Unless one is a student of the history of the sport of gymnastics, there is probably little chance that person has watched the sport outside of the Olympics. That would be a shame for the sport has quite an interesting history and touches many of the social issue challenges that are being addressed today. This book by Georgia Cervin covers many of these topics as well as some political history as well.

From the Cold War in the 1970s up to the sexual assault cases of Larry Nassar and others, Cervin doesn’t leave any issue relevant to gymnastics untouched. She does a good job of tying in the sport’s issues to the larger picture of the day. This is the case whether it was gymnastics being used as a means of diplomacy during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union or whether attempts at making the sport more diverse are successful. On the latter, Cervin highlights the accomplishments of gymnasts of color such as Dominique Dawes and Simone Biles.

This is a scholarly work and reads as such, with each chapter organized by an introduction, body and conclusion. There are not a lot of personal biographies, but in addition to the aforementioned athletes, Cervin portrays other well known gymnasts such as Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci. The latter two are especially prominent in Cervin’s discussion about how the sport changed in its scope from artistic ability and the femininity of the gymnasts. This parallels the expanding role women were playing in all areas of society.

There are also chapters that are strictly about the sport and not with any comparison to social or political issues. The scandals involving scoring and the “disappearance” of the perfect score of 10 are topics in which Cervin discusses with just as much knowledge and depth as she does the social and political topics.

This book is well worth the time and effort to read. If one is not well versed in gymnastics, it might take a little more time for the reader to fully understand the topics, but that reader will learn a lot about the interesting history of this sport.

I wish to thank University of Illinois for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting read and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me reading until the end. I highly recommend.

I found this book to be a bit of a chore to get through. As a child one of my favourite books was a biography of Nadia Comăneci so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately this book read more as a thesis or dissertation than an engaging deep dive into the fascinating world of women’s gymnastics.

Cervin was a gymnast and loved her sport. However, she is aware that her beloved sport has issues and that the sport can be accused of being highly problematic. She speaks of the sexual abuse allegations that have rocked the sport in the 2010s. She argues that the roots of this abuse can be found within; the history of the sport and the political world that gave birth to the sport. She traces the growth of the sport during the cold war, exploring the organizations, political discourse, and policies that shaped it. Along the way, she explores how these internal and external influences, the gendered assumptions, and practices influenced the sport's growth. Her work is grounded in a detailed analysis of the sports archive and detailed knowledge of the history of the sport.

While the introduction promises a personal account of her sporting experience, this book is a traditional scholarly text based on a microscopic, often tedious, policy analysis. This book would have made a great essay. However, I don’t think that it works as a book. There is a lot of repetition, and the policy detail tends to drag, especially if you don’t share the author’s interest in the political history of the sport. So, while I can admire the work and passion that went into creating this work, I found that I was bored by it. However, if you are interested in gymnastics and the history of that sport, you will love this book. In addition, it would be great for those readers interested in the Cold War and its effects on international sport.

Gymnastics has been my favorite sport to watch since Carly Patterson won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics. Over the past 17+ years I have read multiple books on the sport and its athletes. When I saw Degrees of Difficulty as an option on Netgalley, I was super excited to read yet another book on the sport I love.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, because I was quite disappointed in this book. It was extremely repetitive, and was a chore to read. Thats not to say Georgia Cervin did a poor job at making her point, or relaying information to readers. Rather, I would say the issue was a lack of editing. The book unfortunately read like a research paper that had a minimum word count, and the author didn't have the information to meet it, so they said the same thing over and over with slightly different sentence structure. The book could have (and should have) been reduced in length to prevent the repetitive information.

Thank you to the University of Illinois Press, Georgia Cervin and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved watching women's gymnastics on tv ever since I was a little girl. It's the only part of the Olympics that I faithfully watch. So I jumped at the chance to read this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it, even after trying quite a few times. So, for now, DNF.

The topic was interesting - the evolution of women's gymnastics, how it was used during the Cold War as a tool of diplomacy and also propaganda, and how it got to where it is now (young teen Olympians, abuse scandals, etc.) - but the execution was lacking. Each chapter started with a summary and ended with a recap, which made the book read more like a school thesis paper and really broke up the flow.

To commemorate the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 (ish) Olympics tomorrow, let’s look at the recently released book about international women’s gymnastics by sports scholar and former gymnast Georgia Cervin: Degrees of Difficulty: How Women’s Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell from Grace. This book introduces the origins of gymnastics as “moral” pursuit in the late eighteenth century, chronicles its inclusion in the Olympics in the 1950s, and explores how the Cold War shaped the women’s gymnastics we know today.

Any history of women’s sports would be incomplete without an examination of sexism. Unsurprisingly, sexism has shaped women’s gymnastics since before it even existed as a sport. From the very beginning, men policed and controlled the shape of women’s gymnastics. Women were seen as naturally weaker, discouraged from doing anything to become unattractive to men, gain muscle, or threaten their role as childbearers. Women’s gymnastics has always struggled to find a balance between femininity and feminism. Dr Cervin explores why this is and how we experience that today.

However, the main focus of the book is gymnastics during the Cold War. Cold War politics between the USA and the USSR influenced the sport of gymnastics. Soviet and Romanian gymnasts like Nadia Comaneci, Olga Korbut, and Larisa Latynina were used as political pawns by both sides. But the influence went the other way as well. The USSR approached the (racist, sexist) IOC amateurism policy in such a way that the US responded to that approach rather than to the policy itself. This “golden era” of gymnastics included a dark side where politics and medals were prioritized over the athletes themselves. We still feel the repercussions of these politics in the sport today.

Reaction
Released in June 2021, just in time for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 games, Degrees of Difficulty kickstarted my excitement for two weeks of fun, stress, and athleticism. Unlike (I assume) most people, I have read multiple histories of the Olympics and Olympic athletes. I’d formed strong opinions about Avery Brundage and the IOC, but Dr Cervin’s focus on gymnastics was new to me. The moment I saw that the book was available, I requested it. And I was not disappointed – I LOVED this book. I took notes and highlights on almost every page since I didn’t want to miss anything.

As a quadrennial spectator of women’s gymnastics, I mostly know what NBC tells me and events that hit national headlines. Degrees of Difficulty filled the gaps for me. I hadn’t realized the importance of the Olympic Games in the development of the sport and in international competition. As someone who studied the Soviet Union across two degrees, I loved this melding of two of my interests. I didn’t struggle with the academic style or structure of the writing, but I can see how others might.

Since Dr Cervin is from New Zealand, I expected a more impartial approach to US policies and politics impacting gymnastics. Although she openly acknowledged that both the US and the USSR used sports as political pawns, some events passed unchecked. For example: Dr Cervin noted that the US sent professional basketballers on a tour of Africa to counter Soviet propaganda about racial inequality in the United States. Then that was it. I don’t see how you can call one propaganda and not the other – ESPECIALLY in the 60s. However, this did not lessen my overall enjoyment of this book.

(Note to my fellow American readers: Dr Cervin uses “racialized people” rather than Black/BIPOC which seems to be a more common term in Canada / Commonwealth countries.)

Who should read this book
If you like the Olympics, gymnastics, or sports politics, I imagine you would like Degrees of Difficulty by Georgia Cervin. Former gymnasts at any level would likely appreciate and relate to the critical look at the sport by a fellow former gymnast. As long as you are prepared for the academic style, I encourage you to pick up a copy or ask your local library to order one.

The Tokyo 2020 games and COVID brought criticism of the Olympics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) even more mainstream. The recent protests by the Japanese people are nothing new, even if COVID brings a new flavor to them. On top of that, the five years since Rio 2016 revealed the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal. Degrees of Difficulty looks at the history of questionable decisions and policies of both the IOC and USA Gymnastics as well as the relationship between the two organizations. If you dislike the Olympics for one (or more!) of the modern (valid!) reasons, I encourage you to read this to add the historical perspective.

In terms of writing, this is a little more academic than I tend to prefer, but the history of gymnastics, and especially women's gymnastics, is inherently interesting to me so it evened out. This definitely isn't going to work for everyone, but if you (like me) are preparing for the Olympics by consuming gymnastics-centered media, I'd recommend giving Degrees of Difficulty a try.

Sorry I didn't get to read it before the time ran out. I didnt know you couldnt renew once archived. I was looking forward to reading it aswell

This book needed a lot of editing. It was so repetitive. The prologue siad what the book was going to accomplish, then the intro to each chapter said what it was going to accomplish and then the conclusion summarized the chapter. Then the conclusion of the book summarized all the chapter conclusions. It made the book hard to follow and not cohesive. The topic was interesting but not told well.

As a long-time fan of women's gymnastics, I thoroughly enjoyed this academic look at the sport. The author is both an historian and former gymnast so she brings a unique and well-informed perspective to the subject. While it's been difficult the past few years to reconcile my love of the sport with the inherent problems of abuse and racism embedded in the organization, a comprehensive history and well-presented detailing of the gymnastics world helps to put those feelings into an intellectual perspective.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

A super interesting and thoroughly informative academic look at the history of women’s artistic gymnastics written by former elite New Zealand gymnast, Georgia Cervin. Despite this there are no personal insights, as I was expecting, nonetheless, it’s clear the writer’s experience within the sport has helped her research. For this reason, I think this book requires readers to have a broad knowledge of gymnastics already.

Nothing is off limits; from a look at how hairstyles and outfits worn by the gymnasts have changed over the years, how external politics have influenced the sport as well as the politics within the IOC and FIG, and the corruption and abuse from coaches and officials (the cases of former gymnasts Elena Mukhina and Julissa Gomez are referenced here).

There is a problematic term used within the book - I have a problem with using the term ‘racialised gymnasts’ to mean ‘black/Asian/Latina gymnasts’ - it’s not once or twice either, it’s an entire chapter. Certain gymnasts are and have been racialised - (Gabby Douglas’ attitude is used as an example within the chapter mentioned) but the term isn’t interchangeable with ‘black’.

Overall however this is a well researched book and certainly proves how Larisa Latynina, Nelly Kim, Olga Korbut, Betty Okino, Dominique Dawes, et al paved the way for Simone Biles to become the greatest gymnast of all time.
As someone who has read all available non fiction gymnastics books, I’d rank this one amongst the best.

When you think of gymnastics, you may think of girls in sparkly leotards at the Olympic every four years. Maybe you remember seeing performances by the Magnificent Seven, the Fierce Five, or the Final Five. Your view of the sport might be a negative one due to the Larry Nassar scandal and other stories of abuse in gymnastics. If you're a casual Olympics viewer looking to learn more about the sport, or a devoted fan interested in more historical context, Degrees of Difficulty is a great book to pick up!

Georgia Cervin represented New Zealand internationally as an elite gymnast, so she brings a wealth of personal experience to this book. She takes the reader on a journey through gymnastics from its very beginnings, before it was an Olympic sport, to the balletic era of Larisa Latynina, to the acrobaticization of the sport by gymnasts like Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci, to the end of the perfect 10 and the dominance of American gymnasts like Simone Biles. Along the way, Cervin explains how gymnastics was shaped by and helped shape geopolitics, particularly the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union.

Cervin explores how the ideal gymnast morphed from a feminine woman to an athletic pixie, noting the wide ranging consequences of this transition. Cervin also gives the reader a look into the harmful powerful structures in gymnastics that enabled abusers like Don Peters and Larry Nassar - abuse in gymnastics is not the case of one bad apple, but a rotten tree that allows coaches to manipulate and abuse their athletes. But the story is not without a glimmer of hope - stories of gymnasts like Simone Biles asserting their strength and examples of healthy coaching by Liang Chow and others show us that gymnastics can be a worthwhile, rewarding pursuit. While the beginning of the book is a little dry, the political, cultural, and feminist discussions in later chapters really shine.

Thank you to the University of Illinois Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you: Are fascinated by women's gymnastics and want an in-depth look at the history, legacy, and current issues surrounding the sport.

This is from an academic publisher, so expect it to be somewhat technical and quite detailed at times. However, diehard gymnastics fans and those interested in sports history will definitely benefit.

Not only is the author a historian, but she also competed on the international level, so she brings an inside perspective to the sport and its history/current issues.

Librarians/booksellers: With the Summer Olympics quickly approaching, interest in Olympic gymnasts will be quite high. There's a definite lack of gymnastics books for adults (save for recent books written about the sexual abuse crisis), so this is an excellent addition to your sports books collection.

Many thanks to University of Illinois Press (now, please do a figure skating book like this!) and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Degrees of Difficulty is a really interesting look at women’s artistic gymnastics and how the sport has changed over the years. Georgia Cervin details how women’s gymnastics played into the Cold War rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States. She writes about a multitude of factors that ended up transforming the sport from mostly being a women’s sport to a young girl’s sport starting in the 70s. Athletes having to be amateurs, not be seen as too “masculine,” and increased acrobatic skills that were believed to be easier for smaller bodies all played a part in this shift.

The imbalance of power between mostly adult male coaches and mostly young girls as the athletes has led to instances of abuse over many years and in many different countries. While Cervin does spend a good amount of time discussing the Karolyi ranch and all the problems with the US system, she makes it clear that this wasn’t just an issue with one set of coaches, it’s systemic in so many different programs and federations.

The book covers so many different interesting topics. Race, the role of femininity in gymnastics, scoring scandals, unfair practices in penalizing countries for age falsifications, and so much more. I’m not sure how accessible this book will be to readers who don’t already have a pretty good knowledge of the sport. But reading this as a fan was super rewarding & fascinating. I do think that the book starts off a little bit slow. I personally didn’t find the information about the very beginning of gymnastics to be quite as compelling as the information that’s about the sport from the 1950s onward. But overall this was a great read.

I've always been fascinated with gymnastics, so I enjoyed this inside book. The author discusses the lengths some countries would go to in order to see their gymnasts win, even if it meant removing young girls from their families. Soviet and Romanian gymnasts of the 1970s are discussed, including how they were used as political pawns. Abuse in the sport is also addressed. Those interested in women's gymnastics will likely be interested in this book. The author brings to light some of the dark sides to the sport, including how little the gymnast's health meant in relation to winning a medal.