THE GREAT EIGHT by Scott Hamilton

In The Great Eight, Scott Hamilton (with Ken Baker) shares stories of his life as a figure skater, his struggles with illness, and his keys to living a happy life, even when you have every reason to be miserable.

I’m almost the same age as Hamilton. I remember watching him in the 1984 Olympics when he won his gold medal. It was a great year for him, not such a great year for me. Reading this book, I found myself thinking that it would have been nice to know then what he knows now.

Despite all his success and fame, Scott Hamilton has gone through some tough times. For example, an adopted child, he was plagued by a mysterious and never diagnosed illness. But Scott turned these challenges around. As he says, he was adopted by loving, caring people, who took him to every doctor and specialist they could find. Because of his illness, he was unable to participate in sports or group play like other kids. Until one of his doctors suggested he try ice skating. So his parents took him to the rink. A lot. Not only was he able to participate, but he thrived. The mysterious illness went away, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Great Eight is an inspirational book, a mixture of encouragement and autobiography. If you want to know more about the world of figure skating, there are some fascinating stories here. The chronology skips around, and Hamilton has a tendency to repeat things. But all in all, The Great Eight has the potential to give you a new outlook on life.

Visit the Thomas Nelson website to find out more about The Great Eight