Customer Reviews

Beneath the Surface

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Michael Phelps, the Olympic champion whose goal is to bring swimming to the forefront of the sports world-not just during Olympic years-tells his story in a candid, straightforward approach.
With the assistance of Brian Cazeneuve, staff writer for Sports Illustrated, he lays out the events leading up to his triumphs at Sydney, Barcelona, and culminating in his shining victories in Athens.
In between, he talks about his personal accomplishments over such things as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, family difficulties, and his initial stubbornness towards the coaching of Bob Bowman-the man who would "work him" and "work with him" to bring Michael to his full potential.

Swimmers will revel in Michael's persistence, training, and competitions along side such athletes as Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker, and the "Thorpedo" Ian Thorpe of Australia, whose superior timings drove Michael's competitive nature to go that extra step in his training.

An enjoyable read which takes some of the mystery off the life of a superstar, and proves that patience, endurance, hard work, and believing in yourself can only bring success.

Age 19 seems too young for an athlete to present his autobiography, yet Michael Phelps and co-author Brian Cazeneuve correctly gauge that Phelps' current fame makes the project viable. The tone of the narrative captures youthful wonder and enthusiasm for swimming; had the book come later, Phelps might become too jaded or overly analytic.

The authors let the chapters read like recorded oral narratives, with tangents, informal diction, corny jokes. The effect is enjoyable, as if we are listening as Phelps gushes over the aspects of his career. The book has almost no surprising revelations, but Phelps' views of races and competitors enhance our understanding of him and his accomplshments. He remains admirably respectful toward rivals who needle him. His comments (embedded in Chapter 21) on why he sought out races against Ian Thorpe reflect the best values of athletic competition and could be part of locker room pep talks in any sport. Even though we know the results, the eager style makes the narrative of the Olympics become exciting reading.

The book is thus more about personal enthusiasm than athletic insight. We do not learn much about the theories behind training methods, nor about race strategies, nor about the special aspects of certain swimming events. (For this sort of depth analysis of Olympic swimming, readers should see "Gold in the Water" by P. H. Mullen [2001] and "Champions" by Daniel Chambliss [1988].) And Phelps downplays subjects that he may see differently when he is older. One is his easy dismissal as inconsequential of periods when he did not see his father. Another concerns his hyperactivity; he admits the problem (as he has in news profiles) but avoids the thorny issue of treatments.

The final page, appended after his November 2004 driving while impaired incident, is a model of crisis communication. For its candor and blunt acceptance of responsibility, it is an example that older and younger athletes should emulate when they get into trouble.

This is one of the best sports autobiographies I've read in a long time.
Yes,it's obvious that he had help with the book,but Michael comes across
as very mature,intelligent,and articulate.He tells his story very honestly and quite eloquently.Moreover,his love and enthusiasm for his sport,as well as his desire and efforts to raise its recognition in the
United States,are evident.And yes,he discusses his DWI arrest on the last page.To his credit,Michael is honest and apologetic about it.An excellent book that everyone will enjoy.

As a swimmer, I truely enjoyed watching Michael Phelps compete and succeed at the Athens games. So I was pretty excited when I heard he had a book out. I LOVED it!! It only took me one day. It is a really inspirational account about dedication and always giving your all. It sheds a whole new light on the sport in general, FINALLY giving it the attention it deserves. I absolutle love how Michael promotes the sport. The really great thing is that it is honest- he shares his veiws and feelings. It also wasnt a big book of times and races he was involved in.

I absolutly, 110% LOVED it.

Beneath the Surface is the autobiography of a 19 year old. As such, it is interesting, but also shows a great deal of youthful enthusiasm, and immature writing. He skips around a lot, and never develops his topics fully. I found it very difficult to keep track of people as he jumped from name to name. I did really enjoy the insights he gave into his family, and I loved reading the descriptions of his races. Certainly, this is a book worth reading, but get it from the library unless you are a big Phelps fan. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the book he publishes in 10 years when he has grown up some.

Although this book leaves swim training to the coaches, this book offers the incredible journey of Michael Phelps from childhood swimming to the 2004 Olympics. As a college swimmer, it was a relief to read about his training and see similarities with my own.

He offers lessons for life that are necessary for any young athlete. Phelps had help writing the book, but his words and experiences are still there. This man has been through a great deal and it is incredible to read of his sacrifice in the name of achieving greatness.

It is written simply and easy to read. Inspirational and any athlete can relate. I love this book.

Brandon

Beneath the Surface, a Biography about and by Michael Phelps. Reading this book really made me start to think about my life. About how much I want to accomplish and how much is realistically in my reach. Before I read this biography I thought my dreams were out of control but after I read this book I realized that anything you want and put your heart too you can accomplish. Michael Phelps is an amazing guy and reading about his life really made me think about how I'm holding myself back from achieving my complete potential. I would suggest this book to everyone. Honestly I'm not a big reader and most of the time when I have to read a book I'm forced to finish. This book on the other hand I wanted to complete.
Michael Phelps is an awkward person. He has big feet, big ears, and a skinny long body. Out of the water he looks lanky and weird but once he jumps in the water he transforms into this beautiful thing. As I read this biography I really got to understand how hard and how amazing of an athlete Michael is. At the opening of the book Michael talks about how the night before his first Olympic games he was watching a hockey team going into the Olympics. The movie called Miracle was something that Michael compared his career and coach too. I thought this was very ironic because Michael is an unreal figure to a lot of people and just like everyone else he watches Disney movies.
Michael Phelps won many gold metals and people really look up to him. That's also another reason why I recommend this book to you. He is a great athlete who is very interesting to learn about. Watching him go from his regular college life to his world record gold metal winning days.
When I was a little boy I always told myself that I wanted to become a professional bike rider. As I got older I realized that there are millions of kids that want to do the same thing. I lost sight in my dream of becoming a professional until the day I finished this book. This book really made my life different and that's why I recommend it to you, because just as it changes my life it can change yours for the better. It really opened my eyes and made me realize that I shouldn't forget about what I want and love and that anything is possible if you strive for it.

As soon as I received the book in the mail, I started reading it instantly. This book talks about his beginnings from a child, to the olympics in Athens. I felt I was with him at every step of the way to his stardom, while he describes his trials, feelings, innocence, growing up and messing up, learning through out his journey. I would definitely recommend this book for everyone.

I think is a nice book, for the fans of Michael Phelps is really good, he shares important aspects of his life and is very interesting to see what this kid has overcome to be the best swimer in the world.

An excellent book with an inside look at the Olympic dream.
Very well written and inspiring.
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