No Limits: The Will to Succeed Paperback – December 8, 2009

Such a wonderful and inspiring book. His focus and passion shine through on every page. Going to make this a must read for my little nephew who is just growing interest in sports and trains everyday at three years old so he can be a champion.

This book covers around 18 months of Phelps' life running up to and including the 2008 Olympics. It's artfully done, and suspensful, even knowing that Phelps will ultimately win. You will learn a lot more about the world of Olympic swimming than about Phelps himself. There are some personal stories here and there about his childhood, but this is in no way a "Michael tells all" story of what it has been like to be Michael Phelps. For example, after reading this book I cannot tell you what Michael's favorite band is, nor whether he attended his High School prom, nor whether he got good grades in school.Phelps writes with the same energy that he uses to swim. You can hear the perseverence in his voice. I also detect genuine modesty about what he has done, as well as a sense of disbelief. He's not really sure how to explain his great performances other than to say "I worked hard and did my best."Phelps is not invincible, and he explains a few instances when he made mistakes outside the pool that dragged down his performance in the pool. I won't share those with you now, because that is what the book is for. Note that the alleged pot-smoking incident is not discussed here because it happened several months after the Olympics. I'm sorry to bring that up, but that, along with several stories in the book show that Phelps is a real person who makes mistakes and feels regretful about them. Other than his superior swimming performance, he's a typical 20-something.The writing is clear and easy to follow. It is written in a very conversational tone, so don't expect him to use proper grammar all the time. Again, he's a typical 20-something. As a college professor, I see lots of writing that is of poorer quality. I like the book and appreciated his inside view of how Olympic athletes interact with one another and how they prepare themselves for competitions.

I'm not a big fan of biographies, but I bought this anyway. I have to say it was a very intriguing story and I absolutely enjoyed it.It put new drive into me as a swimmer and put some new hope into my dreams. It was humorous, encouraging, and it taught you that no matter how many bumps you hit in the road, to always get back up on your feet and try again. The order of the events was a little confusing to me because it would hop from one place to the next, but I still love it very much. I've always wondered what it was like to be him and now I finally know. I would recommend it to any swimmer who wants to learn some new skills or is just looking for a great story of an Olympic athlete.

First, if you've read Michael's autobiography he published shortly after Athens Olympics, this isn't book's sequel. It doesn't claim to be, but you may think it is if you look through chapters' headings, as they're based on all events Michael swam in Beijing (autobiography as it is published now stops pretty much shortly after Athens). What that means is that some of the stories are repeated, but if you keep that in mind and ignore it, you'll enjoy all the new stories he shares.As a former college swimmer and now a masters swimmer I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. It's well written, and gives you an idea of what it takes to get to the level that Michael is at. He's obviously gifted with a body well suited for swimming, but it was 99% hard work and effort that got him to the top where no other swimmer have been before. He tells you how he got there while also sharing other stories about his life outside of the pool.This book also provides a chance for Michael to tell you more about Beijing experience. He was too busy during the Olympics to sit down and give a lengthy interview, and in a way, this is what this book is all about. For example, 12,000 calories a day diet that everyone talked about is actually a myth.What always impressed me about Phelps was his focus and determination on staying on top of his goals. I have no idea how he was able to remain focused and execute to perfection every single stroke and turn in 17 races he participated in Beijing. In this book he shares how you can overcome distractions and remain motivated to reach your goals.Finally, if you're into setting any kinds of goals in life, this book is a must read.

My two young grandsons have won gold medals in their age division and I could not think a better book for them to read first than this one. I am a page turner so they will get books rather than Kindle copies whenever I can get them. This was in great condion and arrived on time. Kudos to the seller fo having such great merchandise. I will buy from them again. My grandsons were beyond the moon.All my grandchildren receive books for Christmas.A 70yo Nana Page Turner

This book like every one I have ever read about Michael Phelps is so inspirational. His life wasn't "a piece of cake". He made it what it is. I cannot imagine ever knowing of another athlete who observed a schedule like his from childhood. And in fact perhaps lost some of his childhood because of his goals. This to me is a really great person who deserves to reach the extreme highest honors.