Read for my book club.

Super-tedious. Slow. Repetitive. Disjointed. Unsubstantial. Flowery language. An editor should have slashed this book to a quarter of its length OR added more content. I cannot believe there were no pictures. So much of the content could have benefitted from pictures.

Example of missing conent: No mention of Mark Spitz? Many swimmers consider Spitz better than Phelps. Yes, Phelps was more successful at Olympic medals. But competition has changed over time and the book didn't cover that at all. Example: Spitz was famous for his mustache. Phelps and other swimmers now shave their body hair to reduce drag. The changing nature of competitive swimsuits and controversies were also entirely absent.

Even the focus on Phelps was superficial. No mention that:
- Phelps contemplated suicide after the Olympics.
- Arrested (twice) driving under the influence, and after the 2nd time, wasn't permitted to compete in various championships which prevented the team from qualifying for some races.
- Photographed using a bong and lost his sponsorships and suspension by USA Swimming.
- His sister, also a swimmer, used the swimming pool as a refuge from the yelling.

I suppose those are all negatives which don't fit with the author's aim of just talking about how great swimming is. Another negative is that swimming has many risks. Besides drowning, there's red tide, jellyfish stings, toxins such as microcystin, etc.

Even quasi-negatives could have been interesting. For example, many swimmers love swimming but find it incredibly boring and have experimented with headsets that work under water. But I suppose that listening to podcasts ruins the author's thesis of "flow."

In summary, I disliked this book. I found it excessively flower and not particularly-well researched. I would've been happier reading a wikipedia articles on swimming. ( )

Probably good if u like competition swimming ( )

Bonnie Tsui presents interesting stories about swimming and the benefits of swimming. What I fail to see in this book is the constant danger of swimming in outdoor bodies of water. Ms. Reid talks of swimming from the coast of San Francisco to Alcatraz Island and calmly skips over the dangerous water. She also talks of swimming in sub zero water during the winter. Again, the dangers seem minor. The benefits of swimming outweigh the disadvantages. The joy and pleasure derived from swimming show how this exercise brings more advantage than running or cycling. The stories involve many popular swimmers in many countries. Swimming heals and provides excellent exercise and moments for meditation. The quotations at the beginning of each chapter set the mood for the dialogue. ( )

I grew up swimming competitively and still find great pleasure being in the water. Reading about the history of swimming, its cultural meanings, and the different ways people approach it made me see my favorite sport in a whole new light.

This book is beautifully. written. It’s lyrical.. It’s meaningful to me as someone who loved to swim (though I had a rocky road learning) and who has always loved the water. Water and trees, in my case. Even if swimming was not something that appeals to me I would have enjoyed this book.

It's a book to savor.

The structure of the book works well: the chapters, sections, text within chapters, literary and other references, people’s stories.

As a vegan I could have done without the present day abalone diving, fishing, etc. but even though I didn’t fully enjoy those parts this was still a 5 star book for me.

Great quote: (about swimming, and about books) “It’s like reading books—when you’re in it, you’re not in the world outside”

This book must have been great fun to write. I would have enjoyed writing it as much I did reading it. The interviews, travel, (thorough) research, swimming, and musing were intriguing and powerful.

I loved the San Francisco Bay Area parts local for me and the armchair traveling too.

Read for my real world book club.

Highly recommended! ( )