WHOM THIS BOOK IS FOR

Part of the reason for swimming’s continuing appeal is demographic. While the sport is ideal for people of all ages, it is especially suited for an aging population. There is no doubt that Americans are steadily growing older. But we find it hard to picture ourselves as retiring to the rocking chair on the front porch. We plan on remaining vigorous and healthy well into old age.

The Complete Book of Swimming is written for those folks who want to become physically fit and stay physically fit for the rest of their lives; for folks who are seeking a way to enhance their lives. There are chapters on the different strokes that provide the “how-to” information people need to get started. Equally important are the chapters that answer such questions as Why should I swim? Why swimming and not some other sport? How can swimming improve my health? How can it enhance my life? How will I become a better person—more vital, competent, vigorous, sexy … alive by swimming?

Above all, this book is meant to be accessible and interesting to a large audience. There are other swimming books on the market, but these are concerned, almost entirely, with stroke technique and training programs. They preach to the converted, failing to ask the question Why should I swim? They don’t explore the benefits of swimming beyond immediate aerobic fitness. They don’t relate stories of people with whom the reader can identify, people whose lives were transformed by swimming. The Complete Book of Swimming was written to do all of that—and more. My goal in writing this book is nothing less than to introduce you to the world of swimming and to change your life.

If you are not a swimmer, it will show you how to become healthier and happier than you ever imagined you could be. It will do so no matter how out of shape or fat or old or ungraceful you are. Nor does it matter how many times you’ve tried other exercise regimens only to give up.

If you are already a swimmer, this book will help make you fitter, faster, more efficient, more knowledgeable, and better able to enjoy your sport’s special pleasures. It will keep you learning, no matter how long you’ve been swimming. It will teach you how to improve whether you’re twenty-five or seventy-five. And it will show you how to utilize the sport’s variety of strokes to stave off the boredom that is so often the downfall of people embarking on a physical fitness program. Follow my advice for working out and you need never be bored again.