What We Are Reading Today: ‘No Limits’

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Updated 16 April 2022
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘No Limits’

Michael Phelps is an American former competitive swimmer and the most decorated Olympian athlete of all time with 28 medals, 23 of them gold, spanning four Games.
“No Limits,” a New York Times bestseller, delves behind the scenes into Phelps’ remarkable pool successes.
The book gives readers an inside look into the hard work, mental preparation, training regime, sacrifice, and dedication that made Phelps an elite athlete and an inspiration to millions of people around the world.
But from being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bullied by other kids, to working through physical setbacks that would jeopardize his career, his road to glory was not an easy one.
However, by developing a mental attitude to persist, combined with a consistent approach to competition, a determination to win, and passion for the sport, Phelps was able to overcome the challenges he faced.
The book follows his participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he won eight golds, in stark contrast to his Games debut in Sydney in 2000 where he failed to collect any medals. After Australia, he went on to win medals in 2004, 2008, 2012, and during his final Olympic participation in 2016.
Filled with stories from family members — including his mother and two sisters who played a big role in his achievements — friends, teammates, and coach Bob Bowman, the book provides an informative insight into the start of Phelps’ journey in the pool leading up to the 2008 Games.


What We Are Reading Today: Island at the Edge of the World

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Updated 30 January 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: Island at the Edge of the World

  • Pitts has gone deeper than any other writer in cutting through the miasma of misperceptions that shrouds the island, even if his work sometimes bogs down in numbing detail

Author: Mike Pitts

In his ‘Island at the Edge of the World,’ British archeologist Mike Pitts delves into the misconceptions and legends surrounding a complex ancient culture.
The book is a work of historical revisionism that re-examines the history of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, using new archeological evidence, a fresh reading of 18th-century European accounts, and the long-overlooked work of early 20th-century anthropologist Katherine Routledge
Pitts’ investigation offers authoritative new insights into what really happened on the island.
Pitts has gone deeper than any other writer in cutting through the miasma of misperceptions that shrouds the island, even if his work sometimes bogs down in numbing detail.
Many questions still remain, but this is the most compelling and comprehensive account yet published of the extraordinary story of Easter Island.