Most of us remember Scott Hamilton as the 1984 Winter Olympics Gold-Medal men's figure skater. He's also a cancer survivor, and a Christian. In The Great Eight Hamilton outlines eight key principles that have helped him keep a positive attitude, and turn his failures into triumphs. You'll be inspired by his story and encouraged to practice Hamilton's "figure eight" in your own life.
Olympic Gold Medal figure skater Scott Hamilton shares his eight secrets to finding happiness in the face of a life filled with challenges, difficulties, and career-canceling odds.
With never-been-told, behind-the-scenes stories from the skating world, personal challenges including testicular cancer and a brain tumor, as well as divine miracles, Olympic Gold Medal figure skater Scott Hamilton shares the secrets to his lifelong journey to find the silver (and gold) lining in the clouds of life. His life principles, fashioned into eight secrets that begin with the rote of learning to skate the figure 8, are the keys. Scott says, "Skating taught me how to be happy. I have always kept these eight as my own private, personal secrets that I practiced daily with repetition, focus, and discipline. Now I want to share them with the world."
"For the past twenty seven years Scott Hamilton has been a mentor and good friend. I’ve seen first hand the struggles he has had to endure and how he has continued to persevere with a confident attitude. He lives his life as a champion. Everyone needs the positive message of this greatly inspiring book."
-- Kristi Yamaguchi
Olympic Gold Medalist
"I know and love Scotty Hamilton. You will too after you read this book."
--William Shatner
"Scott Hamilton is a champion in more ways than one. In addition to being one the world’s greatest ice skaters, he has mastered adversity and a multitude of challenges. The Great Eight is an inspiration to us all."
--Donald J. Trump
"Scott’s outlook on life continues to influence me in a very positive way, encouraging me to look at challenges in a larger context. Within the metaphors of his skating career, the wisdom in this book is not only very inspiring and easy to grasp, but surrounded by great story telling. I’m so glad he recorded it for the rest of us."
--Brad Paisley, Grammy Award-winning Artist
"It’s like my bud Scott says…"you can’t just skate through life and expect to be happy!" So anyone choosing not to buy this book is choosing not to be happy. Shame on you."
--Kevin Nealon
Actor, Comedian, Saturday Night Live Alum
"A gold medal literary performance from a true Olympic star."
Richard D. Lamm, Governor of Colorado
"For twenty five years I have been a close friend and business advisor to Scott. He is an inspiration to all who know him. I cannot imagine anyone better suited to write on the topic of happiness than Scott Hamilton. Through a lifetime of facing incredible odds he has learned the secrets to maintaining a positive attitude and can-do spirit. Spend time in the pages of this book and you will walk away truly inspired."
Bob Kain
Former CEO, IMG
Current Vice Chairman, Cleveland Browns
"After a myriad of setbacks, Scott speaks eloquently about survival in the face of adversity. This book deserves a ’ten’ and a ’Personal Best’ too! Bravo!"
Dick Button, Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Emmy Award-winning skating analyst
"In each successive chapter and challenge in his remarkable life-as Olympic champion, as cancer and brain-tumor survivor, as devoted husband and father and man of faith-Scott Hamilton has forged ahead with unquenchable spirit and uncommon joy, always emerging wiser than before. This warm and insightful book will allow its readers to experience the blessing I’ve been privileged to enjoy in person: a delightful, practical, bracingly-honest conversation with one of our national treasures."
Ken Durham, Ph.D., Senior Minister, The University Church of Christ at Pepperdine University
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 stars(4 out of 5 stars)
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4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Craig McDole (Altus, OK), August 05, 2009
As a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program, I have once again had the opportunity to read a high-quality book by one of my favorite people. In this book, Scott Hamilton keys in on the eight practices he has used to be happy in life, on and off of the ice. Most would remember Scott as the Olympic ice skater, or the enthusiastic ice skating announcer on TV. But, most wouldn't remember any of the trials he has faced in life.
In this book, Scott goes into detail about his battles with cancer, brain tumors, and disease, while still keeping front and foremost...happy. His upbeat and positive characteristics can do nothing but inspire a person to be more happy about whatever circumstances you may face. Scott uses one of the most well-known skating moves, the figure 8 (thus the title), as his focus on being happy. The eight chapters focus on different techniques you can use to keep yourself upbeat and your eyes on the prize. Scott's faith shows forth throughout the book and is sure to touch your heart.
This book is a must-read and a hard book to set down once opened. I recommend it for everyone, especially if you are going through trials that seem to overwhelm you...great book!
3 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Jodi Whisenhunt (McKinney, TX), May 26, 2009
In The Great Eight, internationally renowned figure skater Scott Hamilton, with the assistance of Ken Baker, describes eight secrets that have helped him maintain faith and optimism from the highs of Olympic championship to the lows of cancer. Despite astounding success in his figure skating career, Scott struggled many years to apply his on-ice success principles to his personal life. Inspired by repetitive practice of the compulsory figure 8, Scott illustrates eight points that taught him to be responsible for his own happiness. The Great Eight inspires readers to follow these principles, to take charge of their circumstances and commit to goals, so they too may find lasting happiness.
Scott does offer some sage advice. He reminds us that we will not find true happiness until we accept our God-given flaws. How we deal with our experiences defines our character. We can choose to let life smother us, or we can choose to let our experiences enhance our lives and provide opportunity for growth. Scott’s strategy for happiness is valid and applicable, but the book itself is a bit redundant and doesn’t flow chronologically.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Lana (St Paul, MN), May 24, 2009
I'm a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger and chose this book for my first review. I love ice skating and have loved watching Scott Hamilton skate for years, so I was really excited to see that I could choose a book that he has written and was anxious to dig in and read!
In the book, Scott tells of the challenges he faced as a child and and as an adult and how he has remained to be happy even though his circumstances haven't always been ideal. Though he was a very sickly child, Scott tells how ice skating helped him build his confidence and helped his health in a miraculous way. He learned discipline through his training partly by skating figure 8's over and over as this builds the foundational skills for ice skaters. The practicing of this technique is what he attributes to winning his Olympic gold metal as well as the basis for the title of his book.
He also describes his challenges as an adult with being terminated from Ice Capades and getting cancer. Though he has faced several life-altering challenges, he has remained positive and describes 8 ways in which he maintains his superior attitude. He gives examples how he has applied these techniques throughout his own life as well as using examples from other skaters.
Though I highly respect Scott Hamilton and all he has been through, I thought this book was a bit superficial. I believe the book seems to be marketed as a self-help book and I would NOT recommend it as such. I'm glad his strategies of remaining positive and smiling even though the circumstances may be difficult work for him, but it seems like he tends to gloss over and simplify many of the events as well as how he managed each of them.
For me, what I thought would be an exciting book that I was really looking forward to, turned out to be a book in which I was disappointed and won't be recommending very often.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Julieanne Miller (Roseburg, Oregon), May 16, 2009
Scott Hamilton's recently published book, The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (even when you have every reason to be miserable), (January 2009), is a light and entertaining read on Scott's own life...from nearly dying from a childhood illness to two bouts with cancer, plus the highs and lows of being a part of the international ice skating community. You’ll read about Scott’s struggles, his triumphs, and his wonderful laughs through different years of his life; you’ll read about the people who have made the most impact on him as a person, a skater, and a Christian.
The Great Eight doesn’t come across as a deeply profound theological work, but the issues that Scott addresses are deep and will touch your life. We all have struggles with who we are, how we fit into our community and society, and whether or not we will honor our Creator. As someone who has followed ice skating for years, since childhood, and has always enjoyed watching Scott Hamilton on the ice, I found this a curious peek into his life and how he has survived physical struggles, misconceptions about who he is as a person, and his more recent walk in faith as a follower of Jesus Christ.
If you enjoy ice skating and have been curious about Scott Hamilton – on and off the ice – this will be a book you’ll enjoy reading.
I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program at http://brb.thomasnelson.com
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by TerryAnn (Kansas City MO), May 15, 2009
I received this book several months ago. I grew up watching Scott Hamilton dance on ice and wanting to do that myself. He made it look so easy.
Then, regrettably, I decided to use my pilits license. You know, I “pile it” here and then “pile it” there. It got lost in one of the piles.
I pulled it out this week and read through it very quickly. I enjoyed the story of why he started skating, his battles with cancers and his love for life.
Life was not always the smiling face we saw during the Olympics and Ice Capades. Health issues, relationship problems, miscommunications. But he persevered.
Learn how he faced life’s challenges and chose to be happy. Yes, happiness is a choice. “Every day of your life, something or someone is going to throw something at you that will challenge your ability to rise above negativity. It isn’t the events in your life that define you; it’s how you deal with them. (pg 91,92)
I found this book to be enjoyable, a fast read and very encouraging.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Jarrod Spencer (Colby, Kansas), April 21, 2009
There is not a person that I've ever met that could use more optimism. In a world of recession, divorce, & Depression, optimism is always needed.
"The Great 8", by Olympic champion, Scott Hamilton, is a book dedicated to helping its readers become optimistic. Naturally, he uses skating as a method to explain how to be happy, when it seems like it may be impossible.
I enjoyed the use of figure skating examples and illustrations to help me understand the message Scott was trying to convey. I learned things I didn't know before about figure skating (like why it was called figure skating).
Scott makes great points that should help anyone achieve the goal of becoming more optimistic. For example, you've got to get up even when you've fallen, trust the one who is coaching you, learn through losing, clear your mind, be positive, smile, go last, get out of your rut, and stand in the spotlight.
One critique I would have about the book, is that it seemed there were times that the information about Scott's cancer seemed a bit repetitive.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to have a better outlook on life. It was an easy read but was very enjoyable at the same time.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Cindy Loven (Glenwood, AR), April 13, 2009
The Great Eight is a book of a journey, a journey to happiness, but ultimately a journey to God, the Almighty Coach as Scott calls Him. A sickly child, to the point of death, not growing and developing, in and out of hospitals, with no diagnosis, and sent home to just be, Scott was re-introduced to skating, and it became a 'cure' for his illnesses. This book will take you through Scott's life as he searches for the right coaches in his career, as he searches for answers to his problems and as he battles illnesses and as he finds happiness. It is a journey of life that Scott takes, bringing him to the conclusion that happiness is unique to you, that nothing can match the happiness of doing something you love. Also you will find out that coincidences are just God scheduled opportunities, and learning to accept that will brighten your outlook and infuse you with a greater sense or purpose, direction and confidence. This was a wonderful story of Scott's life and discovery, I did find it a bit confusing, in how he often jumped from his early years of training, to his later years of illnesses, but all in all it was a great book and I give it a 4 star rating.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Emanuel Pvel (Vancouver, Canada), April 06, 2009
“The Great Eight “este genul de carte motivationala care puncteaza opt cai de fi fericit cu lucurile prin care treci. Pe scurt poti parcurge etape din viata unui om carea gusta celebritatea, care s-a bucurat de faima si de bani si care este lovit de surpiza numita “cancer”.
Mi-am dat seama din nou cat de mare este ajutorul pe care il poate da o persoana care trece prin dificultati altor semeni framanati la radnul lor de nevoi, probleme si tot felul de ganduri; si spun asta comparand vorbele mele pe are as putea sa I le spun unui suferind. Cel care sufera sau a suferit este mai eficient in sfaturile sale cum sa treci peste sau prin perioada dificila din viata. Si este interesant ca aceasta pshiologie simpla o prezinta si Biblia cand apostolul Pavel spune Corintenilor “…”
Desigur, modalitatea in care Scott Hamilton isi expune experienta sa il califica pentru pozitia de ajutor/suport binevenit in situatii dezastruoase. Construndu-si o cariera in patinaj artistic, intra in proiectul vietii sale un element numit cancer; izbindu-se de probleme personale si cunoscand limitari, Scott a refuzat sa se considere un infrant. In cartea sa “The Great Eight - How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to be Miserable) ” Hamilton impartaseste citirotului cele opt puncte care l-au condus spre eliberare si bucurie desi ar fi avut toate conditiile/motivele sa se simta captiv si dezgustat de ceea ce viata i-a pus inainte. Folosind un limbaj simplu, transapsrent, Scott este in unele pasaje atat de aproape de inima celui incercat in dreptul sau incat ii simti respiratia.
detalii http://blog.punctul.com/2009/04/07/fericirea-in-opt-puncte-cum-sa-te-bucuri-si-cand-nu-ai-motive/
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