Scott Hamilton: A Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Life and Competitive Times of America's Favorite Figure Skater: An Unauthorized Biogra

This biography is a successful attempt to probe the psyche of the gold medalist in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic figure-skating competition. An adopted child, Scott Hamilton was a sickly youngster whose maladies were medically misdiagnosed, and he grew up something of a loner. Yet, like other athletes in solo sports, he admits in this book that he feels the need for a few close supporters, although he acknowledges that the responsibility for achieving excellence on the ice is solely his. He talks about his dissatisfaction whenever he must plan his moves in a performance and about his happiness when instinct is in control. Steere, an Ohio journalist, proves to be a perceptive observer; he is gentle but never adulatory toward Hamilton, whose story will be particularly appealing to young people. Photos not seen by PW. November 27