About this title: An autobiography by Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, in which he documents his troubled childhood, the solace he sought in diving, his homosexuality and how it affected his career, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his lover.
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Description: Very Good. 0679437037 Great condition First Edition Hard cover book with paper dust jacket cover! Clean pages, dust jacket great, light shelf wear rubs, this book is GREAT! Shop & Save With US. read more
Description: Very Good. 0452275903 Great condition Soft Cover book, clean pages, mild creases to spine, light edge/corner rubs, this book is GREAT! Shop & Save With US. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780679437031ISBN:0679437037
Description: Fine in Very Good+ jacket. Book has no markings, and dust jacket has minor wear. Autobiography of swimmer Greg Louganis. Non-Fiction (#H3248) read more
Description: Very Good. 0452275903 Library copy with mylar cover and library markings. Great service. Fast shipping. Saving trees 1 page at a time! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Plume Books
Date Published: 1996
ISBN-13:9780452275904ISBN:0452275903
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 320 p. Audience: General/trade. library stamp on first page read more
"I'm happy he had the courage to come out and all, but not everyone with a coming out story needs to write a boring book. At least he had the Olympic stuff which made it somewhat engaging."
"AMAZING!!!! Also I kinda can relate a lot to his struggles with his emotions and relationships and the causes of that. It just hit a chord. And his diving is like watching an angel fly -- breathtaking!! Reading about the work behind it is both incredibly helpful and also something I can understand. :) I just adore his story!!! People who can't relate to him (either his devotion to diving and the work he put in, or the emotional journey he has taken over the course of his life) might not like the book itself as much, though, it's really subjective. :)"
"I remember watching the Olympics when Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving board. I remember feeling nauseated on his behalf, wondering what the outcome would be, and then watching him come back to triumph. It was a tremendous experience.
I read "Breaking the Surface" last night and this afternoon, wanting to know more about this athlete I remember from my childhood. It was saddening to hear about the abuse he suffered growing up, both at school and from his father, and how he never felt like he truly belonged, having been given up for adoption as a baby. These are private pains we never saw as we cheered him on for the gold - he hid it all so well, but he felt like he had to.
He has battled periods of intense depression throughout his life, wanting to commit suicide but always waking up the next morning. He was addicted to drugs and went through bouts of smoking and drinking, all to numb the pain he was feeling from his abusive childhood.
In addition to all this, he didn't know how to deal with the fact that he was gay. At the time he realized this, it wasn't spoken of much in the media and he didn't know to what extent he was not alone.
I appreciated the look into his life and the ways in which he sought to overcome his addictions and to patch up the relationship with his father. I didn't feel entirely comfortable with some of the sections which dealt with his romantic relationships, but then, I'm not the kind of person who likes hearing about someone's bedroom life, regardless of their sexuality - I think it's their business and not mine. That said, I think Greg did a lot to show us how an abusive relationship progresses, and that we should all be aware of the ways we treat our loved ones and the treatment we receive, whether we are in a homosexual or heterosexual relationship. The emotional manipulation can take place in either type of relationship and I appreciated his warning of what to watch out for and his plea to seek help.
"This book is riveting, heartbreaking, inspiring! Louganis is amazing and his book is a generous personal look into his life, love, heartache and freedom! This is a must read for everyone! There is absolutely no way you could continue to be prejudice after reading this book! The sad things is those who should read it will probably never pick it up!
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