I have to admit the reason why I brought the topic up was because I’m not sure people should try to get the book. I’ve heard a lot about fan reaction to the book, and it was mostly unfavorable.

The content is interesting, to be sure, but nothing really new, unless one wants to know what Alexandra personally thought of her teammates. In the book, the names have been changed “to protect privacy”.

From all reports, the English version is full of spelling and grammar errors. Even the author, I’ve been told, has had his credibility as a journalist questioned. (But then again, this is Romania, the land of drama-mongerers…everyone’s going to get questioned.)

And in this case you’ve a right to be suspicious of whose making money off of this. The people making money off the book sales are people who don’t care about the gymnasts or the sport–not only that, it’s been said that the person associated with promoting/selling the book at Cafepress has scammed Romanian gymnasts themselves (most notably 2004 Olympian Oana Ban).

Isn’t Romanian gymnastics exciting?

In conclusion: it’s an interesting read, if one can get past the bad English, but I don’t think it’s worth the money.