Let me just start by saying that if I had the money, I'd have Gail Blanke spend some serious time coaching me the way she does the people in this book.

Of course, she wrote the book, so maybe she's just making herself look good.

Whatever. The whole point of Between Trapezes is to work as a coach in the absence of the author. In this book, Blanke gives eight examples of people who were in difficult times of transition in their lives. In each instance, Blanke is called upon to coach and motivate. She points out that times of transition need not be scary--they can be liberating, exhilirating. These are times in which anything is possible. Hence the book's title, which is meant to convey the sense of flying from one point in life to another (one trapeze to another). It's those moments when the trapeze artist is sailing through the air with nothing to hold on to that are truly breathtaking. And we are all trapeze artists in life.

Each chapter of the book ends with one or two exercises for the reader to do. The idea, again, is motivation. The entire book is one big pep talk, but that's not a bad thing. I found Between Trapezes inspiring, and (for me, personally) timely. I think everyone has these moments in life, and I think Blanke's book is a handy reminder that we are all capable of a great many things if we just open ourselves up to the broader possibilities.