Over the decades, cheerleading has evolved from a sideline activity at a sports game into a televised main event. Audiences see smiling and exuberant faces, incredible acrobatic maneuvers, and talented, high-spirited teams showing their stuff. David Gauvey Herbert’s deep dive into the cheer world, however, reveals a dark side: a culture that encourages families to overspend; very alarming injury statistics; and toxicity and sexual abuse. At the heart of it all is a billion-dollar company, Varsity Spirit, that controls the cheer industry, and one man, Jeff Webb, who “pioneered the gravity-defying acrobatics of modern cheer” and grew the sport into what it is today.