Book Review: Off the Deep End

I found this book while doing Christmas shopping for my Mom.  In our family it seems like a lot of the literature that we pass around has been about running.  Well I wanted to change that.   So I started searching for a swim novel.  Enter the book “Off the deep end” by W. Hodding Carter.

The premise of the story is that Hodding Carter wants to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.  He had a chance to make the Olympic team after he finished University but his Dad had other ideas. His father put his food down and made him choose to join the Peace Corp a job which would allow him to become a writer.  Most of the book follows the struggle of his two passions: writing and training.

When I first started reading it I thought the concept was cool, can a 40 year old guy who has basically done nothing for 20 years make the Olympics?  As I kept reading though I found Carter to be kind of preachy and a tad whiny.  In my eyes, for someone to have the desire to go to the Olympics that takes big go nads.  But to complain about how hard it’s going to be is just silly.  Of course it’s going to be hard!  Ask any of the athletes who train for four years, make the Olympic trials and then don’t even make it, I bet all of them would say they gave it their all.

There were a couple cool chapters in the book which were definitely unique.  In one instance Carter and another fellow swim island to island in the Caribbean.  Towing their possessions on surf boards for the entire time.

How’s the page work?

This book was an easy read.  Short chapters and big font make it a perfect bathroom book.

Bottom Line

Buy it if you want to own a swim book.  Don’t buy it if your looking for swim tips.