By Terri Schlichenmeyer
One step, another, and a thump upwards.
Turn again, then bend over, raise your arms, and pierce the water’s surface like a knife through cake. Hardly a drop out of place during that dive, never much of a splash. But why did you do it, exactly? There may be many reasons for why people swim, including survival, healing, pleasure, competition, community, and exercise, according to author Bonnie Tsui’s 2020 book Why We Swim ($ 26.95, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill,$ 26.50 ).  ,
If there is one thing we all know about summer, it’s that it can get warm. Like, you’ll melt your shoes, get crispy, and sweat until you’re wet. Any body of water starts to appear very appealing at that point. However, Tsui states that” we are not natural born swimmers.” Without any lessons, drop us in the water and we flail.
Lessons away, cave art discovered in 1933 confirms that people have been swimming for at least ten thousand years, and they most likely learned by watching those who had already done it. That most likely occurred in the” Green Sahara,” where there were again cool pools and meadows.
Bottom line: we are land animals that prefer water, no merely to drink. Although in some cultures, it seems as though our fellow humans are half-fish, scientists refer to us as” secondary” swimmers. Some Bajau from the same region are born with spleens that allow them to stay underwater for minutes, as opposed to the seconds most of us can manage. This is because the Moken people of Southeast Asia can see underwater in ways that most of us can’t. Japanese ama ( “sea women” ) can freedive hundreds of times each day to forage and get seafood, pearls, and abalone. Yes, some Americans can swim with an endurance that may seem beyondhuman.
But it’s not really, truly. For some people, it’s a matter of genetics and having a natural trait that allows incredible feats in the water. It’s a challenge, a lifesaver, an obsession, a hobby, or a pain to deal with for some people. And for some, according to Tsui, it’s about ensuring that people “teach themselves how to live with water, no how to keep it at bay.”
You then claim to be landlocked. Not much more than a small puddle visible. That’s fine, so skip to Why We Swim this summer for some great gin.
You’ll almost hear the seagulls and want to reach for a towel because Tsui’s writing has quite powerful images in mind: of water, of cold or heat, of the kicks and reaches that swimming requires. It will make you think of large school swim meets, skinny-dipping in the lake, and building sandcastles on the shore.
Tsui weaves history, science, psychology, and fascinating mini-biographies of people who have surprised researchers both unwittingly and on purpose with their prowess in the water, but it’s more than that sense of beachiness that’s inside this book. Additionally, Tsui includes specific accounts to connect the two books.  ,
Why We Swim will make a great splash, whether you’re spending the summer at the pool or just dreaming of a beach day.  ,
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