Customer Reviews

Zero Tollerance : An Intimate Memoir by the Man Who Revolutionized Figure Skating

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I skated with Toller, as a principal, at Radio City Music Hall in the production of ICE, in New York City. I must admit that this book is extremely entertaining!! A must read for figure skaters and fans. But I was there! And though Toller said there was no closing night party, there was. Toller and I were there along with Peggy Flemming, Robin Cousins, and the rest of the cast. Plus, its producer: Bob Shipstad and choreographer: Sara Kawahara and pair skater, soon to become one of skatings most innovative producers and choreographers, Sandra Bezic.
But anything Toller writes is his interpretation, which is slightly different to what actually happened. Still, take it with a grain of salt -- and enjoy. I think Toller is one of the greatest skaters -- of any era. And perhaps the most esoteric skater of all time. I'll buy anything he writes and enjoy (if not agree)every word. His books are hilarious and witty.

I absolutely loved the book. I had a crush on Toller from the minute I first saw him skate. I followed his career, and my skating partner and I saw all his shows. I remember my heart pounding when I saw his grand entrance on the star from the heaven in Toller On Ice in Manhattan. It was good to hear about all his escapades and how the famous skaters live. I enjoyed hearing about his extravant costumes and programs. It was an eye opener to hear about his encounter with Leonard Bernstein - who my grandmother had a crush on. We use to see him at Tanglewood every summer. Toller has lived an exciting life and I'm glad he shared part of his life with us. He has an exceptional sense of humor which comes thru in his writings. I heard he has another book in the making. After reading this book, I will be standing in line waiting for it to come out.

Cranston speaks eloquently about strange, fascinating, and beautiful things. He delivers all the outrageousness and raw honesty a reader could want. His co-author keeps him in check with hilarious footnotes when he veers from the truth. Worth ten times its cost.

This book is not badly written, it flows along and produces a vivid picture of some of his experiences on tour in Berlin, Paris, Bejiing, Haiti, and Sao Paulo. When he wants to be, Mr. Cranston is a good storyteller.

Unfortunately, Mr. Cranston has chosen to run a thread through out the book that is not unlike a therapy session describing his torment. He tells of his liaisons with elderly ladies, his connection with Christopher Bowman, his drug problem, his plan to commit suicide if he lost his lawsuit and the romoteness that existed between he and his family. Oh, yes, and all the outfits he wore skating and night clubbing.

The problem is that this book doesn't work as a psychological self study. These situations don't necessarily need a resolution, because life is not like that, but there should have been some attempt to understand just why his life has run this course.

The end result is a book with nice flashes of insight on skating and the world in general, completely overshadowed by the meandering of a man alternately proud of his accomplishments and tormeted by something, we just never find out what.

Toller Cranston is a man of many words, often contradictory and he likes it that way. Zero Tollerance is pure Toller through and through. I have known Toller as a friend since 1995 and having spent a lot of time in his company, I find him probably the most entertaining and most interesting person on earth. His observations and subsequent commentary on just about everything are often profound and never boring. Some parts of this new book will have you on the floor in stitches. His insecurities about life come through loud and clear, only now he's willing to talk about it up front. Enjoy this fun book.

This book is both inspirational and insightful. It is a delight to read and the voice of Toller can be heard throughout. He is remarkably candid with his opinions

An interesting look into the mind and life of Cranston. The figure skating world is shown, warts and all. Toller is definately THE most innovative and influential skater that has come along in this century.

Toller Cranston is truly a complex and fascinating person, one of a kind both on the ice and off. I think it took great courage to write such an honest memoir.I had to force myself to put it down so I could savour it over the course of several days, when I really wanted to devour it all at once. I'm sure he has much more to share, and I'm eagerly awaiting his next book!

Toller is his own unique person, and some of his anecdotes are extremely funny. It's not something you'll finish (or want to finish) in a night, but it's an interesting read for the mere fun of it.

A wonderful book -- it didn't give everything away yet in so many ways it was so revealing. You have to love, appreciate and respect Toller for who he is and the experiences he's had. He's a warrior dressed in thousands of sequins! A most entertaining book.