Beautiful on the Outside

A Memoir

By: Adam Rippon

Narrated by: Adam Rippon

Former Olympic figure skater and self-professed America's Sweetheart Adam Rippon shares his underdog journey from beautiful mess to outrageous success in this hilarious, big-hearted memoir that the Washington Post calls "comedic gold."
Your mom probably told you it's what on the inside that counts. Well, then she was never a competitive figure skater. Olympic medalist Adam Rippon has been making it pretty for the judges even when, just below the surface, everything was an absolute mess. From traveling to practices on the Greyhound bus next to ex convicts to being so poor he could only afford to eat the free apples at his gym, Rippon got through the toughest times with a smile on his face, a glint in his eye, and quip ready for anyone listening. Beautiful on the Outside looks at his journey from a homeschooled kid in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a self-professed American sweetheart on the world stage and all the disasters and self-delusions it took to get him there. Yeah, it may be what's on the inside that counts, but life is so much better when it's beautiful on the outside.

Critic reviews

"Beautiful on the Outside is a fascinating study in motivation, concentration, and discipline, and one that has lessons for anyone in pursuit of excellence. The fact that it is so full of laughs only makes it that much better."—New York Journal of Books

"Rippon's strength is apparent, and it's easy to see why he is an inspiration to many. From the first line, the writing is conversational and relatable and will engage readers throughout...Highly recommended."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Rippon's personal story is as moving as the account of his success on the ice...This is a no-holds-barred, coming-of age sports memoir. Rippon may have started his career as an underdog, but he prevailed, thanks to his resilience, laser-focused work ethic, and acerbic sense of humor."—Booklist (starred review)

"Delightful...This fun, inspirational memoir will appeal to ice-skating fans who enjoy personality-driven narratives."—Publishers Weekly

"Beautiful on the Outside is funny, relatable, and incredibly inspiring from start to finish."—HelloGiggles

"To be clear: Rippon is funny. He lands a joke like it's a triple axel, with eyebrow-raising, hilarious passages that demand to be read out loud to whomever is nearby...Comedic gold."—Washington Post

Funny and Inspirational

Adam Rippon's story is not only an interesting review of his career, but it's really a great first- hand account of what it takes to get to the Olympics and how it feels in the moment. There's so much more than that, tho: his family, friends, ups and downs and, most of all, how he dealt with all those elements - mistakes and all. He learned lessons at a young age that some of us have only grasped with many more years under our belts. His candid telling of all these things while embracing his promise to always genuinely be himself because that self is just right is refreshing and enlightening. I mean, this generation is on the right track and his positive outlook is just what we need. His narration was spot on - good job, Adam!

My new best friend

And, I know Adam is my new best friend, because he told me he treats everyone like his best friend. I’m down! So much wisdom is this book. And, I haven’t laughed out loud this much in a long time. Definitely a highlight of my covid quarantine. Thank you Adam!! Thanks for being true to you and sharing your lessons and insight with us!! 💕💕💕

Yay!

Funny and sweet! Adam does a great job narrating his growing up in the figure skating world.

A pure delight

A pure delight. I wish it could have been longer. Adam is a hilarious story teller, and I’m so glad he’s written a book. A+

Never a dull moment!

Well written. Good flow and definitely funny and down to earth. It was “real”! Liked it for the insight in the sport and also details of the struggles that come with dedication. Well worth your time! Kept my interest from the beginning. Adam did a great job with narration kept it funny and real.