Find a Way

An Amazon Best Book of October 2015: When 64-year-old Diana Nyad emerged from the water after her historic 52-hour open-ocean swim from Cuba to Florida in 2013, she said, “One: Never, ever give up. Two: You’re never too old to chase your dreams. Three: It looks like a solitary sport but it’s a team.” Memoirs about the uber-successful—especially extreme athletes—can provoke intimidation instead of inspiration, but Nyad, who tried and failed to complete this trek at least five times, is frank about her mistakes along the way, and her focus on the teamwork that got her to the Florida shore isn’t just lip service. Friends and experts support her during every stroke in her hours of practice and her previous attempts, and a heartrending breakdown in that team almost puts her final swim in jeopardy. Ultimately, though, it is willpower and dedication that fuel Nyad’s success, and that is a life lesson that we can all embrace, no matter our dreams. -- Adrian Liang