Swimming Pool

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.

The story of swimming has no beginning or end. Ever since humans glimpsed the open sea, or a pond, or a river, they have strived to reach the other shore. A swimming pool puts that goal within our reach, if only metaphorically. In the swimming pool - outdoor, indoor - we can both forget who we are and dream of becoming someone else, which is why we swim for pleasure, exercise, and relaxation.

Swimming Pool looks at the pool as a place where humans seek to attain the unique union between mind and body. As a former world-ranked swimmer whose journey toward naturalization and U.S. citizenship began with a swimming fellowship, Piotr Florczyk reflects on his own adventures in swimming pools while taking a closer look at artists, architects, writers, and others who have helped to cement the swimming pool's prominent and iconic role in our society and culture.

Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.