Breaking the Surface

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Summary: One of the most heart-felt and sincere books yet.
Review: Greg has written a book that is touching the hearts of so many people. As a young college student, I myself have had to overcome my sexuality and my HIV status. I finally met Greg on February 15th at the University of Miami, and it reinforced the idea of what a wonderful person he is. Greg's book is definitely one in a million. It's a must read for gays and straights, and people who are HIV positive and negative. His strength is capable of helping all of us live a more productive life... and to be happy with ourselves.

Rating:
Summary: BREAKING THE SURFACE IS A MUST READ.
Review: GREG LOUGANIS' REAL LIFE STRUGGLES ARE VERY TOUCHING AND HOLD A DEEP AND PERSONAL MESSAGE FOR ALL. GROWING UP A SHY, QUIET, TALENTED YOUNG MAN AND GROWING UP TO BE THE GREATEST OLYMPIC DIVER EVER MAY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE. HOWEVER, HIS REAL LIFE STRUGGLES WERE EVEN MORE IMPOSSIBLE. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO EVERYONE. ALSO IF YOU GET A CHANCE WATCH THE VIDEO ALSO. I RATE THEM BOTH VERY HIGHLY.

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Summary: Hallelujah
Review: I love this book so much that I cant stop reading it I even got a personalized autograph from Greg Louganis. It is so good to know that there are gay people who write books about themselves.

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Summary: A touching, real life story
Review: I remember watching Greg Louganis in 1988 and his last dive that gave him his fourth Olympic gold medal. I was only 7 years old and had no idea about what a struggle he had. When I found out that he was HIV-positive and gay, I was shocked. I don't know why. I read the book during my junior year in high school and enjoyed it. The information on diving was informative and I enjoyed that part. The part that surprised me the most was the way he talked openly and frankly about his lovers and his feelings for them. It was the first time I had ever read anything like that and it shocked me but then I got used to it. Sure, I've seen "Philadelphia" and the dancing scene but I always figured that they're actors and it was part of their jobs to do stuff like that. Call me naive; I was. But this, the things in the book, happened to a real person, one who is a vivid part of my childhood memories. In many parts, I was crying, trying to picture what Greg's life must have been like all those years and how it hurt him-all the teasing, taunts, rumors and other things he must have endured. I think he has a lot of courage to come out and write this book; to me it shows a person who is confident of where he is now in life and wants others to accept him for who he is.

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Summary: The most amazing autobiography I've ever read
Review: The first time ever I heard about Greg Louganis was when a friend of mine told me he had bought Greg's autobiography back in 1995. Early this year I learned more about him on the Discovery Channel during a documentary about the Olympics. I could say I was impressed by his achievements, other than getting to know that he was a diver and the best of his kind (hey!...I was 12 at the time of his retirement and in my country diving is not much of a hit). Later on I got to see the movie based on his book, which really struck me. My interest grew so much that the first time I surfed by at Amazon, "Breaking the surface" was the first book I decided to pick up. This opus is not only another ordinary autobiography, because it's at the same time a learning about human life and qualities. The book starts describing that well-known accident he had on the springboard back in 1988 and goes on with his childhood up to his current days. Each chapter is a challenge because each one not only narrates an achievement, in some way, in his life, but also an amalgam of feelings all of which relates the reader to the writer. The book is far beyond a recount of Greg's accomplishments as a diver, but it's a story that digs deeply into his personality revealing the most traumatic episodes of his life. It's not only a story about AIDS and homosexuality, since it also deals with discrimination, dyslexia and Greg's so impeding moodiness. This biography is hard to get through, not because it's boring or flat, but because there are so much emotions involved. "Breaking the surface" is a book destined to make changes, changes in your look at valuable things that will help you to cast prejudices away. "Breaking..." is unforgettable as well as a book worthy of reading. An enjoyable experience that will make you love Greg because of who he is rather than what his celebrity means. Oh, by the way, tears tend to drop.