Rating: 
Summary: Pipe Dreams
Review: The book, Pipe Dreams is a biography of the six-time world champion Kelly Slater. From the moment you begin to read his story, you are drawn in. The way the book is written, it makes you feel like your right there every step of the way and witnessing history being made. It gives you a mental image of the goals and dreams that he achieved. Slater is now known as one of the World's Greatest Surfer's. Kelly has earned the respect and crediblility from his peers and idols, and made friends with people he thought he would never get a chance to meet. This book was very well written and helps you understand who Kelly really is.
I truly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It gives you a better understanding of Kelly's life and what it was like for him growing up. You will see where Kelly's smooth, creative, and unique style comes from. I like this book because Slater helps you feel the rush of the wave. Although Slater sruggled in life, he is very successful and for that he is an inspiration to me. I would recommend this book to readers who are interested in surfing.
Rating:
Summary: Every Sport Has a Superstar...
Review: ...and ours is Kelly Slater.In this Biography, the reader is given a glimpse of the life of one of the worlds most unique and impressive individuals in and out of the water. From his formative years growing up in the pre-condo housing boom of Cocoa Beach to the home of friend and renaissance man Jack Johnson on the North Shore. We are delved into the competive psyche of what drives this six time world Champion. What made this book stand out, was that Kelly unabashadley opens himself up to the reader. Discussing his family issues with his mother and father. As well as personal relationship issues with friends and girlfriends. Add this to his vivid insight on his feelings and descriptions of various tournaments and surf spots around the world and you have a book that truly encompasses the world of Kelly Slater.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but where is the emotion?
Review: As a novice surfer, and an obsessive one, I am in awe of people like Kelly Slater, and only wish I had grown up close to waves so maybe I could be a quarter of what he has become.
This book was really easy and interesting to read, and the only problem I have with it is that he didn't really touch on how surfing FELT.
I wanted to know...how did it feel, the first time he caught a wave? What is it really like to ride places like Pipe for the first time, or any time, other than scary? What is it like to be inside a barrel...etc etc.
I learned a lot about his competitive nature and his triumphs and shortcomings. The great parts of this book is when he is sharing feelings, not ratings.
Rating: 
Summary: Pipe Dreams, may haunt you
Review: For readers expecting the champ to keep pace with the ever-increasing quality of surf literature, you are in for a disappointment. The only conclusion I can come to is that this was written for pre-teens. I believe even they would be left wanting more. I felt as if I was reading a chronological timeline of surf contest results while sprinkled in were tidbits of interesting relational, or situational, anecdotes that were never developed or cut short. This man's story could have gone into so many interesting directions but one direction was never made clear. So why the three stars anyway? Because he has given us the first roughly hewn look into some personal experiences that shaped him.
All the raw paragraphs did expose the champ as someone less enviable, maybe a little less balanced out of the water, but with one internal drive: his competitive nature. Between these pages are the things he cares about most. We are witness to a man in developement and someone still searching. This biography leaves the reader feeling they have received an unedited glimpse into Mr. Slater's life. An interesting segway that needs to be explored further is the story of the changeing of the guard. I know that Kelly Slater was at the heart of a revolution in the way competitors viewed each other, as friends, as fellow artist and musicians, and as renassaisance men. This revloution changed the face of surfing forever. I know because I have seen the difference in surf literature and films and in the water. Mr. Slater, thanks for the effort, but you still have more to offer us, in and out of the water.
Rating: 
Summary: Pipe Dreams Plus
Review: I didn't know a whole lot about Kelly Slater before this book and now I can't get enough! He is so humble that Pipe Dreams was an enjoyable read. It makes you realize that athletes are not all about big egos and high paying careers. In the general scheme of things, Slater is small potatoes. Surfing is everywhere these days but nowhere. He proves that nice guys do finish first. Kudos to Slater. An excellent read with great photos and a homespun feel!
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Summary: Obsessed with surfing
Review: I have been a fan of Kelly's since my college roommate from San Diego put a poster of him on her wall in 1991. Since then I have tried to follow his career in whatever way I could. Reading this book I realized that I had such a small and superficial view of him as that cute surfer who, by the way, is also a wold champion. However, now I see not only how he has struggled in and out of the water but how much he has impacted the sport of surfing and helped shape it for the future. I also love the way he talks about his friendships. It is written in such a conversational manner that you almost forget that you are reading a book. Reganbooks has scored another winner in "Pipe Dreams". I am a librarian in NYC now and I want to go out and hand this to kids and tell them to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Good all round read
Review: I have surfed for years and watched many of the pros come and go, but Kelly is definitely different. His story is one that other sports can only fabricate for their stars. This book is written at a level where anyone can enjoy it, a hard task these days. I would recommend it to everyone, especially parents who have an aspiring grommet.
Rating:
Summary: Pipe Dreams : A Surfer's Journey (Kelly Slater)
Review: I never was interested in surfing until recently. And if you don't like surfing, give it a go. Pipe dreams: A surfer's journey is a powerful and touching and now Kelly is my new idol. This book shows you that everything is possible. He tells us all about his life story and holds nothing back. Everyone should read this book, the most beautiful book of the year... Kelly... I admire you.
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Summary: i'm going surfing
Review: i picked this book up on a whim, because it had a neat looking cover. after reading of kelly's exploits and a behind the scenes look at the world of surfing, i'm planning a trip to florida to learn where kelly learned. kelly tells his story in an easy, straightforward manner, but what a life!
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I really enjoyed this book. The basic story of Slater's life is interesting, but his honesty about his feelings is what I enjoyed most. It's easy to think that guys who tackle huge waves never know a timid moment in their lives, but Slater's comments about his feeling timid against big surf, and feeling timid on dry land in the form of having a shy personality when he was a kid, were reassuring to someone like me who certainly has felt fear in the water and was a shy kid, too. (Slater was voted "best looking" at his high school, so in a way his shyness didn't MATTER, since girls came after HIM. I wish I'd lost my virginity as young as he did! But nonetheless, his honesty about his feelings are endearing and interesting.) And if you're a surf nut, just reading his take on approaches to surfing, his experiences with different breaks, and his evolvement as a surfer are interesting. Sometimes it feels like THE MATRIX where Neo/Slater blows it a lot during the learning process, but it's those mistakes that make for a rapid learning curve. P.S. Aug. 2, I had Kelly sign the book yesterday at the U.S. Open in Huntington Beach, after he introduced Tom Curren at the ceremony where Curren impressed his feet and hands in cement. I told Kelly I'd finished the book and liked it, and he said, "Thanks a lot," but seemed maybe a little disbelieving, since the book had only been published a couple days before. But I did read it in only a couple days...because it's a good read.
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