Rating: 
Summary: The Essence of Swimming
Review: If you are not a swimmer already, you will want to be after completing this book. If you are a swimmer, then you will be thankful that someone has captured the essence of what those elite athletes at the other end of the pool do while you slog it out at 5 AM in the morning.
Mullen does an unbelievable job capturing the unrelenting workouts, the devastating highs, the excruciating lows, and reality of what happens when you stick your neck out there to pursue a dream.
Finally, as a competitive swimmer, Mullen is able to capture the awesomeness of these Olympians and at the same time showing that these people are indeed mere mortals. Most of the Olympians that I have seen train and have had the opportunity are much like Tom Wilkens: hard working, determined people who love their sport and are very approachable.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Wilkens rules!
Review: If you've ever done swimming workouts, you will be in awe reading about the work that Tom Wilkens does in the pool. The author explains how his body turns scarlet red from the high intensity put forth. And the incredibly fast practice times.Well, the book covers the resurrected Santa Clara Swim Club and its devoted coaches, Jochums and Bitter. The people written about, coaches and swimmers alike, are covered with the development you would expect from a seasoned fiction writer. Elite swimmers - Human? More human than humanly possible. Oh - in Japan yesterday, Tom Wilkens took first in the 200 I.M. at the Pan Pacs. He's the oldest on the US team over there - but not to be deterred!
Rating:
Summary: Tom Wilkens rules!
Review: If you've ever done swimming workouts, you will be in awe reading about the work that Tom Wilkens does in the pool. The author explains how his body turns scarlet red from the high intensity put forth. And the incredibly fast practice times. Well, the book covers the resurrected Santa Clara Swim Club and its devoted coaches, Jochums and Bitter. The people written about, coaches and swimmers alike, are covered with the development you would expect from a seasoned fiction writer. Elite swimmers - Human? More human than humanly possible. Oh - in Japan yesterday, Tom Wilkens took first in the 200 I.M. at the Pan Pacs. He's the oldest on the US team over there - but not to be deterred!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!! What an eye opener.
Review: Most people have no idea what an competitive swimmer has to do to qualify for the olympics. My children have been swimming competitively for 7 years now at local and state events and even to us this book is an eye opener.
I recommend this to anyone who is even remotely interested in swimming as a sport or the olympics as a whole. The general public sits in front of our TV's and watch the olympics and say "wow that swimmer swam really fast". It becomes so much more than that. What makes a swimmer? Is it his natural ability to swim fast or is it the one who trains the hardest swims the fastest. This book clarifies that it is a combination of several factors that carries a person to the olympic dream.
After reading this book I guarantee that all of us will look upon Olympic athletes in a different light. I commend the author and the swimmers of the Santa Ana Swim club for opening up their doors and lives so that the rest of us can get a glimpse of what it is really like to strive for the ultimate goal. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Rating:
Summary: Great View from the Pool
Review: Mr. Mullen's writing is lucid and completely engrossing. The book is about the Syndey Olympics, but it opens several years earlier in the middle of a race between a "newcomer" and his older and more cagey mentor. I started reading about them while standing in a crowded bookstore lobby, and became so involved that I had to sitdown and read the first chapter. Wow! What a race! .... When I got it, I finished it over the weekend and the story only got better & better. It follows one Calif team and their Lombardi-esque coach for 2 years. The coach's story alone is enough to carry the book. You learn everything about swimming you never knew--what's a fast pool, why they wear Spiderman outfits to race, how they train. Sometimes the information is excessive but it never bogs down. This is definitely a sports book for non-swimming fans. If the book has a weakness, it's the Afterward, which takes place only a short time after the Olympics. All and all, this was 1 of the best sports books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: I still have CHILLS running down my back...
Review: Mullen is magnificent! He took me where no other writer has even previously done. He made it personal and made it as emotional as all hell! Congrats. As an avid fan of phyiscal sports and rarely a fan of soft individual type sports, such as swimming, tennis, and dancing I was entralled with the dedication and the courage of these immortal athletes. Time and time again Mullen sent CHILLS down my back!! Have you ever found your self throwing fake punches while watching Boxing on ESPN or while watching the Rocky movies ?
Throughout the 300 some odd pages I was throwing jabs and crosses into my pillow because of the extreme adreline rush of Kurt's and Tom's swims, and throwing upper-cuts towards the accusations of Dara's enhanced swims. Gold in the Water is GOLDEN and it often left me looking at the ceiling and questioning whether I had ever really pushed myself to greatness...or if I ever could. Keep them coming PH!!
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss Gold in the Water
Review: Mullen tells it exactly as it is. Gold in the Water is a must-read for all competitive swimmers and gives an inside picture that will fascinate readers who haven't realized the complex physical and emotional issues involved in training at an elite level.
Rating: 
Summary: *An inside look at elite training and coaching
Review: Mullen writes well and provides insights that only a former competitive swimmer could convey about the physical and emotional rigors of elite training. Overall, I loved the book and was fascinated to learn of the sacrifices made by coaches and swimmers alike as they prepared for the olympic trials of 2000. Mullen's detailed description of the inner thinking of Coach Jochums of the Santa Clara Swim club is enlightening, but also somewhat disturbing. Though Mullen provides much evidence to suggest that Jochums coaching practices are often punitive and even abusive at times, Mullen minimizes the potential harmfulfulness of Jochums' behavior and appears to overvalue Jochum's impact and effectiveness, even referring to Jochums as one of swimming's best motivators. I also wish that Mullen had focused more of his attention on some of the other, less well known swimmers who were training and swimming at the time. Despite these drawbacks, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about swimmers' depth of committment and intensity of training and preparation during the months and weeks leading up to the Olympic Games
Rating:
Summary: For those who don't usually read about sports
Review: Mullen's book proves to be wonderful! An avid reader, books about sports, etc. do not usually interest me -- but this excellent interpretation is written in such a captivating manner that even the most unknowledgable sports-reader will enjoy it. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Outstanding work by Mullen! Like, Larry Bird's book 'Drive' this book is perfect for all athletes not just the target sport. All athletes can appreciate the love, joy and devastation of the Olympic games. The determination and courage of the swimmers combined with Mullen's smooth writing brings to the reader a tremendous experience. After finishing this book, I went out and ran 5 miles. Don't waste money on Harry Potter this year, read about the heroes of the real world.
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