Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui is an exploration of the human connection to water. Tsui, a lifelong swimmer, blends science, history, and cultural storytelling into her memoir while examining the biological, psychological, and social reasons why people are drawn to swimming.

The book is structured around five key themes:

1. Survival – Examining how swimming is a life-saving skill, from stories of open-water rescues to the way our ancestors adapted to water.

2. Well-being – Exploring the mental and physical health benefits of swimming, including stress relief, meditation, and even healing from trauma.

3. Community – Highlighting the social aspect of swimming, from swim clubs to competitive teams and long-distance relay groups.

4. Competition – Delving into the thrill of racing, endurance swimming, and the drive to push human limits.

5. Flow – Investigating the deeper, almost spiritual connection people feel when immersed in water.

   
   

Throughout the book, the author shares personal stories as well as fascinating accounts of swimmers across different cultures and time periods, from ancient samurai who used swimming as a survival skill to modern-day endurance athletes crossing icy waters. She also reflects on her own relationship with swimming and its significance in her life.

This book was unlike any other we had read up to this point. Most of our group (if any) weren't swimming athletes, and only some of would irregularly swim for exercise. With this book, we wanted to discover the fascination with swimming from the perspective of someone like Bonnie; however, it became clear that this book wasn't right for a lot of our members: only two people finished reading it.

The story began with epic survival tales in the arctic, and it delved into science behind why swimming is beneficial to our health. As Tsui explained, swimming has also allowed people to recover from disastrous injuries, and there are countless inspirational feats of swimming endurance, like the Oceans Seven challenge. Simply put, the book was not captivating for us. It was hard to get through largely because it was difficult to relate to.

Bonnie's circle of acquaintances is, understandably, very swimming-focused, and her claims that "we were born to swim" and that "humans are drawn to water" didn't resonate with people who mainly enjoy marveling at water or using water for other purposes (like wind surfing). After the parts about human endurance, swimming feats, and the health benefits, our attention and enjoyment started to wane. Regardless, it gave us a good excuse to talk about our own experiences with water and ways we appreciate water outside of swimming in it.

This might be a better book for people who swim more recreationally or professionally.

Group mean rating: 4.2/10