Swim: Why We Love the Water

A Washington Post and Economist Best Book of 2012: "A witty and informative celebration of her sport, as well as an inspiring tale of personal challenge and discovery... [Sherr] immerses the reader in the history, lore, science and trivia of swimming."- Sports Illustrated

Swim is a celebration of swimming and the effect it has on our lives. It's an inquiry into why we swim- the lure, the hold, the timeless magic of being in the water. It's a look at how swimming has changed over the millennia, how this ancient activity is becoming more social than solitary today. It's about our relationship with the water, with our fishy forebearers, and with the costumes that we wear. You'll even find a few songs to sing when you push out those next laps. Swimming enthusiast Lynn Sherr explores every aspect of the sport, from the biology of swimming to the fame of Esther Williams from turquoise pools and wild water to the training of Olympians and she reveals the secret of buoyancy so that anyone can avoid the example of the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who lamented,"Why can't I swim, it seems so very easy?&rdquo When his friend, the biographer Edward John Trelawny, said,"because you think you can't,&rdquo Shelley plunged into Italy's Arno River and dropped like a rock. With Swim , you can avoid that happening to you.