cover image PICABO: Nothing to Hide

PICABO: Nothing to Hide

Picabo Street, . . McGraw-Hill, $24.95 (256pp) ISBN 978-0-07-138312-7

In her autobiography, Olympic ski racer Street gives a solid chronology of her career with her independent "I'll do what I want" attitude. Not a typical sports superstar, Street prefers to hang out with her family or old friends. She's also not been a favorite model for magazine covers, since, due to her injuries, her weight has greatly fluctuated. However, it becomes evident that Street cares most about excelling at her sport—and when she doesn't perform well, she blames herself and vows to improve for the next competition. Street attributes her atypical traits to her upbringing in Triumph, Idaho—a small town near the Sun Valley and Ketchum ski resorts, where she grew up a tomboy—and to her parents, who were "hippies" feeding the family from homegrown vegetables and providing the bare minimum. As an adolescent, Street's speed was apparent as she beat many more experienced male skiers. She loved speed but she also loved to please her father, who coached her. Street is charming and sometimes refreshingly honest: "Unfortunately, ski racing is no way to lose weight.... Skiing is also anaerobic. Getting your heart rate up for 90 seconds isn't enough to burn much fat. Then you sit around in the lodge, trying not to eat pastries and French fries. What can I say? I like to eat." Fans of Picabo will enjoy this book but, because she hasn't been in the public eye recently, her audience may be somewhat limited. (Nov.)