Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui – A Review

Hello and welcome to our Made From Mountains Adventure Stories review of Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui.

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui is an immersive plunge into the reasons why we love to swim as a species. Although we’re not natural-born swimmers we have been drawn through our collective history to the water. In Why We Swim Bonnie Tsui beautifully combines personal anecdotes with scientific understanding to examine our relationship with swimming. She writes about her own experiences with water and talks to others about the profound ways that swimming can alter our health and wellbeing.

Background Story

In Why We Swim, Bonnie Tsui explores our ceaseless fascination with swimming. The book is partly Tsui’s personal memoir and partly an historical, social and scientific study into the reasons why we swim. The book is split into 5 sections: Survival; Well-Being; Community; Competition and Flow. Within its pages are personal stories from Olympic level athletes to swim coaches who taught in war-torn Iraq, all of which are in many ways miraculous and marvellous.

Highlights of the story

This book is so elegantly written, it’s easy going and flows softly between topics in a light and endearing way. If you’re a swimmer then the way that Tsui talks about water will make you want to leap in headfirst and keep on swimming as a life-long hobby. Her enthusiasm and dedication as a swimmer, as well as the passion of those she interviews is inspiring. It’s also an inclusive book, it isn’t an anglo-American centric story of swimming but features narratives from around the world. The book talks of swimming history from the Ancient Greeks to modern olympians, it investigates how Samurai Warriors learnt to swim in a full suit of armour and explores how the human body copes in sub-zero temperatures in the arctic.

As well as a non chronological history of the activity, Why We Swim looks at the science behind the impact it has on our bodies. Tsui investigates discoveries and studies around reductions in blood pressure, improved function for those with arthritis and the activation of brown fat in the water. She also looks at the psychological benefits of swimming and the meditative benefits that it gives an immersive exercise. 

Alongside the science, there are some wonderful personal stories of remarkable swimmers in the book. And it’s refreshing that a wide breadth of experiences are included that move beyond the world of record-breaking athletes. From strait swimming to leg recovery in the San Francisco Bay, from accidental swimmers to mental health advocates, it’s a balanced, unbiased viewpoint.  

A social and scientific study of swimming

There are some elements of social history that Tsui focuses on including the deep racial division of swimming in America and the stereotypes that persist because of this that rarely come to the forefront of discussions. Why We Swim raises interesting thoughts and questions about how accessible swimming really is and what the social, physical and mental health benefits are to our communities.

“Athletes often talk about ‘being in the zone’ … researchers have described this as a psychological alteration of time that pulls your focus to the here and now – you’re so consumed by the activity and so occupied with reading and reacting to external stimuli, that time seems to slow down, so that the present moment is expanding.”

Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui

As a swimmer the personal narrative as well as the scientific statistics in the book made it completely relatable. Swimming is a communal sport and although we’re often on our own in the water the feeling of shared experience resonates through Why We Swim. There are many elements of the book, from talking about how water enabled survival – either physical or psychological to ‘zoning-in’ and being in a state of flow that reflect our own experiences of swimming.

Whether you’re an avid pool swimmer or an outdoor dipper then there will be part of the book that will bring out a personal connection. Additionally the book inspires a hunger to continue going, it hones in on the fact that swimming is an open, human, universal experience that can be done by anyone at any level they feel comfortable.

Things you need to know before you begin this book

This book is an ode to swimming. If you’re already a swimmer it’ll have you hooked and longing for a dip. However the tempo changes to be a slower read, particularly towards the end of the book where Tsui focuses more on her personal, familial connection to the water and less on an academic study of it. In it’s almost love-letter format some readers might find the personal memoir aspect laborious and a tad slow. 

Additionally, there could be a lot more study into the snippets of historical and scientific evidence in Why We Swim. Each one individually is a whole story which could be unpacked further. There are issues surrounding social access, like municipal funding for local pools or race divides that could have more depth. Similarly there could be whole books written about the scientific research behind swimming but you’ll have to find them away from these pages.

Find similar books to Wild

Thank you for reading our review of Wild by Cheryl Strayed. If you enjoyed this book we recommend looking at similar adventure stories like:

• In Praise of Walking by Shane O’Mara
• born To Run by Christopher McDougall
• Swell by Jenny Landreth
• Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols
• Adventure Revolution by Belinda Kirk
• Unlost by Gail Muller
• Three Stripes South by Bex Band

Where Can I Buy This Book?

Book Stores – this book is available at most good independent bookstores. You can find lots of local independent retailers here.

Audio book – this book is available on Audible and narrated by Angie Kane