Five years ago, a skating enthusiast could walk into a bookstore and be lucky to find one, possibly two, books about the sport, most likely flimsy picture paperbacks aimed at the children�s market. Today, skating fans are faced with shelf after shelf of books - autobiographies, skating encyclopedias, how-to books, fan manuals, coffee table books... the list goes on. In this new and rapidly growing market, several writers have established themselves as the prominent names in skating journalism, and Beverly Smith is definitely among them.

A sports reporter for one of Canada�s national newspapers, the Globe and Mail, Smith�s first two books, Figure Skating: A Celebration and A Year in Figure Skating were lavish coffee table tomes, the kind in which pages of glossy photographs were as important, if not more so, than the writing within. However, with her newest release, Talking Figure Skating, Smith turns to more serious matters, using her journalistic expertise to dwelve into the world behind the glitter and glamour of the sport.

The subtitle of the book reads: "Behind the scenes in the world�s most glamorous sport", and behind the scenes is exactly where Smith takes the readers. It is a fascinating world of parental support and sacrifice, coaches who build the stars, costume designers, bootmakers, choreographers and music specialists. In fact, one could say the book is, in a way, about creators - all the people whose hard work and dedication go into the four minutes of magic that we see on the ice.

Smith�s journalistic background is evident when reading her work - it is clear, concise, and accented by excellent quotes from several interviews with the figures profiled. She writes with exemplary flow, moving readers from the home to the rink, the choreography session to the costume fitting, without unnecessary segues and long-winded explanations.

In Talking Figure Skating, Smith takes her readers on a journey they can actually picture through her words, gaining insight into the world behind the sequins and applause. Stylishly written and clearly explained, the book was named 1998 Canadian Sportsbook of the Year. In the eyes of this reviewer, there�s no question the award was well deserved.