No Limits: The Will to Succeed [NOOK Book]

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Overview


Fresh from his triumphant and extraordinary achievement at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Michael Phelps—up from working-class, born-in-the-USAroots—shows us the secrets to his remarkable success—from training to execution.

For years the world has followed Michael Phelps’s progress from teen sensation in Sydney to bona fide phenom in Athens. Now he’s a living Olympic legend in Beijing with a peerless record of gold medals. In No Limits, Michael Phelps—the greatest competitor since Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods—will share the secrets to his remarkable success. Behind his tally of Olympic gold medals lies a consistent ...

See more details below

Overview


Fresh from his triumphant and extraordinary achievement at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Michael Phelps—up from working-class, born-in-the-USAroots—shows us the secrets to his remarkable success—from training to execution.

For years the world has followed Michael Phelps’s progress from teen sensation in Sydney to bona fide phenom in Athens. Now he’s a living Olympic legend in Beijing with a peerless record of gold medals. In No Limits, Michael Phelps—the greatest competitor since Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods—will share the secrets to his remarkable success. Behind his tally of Olympic gold medals lies a consistent approach to competition, a determination to win, mental preparation, and a straightforward passion for his sport. One of his mottos is "Performance is Reality," and it typifies his attitude about swimming.

No Limits goes behind the scenes to explore the hard work, sacrifice, and dedication that catapulted Phelps into the international spotlight. Phelps shares remarkable anecdotes about family, his coach, his passion for the sport, and the wisdom that he has gained from unexpected challenges and obstacles. Highlighting memorable races and valuable lessons from throughout his career, Phelps offers candid insight into the mind and experiences of a world champion. Phelps’s success is imbued with the perspective of overcoming obstacles and doing whatever it takes to realize a dream. As his coach, Bob Bowman, says, Phelps has made a habit out of things other people aren’t willing to do. No Limits will show readers just how he does that, and will inspire anyone to follow their passion straight to the finish line.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
At just 23 years old, world record-holding swimmer Phelps has become a worldwide sports and pop culture phenomenon, thanks to his unparalleled eight gold medal wins in the 2008 Olympic Games. With help from award-winning sports journalist Abrahamson, Phelps chronicles his life, from Baltimore childhood to triumph in Beijing. The younger brother of two record-setting sisters, Phelps was practically brought up in the water-though he was initially thrown into the pool as therapy for his ADHD, which was diagnosed at an early age. Each of eight chapters takes its name from one of the eight races Phelps won in Beijing, and each is filled with anecdotes and intimate details leading up to his record-breaking successes. He sheds a bit of light on his relationship with his estranged father, and his disenchanting DUI charge just months after winning six gold medals at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Sparing no details in his account of the rigorous and often grueling training regiment he developed, as well as the career-threatening injuries he overcame just in time for competition, Phelps provides sports buffs with the details they'll crave and his global fan base the candor and charm they're hoping for.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781439141724
  • Publisher: Free Press
  • Publication date: 12/9/2008
  • Sold by: SIMON & SCHUSTER
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 240
  • Sales rank: 70,014
  • File size: 2 MB

Meet the Author

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer. He holds the record for winning the most gold medals (8) in a single Olympics (2008). He has won 16 Olympic medals, 14 gold and two bronze. He holds seven world records and has over 20 World Championship medals. After returning home from Beijing in 2008, Michael used the well-publicized $1 million dollar Speedo bonus to start the Michael Phelps Foundation through which he hopes to encourage children to lead healthy, active lives, and to continue to grow the sport of swimming. He now resides in Baltimore, MD with his dog Herman.


Alan Abrahamson is an award-winning sportswriter and a recognized authority on the Olympics. In 2006, he left the Los Angeles Times, where he had been a staff writer for 17 years, to write for the NBC suite of online properties, which now includes NBCOlympics.com, NBCSports.com and UniversalSports.com. Since 2003, Alan has also served as a sports and Olympic analyst on NBC's television networks. Among other honors, Alan won the 2002 National Headliner Award for sports writing and was named the Los Angeles Press Club's 2004 sports journalist of the year. Alan and his wife, Laura, and their three children live in Southern California.

Table of Contents

Prologue

1 Perseverance: The 400 Individual Medley

2 Belief: The 400 Free Relay

3 Redemption: The 200 Freestyle

4 Determination: The 200 Fly

5 Confidence: The 800 Free Relay

6 Courage: The 200 Individual Medley

7 Will: The 100 Fly

8 Commitment: The Medley Relay

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 64 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(35)

4 Star

(12)

3 Star

(5)

2 Star

(8)

1 Star

(4)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 65 Customer Reviews
  • Posted November 17, 2009

    Really awsome

    I am a swimmer . I swim for Scottsdale Aqautice Club (SAC). There is so much comitment. This book really shows you if you put time and effort in to it you can succeed . When my 200 free real lay got first out of all the real lay times in Arizona we were crying we were so happy . This book really proves that in swimming winning is wonderfui!!!

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 10, 2012

    Book

    Very good seeing his point of view! I am a swimmer and it is kinda boring explaining all these swim terms and stuff. Is heis the olympics this year?

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 12, 2012

    Truly inspiring.

    Having read this book several times since its release, it continues to inspire me as a growing swimmer. Michael has been an inspiration for me since I started swimming competitvely at the age of 8. He shows that anything is possible and to reach for your dreams in and out of the pool. This is a great read for the dedicated swimmer or the casual reader looking for an inspirational read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 9, 2012

    Love it

    I love him and im a swimmer year round dso this is very inspiring and it really showed me what i could become and how goals are something that can be acchived NEVER GIVE UP!!!! ISWIM

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 1, 2009

    Could not put this book down!!

    when I first opened this book and looked at the titles of the chapters I thought "wow this is not going to be good" this was due to the fact that each of the 8 chapters is entitled by each event that Michael competed in at the 2008 olympics. I thought that the book would be a series of stats and information I wouldn't understand as I am not a swimmer just a Michael Phelps fan. However when I began reading the book I realized that it was far from what I thought it would be. It was full of Michael's personal anecdotes and thoroughly detailed depictions of events in his life. It was truly intriguing and I could not put it down. This book answered every question that I have ever had about Michael Phelps. It is truly an inspiring book.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 27, 2008

    Captivating

    I flew through this book - you feel like you are just hanging out with the guy, hearing about his life, his training, the excitement of Beijing and the respect he has for those who have helped him. It's a fascinating and insightful look inside the world of a living legend. Highly recommended even if you aren't a swimming fanatic.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 23, 2008

    I Also Recommend:

    Thank you,Michael!

    This is the best sports book of the year.It is an absorbing account of his intense training for Beijing,as well as a fascinating step-by-step
    and deeply personal behind the scenes look at all eight races.But it's
    Michael's descriptions of private moments with his family,coach,friends,
    and teammates that really stand out and are quite touching.A wonderful book!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 22, 2012

    Wow!!!!!!!

    Great book so worth it

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    VERY INSPIRING

    I am a swimmer and dream of going to the Olympics some day,and am already very aware of the work,detication, and fustration swimming requires of you and others in your family. But this book takes it to a whole new level, it shows that if your serious about any sport it is a lot more about your mental strengh then anything else. And i think that thats what swimming is all about, how much you want a time or anything and how hard you are willing work to get there.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 23, 2011

    He is my idol i want to be like him someday and go to the olympics

    He is my idol i want to be like him someday and go to the olympics

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  • Posted September 23, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Exciting book, new turns on every page.

    Michel Phelps was on his last straw, his winning streak at the peak of his carrer. He was doing amazing, breaking world records. Once he reached his eight medals in the olympic games, he was doing worse and worse. Something broke him from that losing streak, and he once again became the best olympian in the world. Michel was practicing on getting in tip top shape for his next performance. The 100m race. In his free time he would practice and set realistic goals for himself to pass during the big race. He had all of his friends supporting him in this one and he also had another world record time waiting to be broken. I think this book was great because it used very specific information on how he got ready and what he did, that's why I like it. It is like getting into Michel's head and seeing what he does. The reason I like this book, is because of imagery. Also, it has very in depth details of the races he goes through, and how he breaks the records others set. Overall, I think this book was pretty good

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  • Posted January 23, 2011

    shows ya how to succeed

    read the title

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  • Posted October 27, 2010

    NO LIMITS: The WIll to Succeed

    Michael Phelps, perhaps the greatest athlete in the world takes you on a journey through his life and documents his eight gold medal swims at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 in his latest book, No Limits: the Will to Succeed. He shares his family history, his love for the sport, his grueling schedule, and the lessons he's learned from the mistakes he's made. Each chapter of the book gives you an up-close view of Michael's record-breaking swims, one chapter for each of his eight gold medal races. He takes you into his head as he breaks Mark Spitz's record of winning seven gold medals at a single Olympic Games. As Phelps chronicles his life from his early childhood to the present, you will experience a field of emotions and share his passion for the sport. At just 23 years of age, Phelps has become a worldwide phenomenon and has inspired many people around the world. His performance at the 2008 Summer Games will never be forgotten and will forever inspire athletes that nothing is impossible. This book was beyond the normal biography. It gives you insights and personal commentary about his life that will change your opinion of him. This book is for all ages and I highly recommend that everyone should read it. I really liked the fact that the book was very personal and you can feel the same emotions and relive the moments as Phelps describes them, but it does tend to jump from place to place leaving you confused as to where the event is and when it is taking place. The book is a good read for everyone, but if you aren't familiar with the swimming world, you will often find yourself perplexed over swimming terms and swimmers that are mentioned. If you liked the book, I would recommend that you also read Beneath the Surface and The Untold Story of a Champion by Michael Phelps. Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I hope that readers are able to take the main message from this book and apply it to their life; your dreams are always within your reach, but how much effort you put into it is the only thing stopping you from achieving them.

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  • Posted February 10, 2010

    he makes swimming look easy

    As a swimmer I know how tough swimming can be. Not only does it physically drains you but also emotionally drains you. Even though high school teams and college teams make swimming seem like a group effort it's a very individual sport which contributes to making swimming such a hard sport. Other than a coach and support, no one else can help you achieve the goals you want to accomplish once you step out of the pool at the end of a meet. In Michael Phelps' autobiography he briefly talks about his childhood and what is was like for him to begin he's swimming adventures. It's amazing to read how much he use to hate getting his face went and now he's become the only swimming to achieve eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics.

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  • Posted January 22, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    truely inspiring!!!!!!

    this book is truely inspiring! take it from me, it is not easy being a swimmer (i should know) Michael Phelps has done an amazing job with his swimming career!! i read this book at least 3 times in a month. i just cant get anough of his inspiration!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted September 27, 2009

    The best book i've read about swimming!!

    i had to read this for a book report and i love it i swim so i wanted to know how michael phelps did it so i read it ad gave a great book talk and got an a i was so proud of michael for doing this book

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  • Posted August 11, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    THIS BOOK HAS NO LIMITS! :)

    i had to read a book for a project and chose swimming. michael phelps is an amazing swimmer so i decided to read this. i loved it. it was exactley what i was looking for. it takes you through what he has experienced and what he wants to become. i really got to understand him a lot more by reading this book. truly amazing.

    GO PHELPS!

    p.s. the pics in this are awesome! lol!

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  • Posted March 25, 2009

    "No Limits" Review

    The book "No limits" by Michael Phelps is an autobiography telling many aspects about his life, mainly about swimming, and outlines his success in the pool. Each chapter contains a specific event Michael Phelps swam in the 2008 Olympics and a fascinating background story. The major themes in this book is to never give up and that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The things I like most about this book is that it is inspirational and since I am a swimmer, I can relate to many of his stories. My only dislike about the book is that he goes over aspects about swimming I already know about such as how events are swam or how certain swim meets work. However, this information can be very helpful if the reader has little or no knowledge about swimming. Anyone can read this book because it will give them an extra boost of motivation and can inspire them to overcome adversity and live their dreams. Overall, I highly recomend this book because it is fun to read and very inspirational.

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  • Posted March 23, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    A MUST READ BOOK!

    No Limits is a truly inspirational book filled with past and present storeis about Michael Phelps, winner of 8 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. When looking at the cover of the book I knew I was in for a good read just because Phelps was on the front cover. I had a feeling I was going to be inspired to set goals and fullfill my dreams. It turns out, I was. The book was exactly how I had expected it to be. I was excited and motavated when reading each page. Michael shares stories of when he was a kid just like me and teaches what hard work, a good attitude, and loving friends, family, and coaches can do for you. He made sacrafices and set goals often using the negativity from disbelievers to give him the drive to succeed and be his best. Michael and Alan also provide you with information about each of the 8 events Phelps swam in the 08 games along with past events. They take you step by step explaining how Michael won each race and what went through his mind when swimming. I found this part of the book to be very exciting. Even though I already saw each race on TV, my heart was consantly beating fast as I read about Michael swimming blindily and how one single hundreth of a second can impact your race and preformance. I loved this autobiography. 4 stars!! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys playing sports from ages 7 and up. Michael didn't want to be the best at the sport of swimming. He wanted to be HIS best. And thats what is most inspirational to me. Being a young teen, I can definitly relate and make good use of this book.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 24, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    Success

    No Limits: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps and Alan Abrahamson was an amazing book, filled with inspirational stories from his life growing up, to where he is today, An Olympian. Throughout the book Micheal Phelps set goals and gives up a lot of normal kid stuff to be a good swimmer. He learns from many mistakes, and with each passing day he becomes more and more of a good swimmer, yet being doubted and told he would never be anything. He has come out a winner. A major theme in this book is believe in yourself, set goals, and don't let anyone tell you, you can't do anything amazing. I think his mane message is that if you have a dream take it up, and that you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. One thing I loved about this book is how Michael constantly talks about how he believed in himself and pushed himself through very tough times, with the help of his coach and Mom (a principle). A major dislike for me was all the doubts people gave him. They kept telling him he couldn't be anything and he wasn't that great of a swimmer. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read. This book has helped me set some of my own goals and I have taken what he has learned from life and started using it in my everyday life. Another book I would recommend is The Ice Man by Chuck Liddel. My overall rating of this book would be four stars.

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