I have recently returned to swimming after injury and am loving it, so was intrigued to read this book. It begins with a relatable homage to the joy of swimming, why we love the water so much and some of the physiological benefits for our bodies. (It also lists some of the many unpleasant side effects mostly from open water swimming, ugh) The book unpicked a fascinating history of swimming in the US with an important explanation of when pools were desegregated, how many families began building their own pools to prioritise their families over community. A fascinating piece of racial history that I was unaware of. The author interviews swimmers who have used it for recovery and also those who whilst posted in Bagdad helped teach soldiers and locals alike how to swim in Sadam's pools that were previously off limits. An eclectic mix of perspectives make this an interesting and varied read.

With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fairly regular cold-water swimmer, I adored 'Why We Swim'. It made me eager to get back in the water, and when I was in, I dwelled on Tsui's thoughts as I powered along.

The book, probably intentionally, flows through different ways of thinking about swimming in the same way that a body flows through water. Swimming to survive; swimming to recover; swimming as community; swimming as competition; swimming for nostalgia, joy, and family. It's a beautiful mix of science, memoir, biography, and sports (don't be put off by that last one - I don't read books about sports but there's a lot of brilliant content here). Tsui's prose is elegant, poignant, and calming.

This book will appeal to swimmers much more so than non-swimmers - but then, as Tsui points out, a great many people in the world love to swim.

(With thanks to PRH and NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review)