions how many of the judges, from the West (particularly California), tend to rely on strict scrutiny and mandatory socializing among judges, a procedure Jackson dislikes because he rather spend time chatting to the skaters and their families. Jackson notes that he would have never been able to rise to the higher levels as a skating judge unless he was forced to socialize with the other judges. In addition, Jackson mentions several well-known figure skating names such as Tonya Harding, Irina Slutskaya, Michelle Kwan, Rudy Galindo, Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, and Jamie Salé and David Pelletier. He argues that Harding might have been unfairly treated and how Slutskaya (and other top Russian skaters) are heavily favored to win due to the influence of "Russian propaganda" and the underground Russian mafia. During moments like these, it's hard as a reader to differentiate between personal bias or truth. Regardless of these factors, Jackson paints a humorous description. Also, before I forget to mention, Jackson ends each chapter with a bit of trivia describing the wins, losses or scandalous news of a Russian figure skater(s).
Jackson made it his mission to target certain individuals in US Figure Skating (the organization) and the International Skating Union. He criticizes head officials such as Phyllis Howard (USFS) and Octavio Cinquanta (ISU) for behind-the-scene manuevers that Jackson believed sacrificed the aspirations of American figure skaters such as Ina and Zimmerman immediately after the Winter Olympic that caused the gold-medal controversy. Personally, I never heard of Howard or Cinquanta but Jackson does not hide his dislike for these two individuals, an opinion I understand now after reading the book.
The end of the book primarily focuses on the World Skating Federation, an organization that Jackson and several of his other judging colleagues created in hopes to become a IOC-recognized judging group. Unfortunately, as the readers learn, the WSF loses its lawsuit against the International Skating Union.
Overall, the book was humorous and a fun read. I would definitely recommend it to any figure skating fan. Of course, Jackson's outspoken voice might upset some readers but if you put that aside, the book is a delight.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A beautiful sport's ugly secrets exposed
Comment: I endorse this book not only as an Amazon Reviewer but as a skater. The dirty deals, corrupt judging, and federation attempts to advance their favorite skaters at the expense of equally talented but less-popular athletes (who, for whatever reason, don't fit their cookie-cutter out of date "image"), Jackson tells all. Should be required viewing for everyone in the sport, especially the federations, who must take a hard look at their own ethics and make some changes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Im whiter than white
Comment: This book goes more into the detail of this judge "coming out" rather than the real issues in the skating world. He talks about encounters with other gay judges which have nothing to do with the scandal in Salt Lake City or the alledged corruption at the ISU and USFSA. He fails to make his case and points fingers without facts.
|
