Book excerpt: The contemporary era has been the most revolutionary for women in sports, with more females involved in athletics than ever before, at all age and skill levels, largely due to the push to make school sports inclusive for girls and women. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to and historical overview of figure skating. It covers all aspects of participation in the sport and staying safe on the ice. Included are anecdotal and inspirational success stories of figure-skating luminaries, and special attention is paid to recent advances and trends in the sport.