Faster than Lightning: My Autobiography: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE EIGHT-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

by Usain Bolt

The autobiography of the fastest man of all time and a superstar whose talent and charisma have made him one of the most famous people on the planet.

Whether you know Athletics or not, and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma – uniting supporters around the world.In this, his full autobiography, Usain tells his story in his own from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom at Beijing and on to the new heights of superstardom he has reached since lighting up London 2012.Full of the charm and charisma that has made him the most popular sporting figure of our time and a universal celebrity, this is a book that Usain’s millions of fans will love.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Autobiography, Memoir, Biography Memoir

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

100 m events during the Olympics and World Championships are considered the closest-fought events in the sports world. The difference between the athletes is just seconds, and one small mistake can cause a huge difference in the result. It was usually difficult to predict these events until Usain Bolt started competing.

The sight of Bolt winning a gold medal by looking at his new world record time clock like a casual jogging in the park was something that people who love athletics will never forget. Bolt became the gold standard, the benchmark for the other contestants. Instead of competing in the competition, he became the competition. Defeating him became an impossible task for the athletes. Bolt's extraordinary ability to win every competition was there with him right from his childhood.

"My successes were so regular that Miss Lee later arranged for the school sports day to take place when she knew I would be away at an international competition – just to give the other kids a chance."

Watching Bolt in a competition was a spectacle. His theatrics, antics and charisma were exemplary. He appeared omnipotent on the track. But all these traits were not acquired easily. The amount of discipline, hard work and dedication that went behind it is well conveyed by him in this book.


What I learned from this book
1) Will your laziness make you a stronger person?
This might be a foolish question to ask, as most of us know that laziness usually makes person weaker. But Usain Bolt says that laziness when he was a teenager, helped to make him a stronger person. He describes beautifully about it in this book

"We had no pipe water back then, so it became my job to carry buckets from the nearby stream to the family yard, where our supply was stored in four drums. Every week, if Pops was at home, I was ordered to fill them up and that was bad news because each drum held 12 buckets, which meant 48 trips to the river and back. It was tough work, as those buckets were heavy, and I would do anything to get out of carrying them.

Eventually, I figured that I couldn't be doing 48 trips to fill the drums, it took too long, so instead I would hold two at a time and struggle home with double the weight, despite the extra, painful effort. In my mind I was cutting corners, but carrying two buckets at a time developed me physically: I could feel my arms, back and legs getting bigger with every week. The chores soon built up my muscles, and without ever going to the gym or using weights, I was taking my first steps towards developing some serious muscle. Get this: my laziness was actually making me stronger. Combined with the walking, climbing and running, my dad's housework was helping me to become a bigger, more powerful person."

2) What is the importance of discipline in a professional athlete's life?
Bolt had the rare combination of talent and physique to become a professional athlete at the beginning of his career. Sadly he was somewhat not up to the mark in case of discipline. We can see him describing the life of a professional athlete in this book.

The picturization of the transformation of Bolt from an ordinary person without much focus to a highly disciplined, passionate world-class athlete is done in a brilliant manner in this book. If you are a person struggling with discipline, this is one of the best biographies you can read right now.

"A pro athlete's training always starts with a hard background programme, and as we prepared for the beginning of the 2004 season, I discovered that a sprinter's life was tough – really tough. At high school I was able to get away with a lot in training. I could slack off sometimes, or skip the occasional session and still win championships because my raw talent was so great. Most of the time, I was only ever running four or five reps of 300 meters in training. At the pro level, I found there would be no room for laziness."

3) How did Bolt find the motivation to work harder?
The people who use the affirmation techniques constantly are usually athletes. We can see how Bolt effectively used affirmations to keep himself motivated.

"I reminded myself of my new focus every day. If there were times when I felt like slacking off, I said to myself, 'What more do I want? What's the thing I want the most?' In my mind, I pictured the car, the clothes, whatever it was I hoped to get, and I'd motivate myself. Step up, Bolt! Get training if you want to get it!"

My favourite three lines from this book

"The athletes who can't train tough are going to burn out quickly; they break down faster than a physically sturdier athlete.”

"By the time I'd finished first in Rio, I'd already come to realize that winning was all I needed do in some races; I knew that putting any more pressure on myself – other than a desire to win – would only stress me out. Instead I stayed chilled. People always wanted me to run faster because I'd set such a high standard for myself, but my attitude was always, 'Whatever'. I wasn't going to let others put an extra strain on me. So I tried to remain focused at every meet because I knew what I could do when I really put my mind to it."

"The hard work starts here, Usain,' he said as we got back to the training laps and cramping muscles. I started laughing.
'Seriously, Coach? It just starts now? What have we been doing for the last four years?'"

What could have been better?
This book ends with the line

"Believe me, my time isn't up just yet."

And he was not wrong there. Many more remarkable things happened in his life which is not in the book as it was published before it. Much information in it is not up to date and much vital information that happened after the book was published is missing from it. I think either an updated version or volume 2 of this book should be published.

Rating
4/5 Bolt was in the news recently when he lost $12.8 million due to alleged fraud by staff at wealth management firm Stocks & Securities Ltd (SSL). It is speculated that Bolt lost his entire retirement fund. When I read this news, it was this biography that first came to my mind. I remembered the hardships he had to go through to achieve that wealth and losing it is something disheartening to hear. I hope that the fraudster will be caught soon and he will get back his retirement fund. All these prompted me to reread this book. I first read this book more than ten years ago when it was first published. Rereading it brought back the amazing memories of watching multiple live events while Bolt was still competing.

If you are someone who is interested in athletics or looking for some motivation to tackle the difficult situation you are facing in your life, this book will be a great choice.

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[Aakanksha Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usain Bolt, I guess everyone heard his name once in their life. He is a living legend for many people and also known as the fastest man on Earth. It’s his autobiography in which he told how he wins races and smashing records one by one. The untold truth of his life and his journey from teenage sensation to international superstar was very well described in this book.

Usain’s home was Coxeath, a small village in Jamaica. He was a mommy’s boy and hates to see her upset. His father was a traditional and very strict man. He believed in manners and respect all the time. Due to all his father's teachings, Usain learns how to respect everyone even if they disrespect you. There are so many incidents from his childhood in this book that are well portrayed and his first coach was his family dog, Brownie. Since childhood Usain want to become a cricket player but destiny brought him to track. In school, he never took running seriously until he won few championships and got sports scholarship at William Knibb High School but after that, he started bunk his class and sessions which lead him to low grades and all the teachers and former Olympic sprinter Pablo McNeil tried to explain him the importance of training. Every athlete needs motivation and a good coach in Usain case money becomes his motivation and Coach Mills is the one responsible for making him a legend on the track. The more he wins the more he earns through advertisement. He was only 15 when he won CARIFTA games in Nassau and the crowd suddenly started screaming, ‘Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt!’ and he got his nickname from there. After winning World Junior Championship he was flashing on everybody’s radar but there were distractions too.

Every athlete has up and down in his career and deals with injuries. He also faces this even there was a moment when people started hating him because he loses. But he works hard and with determination or proper guidance of his coach he won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He set a new world record with a time of 9.69 seconds in 100 meters and show his signature pose. To know one's real aim is very important Usain learn this after his accident in 2009. But life is tricky and records are meant to be broken. There were other sprinters too who give tough competition to him like Tyson, Asafa, and Blake but Usain beat each one of them and make himself clear to the world that no one can beat him. He also won a gold medal in 100 meters race at the 2012 London Olympics game.

At some point, he sounds arrogant or self-centered but I guess it's not completely true because he is a global phenomenon and undisputed superstar athlete. But media and other athletes time to time question his ability to win. Usain proved them wrong by winning so many titles. There were so many people behind his success. There was some insight information on a player's life and how they overcome fear and prove themselves to the world. This is one of my favorite autobiographies to date. I know his fans will definitely read this because it's really good to know the life story of a living legend and I would recommend this to everyone.

Read more here - https://www.bookscharming.com/

[Indrani Sen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man is a legend. Somehow the book is not. The book is well enough. No offence to his fans.

[Muthu Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a certain audacity in the way Bolt asserts himself in this biography. I have met some people in my life that are at/near the absolute top of their fields and in a way, they are too humble. When we start to embark on a journey to attain that skill level, we sometimes miss out on the humility. Then there is this rushing towards an excess of it, as our extraordinary lump of tissue sitting atop our neck decides that some failures along the way are due to our lack of humility. While humility or the lack of it can substantially alter our progress in the learning, all other things being equal, humility as is practiced in the post modern world might be disposable. Or that's what Bolt will convince you of. There is a certainty with which he asserts his dominance. He is unapologetic about the fact that he has special talent. He is not overtly humble. He just sails through life with an air of self assuredness. It is perhaps easy to mistake the pain behind this way. He after all, speaks very little of such pain. This is not a must read, but your idea towards the relation between humility, talent and self assertion will definitely change if you do read it.

[Brian Stump]

This book was a fantastic read! I enjoyed every part of this book. His struggles were so detailed. I enjoyed this book and I hope he writes more

[Harshad Udayakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faster Than Lightning is a wonderful book and is beautifully written by the world's fastest man.It involves all the elements that a fantastic book needs.This is the first autobiography that i read and i thoroughly enjoyed reading this.Usain Bolt explains each and every phase of his life in detail without missing any highlighting element.People who watch Bolt race may think that he is a kind of party guy who loves entertainment a lot and enjoys and works less.But if go through this you'll be amazed.His given his heart out to running and has worked a lot.If you start this book you'll never put it down because each and every page has got something amazing, wonderful and thrilling.You'll be inspired by reading this because he speaks about dreams and how to conquer them and stuff like that.This book is a magnificent read to any book lover and is a total treat to sports lovers.I think this book has changed a lot in me in terms of good ways.And i have to tell you something Bolt also tells us how authorities conduct doping test and how strange the process is and stuff like that.As you almost complete the book, Bolt speaks about his future his plans for the 2016 Rio Olympics and his life and things like that.Truly Bolt is a great man and a high achiever.

[Sameera Nanayakkara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faster than Lightning: My AutobiographyUsain Bolt


Review of ‘USAIN BOLT - Faster Than Lightning – My Story’
“After my lap of honour, I sat in the media conference and laid it down to everyone. ‘I am a living legend,’ I said. ‘Bask in my glory.”

Five stars to the autobiography of the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt, the fastest and the greatest sprinter to ever wander on earth. Bolt is the winner of 8 Olympic Gold medals won over three consecutive Olympics, (2008 – Beijing, 2012 – London and 2016 – Rio), a feat never achieved by any other athlete. Bolt holds the world record for the fastest 100m, 200m and 4×100m men’s relay.

Book opens with the 2009 horrific accident on the highway 2000 in Jamaica, where Bolt miraculously manages to walk out, unscratched out of a crumpled car. This dramatic and self-awakening moment is the perfect entry into the charismatic life of Usain Bolt – the legend, both on and off the running tracks.

“A few weeks later, as the horror of what had happened sunk in, when I looked at the photo of my crumpled car online, something dropped with me. Something big. It was the realization that my life had been saved by somebody else, and I didn’t mean the designer of my airbag, or the car’s seat belts. Instead, a higher power had kept me alive. God Almighty… My eyes had been opened, I had God in my corner, and He had put me on this earth to run – and faster than any athlete, ever.”

Bolt was born in rural Jamaica and was looked after by a highly supportive mother and an extremely disciplinary father. The carefree life among friends and the wilderness in Sherwood County might have been the ideal foundation for Bolt’s finetuned talents in the sport. “As soon as that dog made to leave, I knew it was my cue to run. In a way, he was giving me a taste of what life would be like in the future: Listen for the gun … Bang! Pop the blocks! Run! Run! My first trainer was a dog.”

Bolt’s first love was for cricket, a very popular team sport. A keen-eyed teacher was the first to notice Bolt’s speed and his future potential. “… my potential on the racetrack only became an issue once it was spotted by one of my teachers, Mr Devere Nugent, who was a pastor and the school sports freak.”

The book is written in simple, straight in your face language. The flow is smooth and well-paced and for a moment you will forget that you are indeed reading the life story of a killer sprinter. The emotional turmoil and the physical struggle of an athlete is beautifully narrated. Unlike most biographies, here no attempt has been made to make Bolt look superhuman. The genuine, honest and raw narration helps the reader easily appreciate the remarkable talent and dedication of a world number one. “A killer athlete can’t just roll up to the start line in any meet and expect to win without working hard. They can’t hope to take gold medals or break world records without discipline.” “Everything I got involved in, I did it to win. I had to win. First was everything, second only meant losing. And I really hated losing.”

The delicate balance between the Athlete, the Coach and the Training is inspirationally evident in the narration. The following quotes of Bolt’s longtime coach clearly depicts the understanding between a coach and his disciple.

"You have to figure them out. Listen, if you do good, you’re going to be cheered. If you do bad, they’re going to boo you. That’s Jamaica. You also have to understand that you’re doing this thing for yourself first and no one else. The country comes second. You can’t sit down and worry about what other people think. If you don’t understand that, then none of this makes sense."

"You have to want something,’ he said. ‘You have to set yourself goals so you can push yourself harder. Desire is the key to success."

"He called that overwhelming rush of hurt ‘The Moment of No Return’, a point of pure agony when the body told an athlete to quit, to rest, because the pain was so damn tough. It was a tipping point. He reckoned that if an athlete dropped in The Moment, then all the pain that went before it was pointless, the muscles wouldn’t increase their current strength. But if he could work through the pinch and run another two reps, maybe three, then the body would physically improve in that time, and that was when an athlete grew stronger."

The mentality, dedication and the struggle of an athlete to reach for his goals, which we sometimes tend to ignore as spectators, is another aspect effortlessly coming to life in this book. You will end up with a newly found respect for the athletes and their achievements. The readers of this book will never again frown upon or look down towards their favourite stars in times of defeat or subpar performance.

"The penny dropped with me about how important confidence was to a sprinter, especially in a short event like the 200 meters where supreme mental strength was often the key difference between myself and some of the other racers in my meets."

I was on point and, whenever a championship or meet approached, I became the immaculate athlete. I cut out most of the junk food and I switched off my personal messenger and phone, especially on Saturday nights. I needed to relax in peace without any distractions from friends who wanted to party. I was a role model pro all of a sudden.

Bolt is a world champion not because of the Gold medals and trophies he has won (he himself claims that he can not care less about those) but because of the physical struggle he had to endeavour with his above average height and scoliosis. The training and the physical demand of competitive running was gruesome and he suffered a lot to perform at the peak.

In anything in life uncertainty and ultimate loss is true and is not different for sports. "The one thing you have to get into headquarters is that every athlete has their time,’ he said. ‘Tyson is having his time, Asafa has had his, and before him, the 100 meters Olympic champs Maurice Greene and Donovan Bailey. But that time passes and another champion steps in. If you can understand that, when you lose, you won’t lose it."

Bolt strongly stands against disrespectful rivalry and doping which tarnish the good sportsmanship among fellow athletes and he does not hesitate to point his finger at anybody not adhering to accepted ethics of sports professionalism. Cheating was not an option. Besides, doping was for the guys who lacked the physical ability to compete, and I didn’t have that problem.

Unjust and biased journalism that makes the life of an athlete all too difficult is clearly frowned upon by Bolt. "Come on, do your homework before you ask stupid questions. Have you not been following me all these years? Even if you haven’t been following me, do some research. Type in “Usain Bolt” on your laptop and see what comes up.’ I wasn’t trying to humiliate or upset the man, but his question had crossed the line, because it attacked me personally without understanding my career."

A must read book by all, no matter whether you are a sports fan or not. I believe Bolt has been openly and honestly verbal about all aspects of his life with no disgusting boastful attitude, for which I believe he has every right to be. After all he is The Fastest Man - Lightning Bolt!

• ‘Just joy, man,’ I said. ‘Like when I went at it on the track. I experienced a rush like I always did, but it was bigger. I felt a sense of freedom, something I couldn’t get from anywhere else. It was fun, excitement, an intense energy all rolled into one. It was beautiful.’

[Aishwarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 STARS
Could i give more than 5 stars because this book is just INCREDIBLE.I borrowed this from the library and now I want to own my own copy.I am not a huge fan of autobiographies and the only other one which I personally loved was Malala's.This book had my attention from the start.Mr.Usain sure knows how to start off with a bang (pun intended)! Each and every page is just oozing with confidence,attitude,humility,humour and dedication.There is not a single moment where I was bored.He describes his Journey beautifully and I always felt like I was the one who was on the track the whole time.He teaches you so many valuable life lessons and how talent will take you to the door but hard work will get you to the top.I absolutely adore his attitude.Because I read this book,I've become a huge fan and I can't wait to see him repeat history in the 2016 Olympic.if there is a man on the planet who can do it,It's USAIN BOLT.He has become a huge inspiration for me and I hope to meet him one day!

TO DI WORLD USAIN❤️

[Willy Akhdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a biography or memoir is perceiving the other world. Also, it gives you another perspective to see same environment from different angle. It's an inspirational writings from a legend. He's channeling much energy into my soul when I read his extraordinary effort to achieve his dreams.

[Anbukarasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life of a sprinter

Like normal young men, Usain Bolt the legend sportsman narrates his career, relationships with coach and fellow sportsman etc...

He tells what is it to make/ break records and facing media and public expectations in casual realistic way

[Sportyrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

He’s got the speed, the showmanship, the sponsors, the charisma, the ladies. Lightning Bolt has it all.

Usain Bolt tells his life story. Most of the book was about his running. He has raw talent. He only trains enough to win. He wins. Someone challenges him. He tries harder. He wins again. And so on.

I enjoyed reading this particular story because Usain seems to have an interesting personality. I like the way he seems so relaxed during competition and the interaction with his rivals.

The story does cover bits of his life outside running including his home life and school life however I felt it was a little too brief. Usain is a hero and I wanted to know more. I guess I wanted more depth.

I enjoyed reading this book and I raced through it very quickly but I realised when I finished that I didn’t learn a great deal about him other than his racing mindset and his accomplishments.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes autobiographies by sports people.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book from a rather arrogant author.

[Ming Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable life story of one of the most popular sports person of my lifetime, really enjoyed this book, taught me many things that I did not know. Worth reading

[Shergin Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lightning bolt, the living legend🎯

[Vidit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a fun read and doesn't have much philosophical depth but seems like quite an honest account of the story of the fastest man on earth! Would recommend as a light read about a natural talent with a killer instinct from a humble background growing on to become a living legend.

[Billy Ram · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ricochet went off and the lightning stricken.
Usain Bolt came to life. His legs strong as iron and swift as any man can be. "What a Champion, He is a Legend", were the words of the commentator as Bolt celebrated his last 100m gold at the Rio Olympics.

With every stride he took that day, he came close to what he is now, a legend. But the best part of his life, the most important to me right now is to know he was not born a legend. Reading about someone who has dominated his game for three straight Olympics, winning a total of 9 gold medals at the olympics. Can very much intimidate anyone. But his story is different.

His story is a story of a rural boy. Who played, worked, partied, was not always wise, was not all knowing. But, was discerning and ready to change himself.
Who after all his injuries and exhausting training schedule, went out there to train and get in the proper shape for the big day.

The biography is well written. You can connect with him asif you were present there. There is no false praise, there is no trying to be what he wasn't. It's just a plain account of what happened and how his journey took place and how he reasoned with his carriers choices and that is what makes this autobiography a great read.

The autobiography has the amount till 2013. Do watch his documentary "I am Bolt" which accounts till his last Olympic race 2016.

[Dane Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great easy to read autobiography that traces the life to date of the fastest man to have walked (or ran) this earth.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as being a sprinter myself I could relate to many aspects of his personal story. Any lover of the sport will appreciate the commitment and dedication that Usain has expressed over his long reign at the top. He has done wonders for the sport due to his lively personality and off track performances. Before reading the book I had the impression that Usain would be very arrogant, as this was my poor interpretation of watching him before his races and how he stays calm and collected. The book puts his attitude into perspective, and he doesn't come across at all arrogant.

In regards to how the book is written, its very easy to follow and written in a manner that caters for all audiences, either young or old, familiar or non familiar with the sport.

The only downside to the book is that it was written before his career has finished. This may have been intentional however I would like to read Usains take on his success or failure at winning gold medals three back to back olympics. Hopefully an updated edition will be released post the 2016 olympics in Brazil.

Good luck Usain, ill be rooting for you :)

[Avishek Bhattacharjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about confidence and self belief.A must read for all who loves to dream..who wants to make it big in their life.One of the best sports autobiographies I have ever read(Obviously after Open-Andre Agassi). This book uses the opportunity to show the author the fastest man on earth not so much as “Lightning Bolt”, the man of confidence and swagger, but at the same time scared that on any given day age, injury or the new breed of athletic talent can take away what he has fought for, and this is the best part of this book-so human of the extraordinaire

The tactics,the rivalry and the brotherhood display before us a different world of Track and field.In this time of 20-20 Cricket and Messi-Ronaldo,the world of athletics is still unknown to most of us.The tremendous back the curtain effort,year long practice,pain and agony gives that 10 seconds glory.This book is a perfect example of Jamaican life-style and their eagerness to remain in top of track and field department(specially sprints).

As he says:
"I live for the big moment..
Give me a big stage and i come alive"

[Marie Albert]

Je ne mets pas cinq étoiles pour la seule raison qu'Usain Bolt tient des propos sexistes tout au long du livre.

Pour le reste, j'ai vraiment apprécié la lecture de son autobiographie (co-écrite avec l'auteur Matt Allen) car je suis une fan éternelle d'Usain Bolt.

Ce mec est très très très prétentieux, il se désigne comme "une légende vivante", "une super star de l'athlétisme", etc. Mais bon, il peut se le permettre.

Il détient toujours le record du monde de 100m et du 200m. J'ai appris beaucoup sur sa trajectoire, ses entraînements et sa philosophie dans ce livre.

Je suis heureuse de l'avoir lu. C'est un ouvrage facile à lire, je trouve. Je le conseille aux autres fans d'athlétisme.

[Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book!
I just loved it. Incredible journey of the Legend Bolt😘

[Sally Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much needed read for me to give me a bit of sparkle and get my mojo back. Feeling fired up to focus on getting fit!

[Gregg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was painful to read. I’m glad he had fun and it was a joy to watch him. He was a pain to his coach and he worked just hard enough to stay ahead of his competitors. They say, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” In this case, an incredibly gifted athlete did not work hard but was still able to beat those that did. It was painful to read about him giving up on races, watching and reading about him showboating instead of pushing to the finish, and seeing how perilously close he came to squandering it all. How fast could he have been if in his biggest races he ran through the line? We will never know, the world was deprived of that. A generational talent only partially realized…

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die Autobiographien, die ich bisher gelesen haben, waren alle nicht wirklich überzeugend. Dass ausgerechnet jene von Usain Bolt, der mich grundsätzlich auch nicht sonderlich interessiert, mir zusagt, war eine grosse Überraschung.

Mir fiel positiv auf, dass Bolt auch von seinen Fehlern berichtet. Den grossen und den kleinen. Dass er zwar sehr viel Selbstvertrauen besitzt (was er ja auch darf!), aber eben auch dazu steht, dass er sich in dieser oder jener Situation falsch verhalten hat.

Auch die Berichte aus dem ganzen Sportgeschäft fand ich spannend zu lesen. 700 Situps pro Tag! Ich trainiere zwar, aber was ein Profisportler so alles durchmacht - nein danke. Lustig war jedoch die Stelle, in der Bolt davon berichtet, wie viele Chicken Nuggets er dafür auch verputzen kann - vielleicht sollte ich doch mehr trainieren? ;)

[Kenri Tops · Rating 5 out of 5]

Väga kaasahaarav raamat. Lugesin ühe jutiga läbi.

[Sterre Provost]

fun and enjoyeable book to read!

[Girish Shivakumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would have been good had it come after his career. A good story nevertheless, but in the interest of building a brand, the book missed out a few more better stories that happened post 2012.

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Believe me, my time isn't up just yet"- That's how one of the epic autobiographies has just ended. Usain Bolt's autobiography named "Faster than Lightning" is another biography by a sportsman that I loved after Brett Lee's. While Brett Lee's was published by Random House, this one is published by none other than HarperCollins's print- Harper Sports. They have some amazing names in their autobiography section and I am happy that I picked up this book initially to start with. According to my memory, this is the 3rd book from HarperCollins that I have read and I have liked almost all of them till now. Surely, a publisher I will look forward every time I am ordering books online. More than authors, its time we start looking up at which publisher has published a specific book. Because authors can lose their form in one or two but publisher always maintain their quality. Even the publishing quality of HarperCollins is wonderful; their book can stay intact for years.

About the Book:-

Whether you know athletics or not and even whether you know sport or not, chances are you know Usain Bolt. The fastest man on the planet, not just now but ever, Usain has won the hearts of people everywhere with his mind-blowing performances and his infectious charisma uniting supporters around the world.

In this, his full autobiography, Usain tells his story in his own words: from humble beginnings in Jamaica, to international stardom at Beijing and on to the new heights of superstardom he has reached since lighting up London 2012. Full of the charm and charisma that has made him the most popular sporting figure of our time and a universal celebrity, this is a book that Usain's millions of fans will love.

About the Author:-

Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person ever. He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since 1977. Along with his team-mates, he also set the world record in the 4 x 100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man to win 6 Olympic gold medals in sprinting and a five time World champion. He was the first to achieve a 'double double' by winning 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012) and topped this through the first "double triple" (including 4x100m relays). His 2009 record breaking margin for 100 m, from 9.69 (his own previous world record) to 9.58, is the highest since records began.

Coming to the review, I must say that this has been one of the best autobiographies of all time. The best thing is that Usain didn't try to show that he is someone who sees his records as another number or time but he acknowledges each and every success that he has achieved. The way he has described each and every victory of his shows how much he is enjoying the grand success that he has achieved. He even clears in the 2nd half of the book that he doesn't know even the history of athletics down 1980s or even 90s. This honesty has worked out quite well with this novel. He even calls himself "Living Legend" and "Legend" most of the times which pissed me off because we know it buddy and that is why we are purchasing your book to know how you became a phenomenon in this sports and in Olympics but that's what shows the honesty he has shown while scripting his life.

The best part has been that Usain Bolt shows he's a normal arrogant guy and no born legend. He also keeps stating that he won his initial matches just on the raw talent and speed he had. It was only after his coach started pissing him off by asking to train regularly that he became physically and technically strong regarding the game. It has been fun reading about his initial successes. I also loved the way Bolt's father disciplined him and made him a down-to-earth man. After he loses one of the races, I loved the way he knocked his coach's door late night and asked him what was happening wrong with him. His narration and story-telling skill of breaking record and running 100 meters in just 9.72 seconds made me jump. His rivaly with 2-3 competitors at different levels is also wonderfully talked off. His high regards for Blake, the fellow Jamaican and later on, hating him for a moment is another beautiful part of this book. His love for his coach is also clearly visible in this book. He even stated that he initially raced for money it was later that he started doing it for himself and others.

Well, I should stop here or else I'll end up reviewing each and every sentence of the book because it's totally fun. I would give this book rating of 4.75 out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

[Diego Calderon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My name is Diego Calderon and i chose 5 stars for this book called Faster than Lightning because it is a deep story and also very inspirational. I enjoy reading about amazing athletes an Usain Bolt is one of my favorite athletes. Reading about he's career and he's very detailed life and accomplishments was very touching for me.

My heroes journey is related 100% to this story, I do track and field and do the same events Usain Bolt does and I dedicate a lot just like him. Usain Bolt is an athlete who works so hard every day and had to give up some things and leave some things behind but that is what lead him to were he is right now. I dedicate myself everyday just like him, I have had to leave some things behind, even change school in order to accomplish my track & field.

I recommend this book to people who want to push themselves and succeed in life, specially athletes. For athletes who dedicate every day and push there selves harder every day and sacrifice things in order to be the best, this book is the best one you can read. Reading this book I think for athletes will have a very huge impact on, for athletes that do track & field especially.

My favorite quote about this book is “You have to set yourself goals so you can push yourself harder. Desire is the key to success.” I love this quote so much, I liked other quotes in the book but this one was my favorite because I go through that every single day. When I wake up I set my goals for the day, my times for training and the time I need to beet, I put it in my head and in training I put everything I got no matter how tired I am I push myself to my limits. Wanting to to things is what leads you to success, if you are not passionate and dedicated into what you are doing you are never going to reach you maximum.

Español

Mi nombre es Diego Calderón y yo eleji 5 estrellas para este libro que se llama Más rápido que el relámpago, ya que es una historia profunda y también muy inspiradora. Me gusta leer sobre los atletas increíbles. Usain Bolt es uno de mis atletas favoritos. Al leer sobre su de carrera y su vida que es muy detallada y ver todos los logros fue muy emocionante para mí.

Mi viaje de héroe se relaciona con el 100% de esta historia, yo hago atletismo y los mismos eventos que Usain Bolt hace y se lo dedico mucho al igual que él. Usain Bolt es un atleta que trabaja tan duro todos los días y tuvo que renunciar a algunas cosas y dejar algunas cosas atrás, pero eso es lo que lo llevó a como es en este momento. Me dedico todos los días al igual que él, he tenido que dejar algunas cosas atrás, incluso cambiar la escuela con el fin de cumplir lo que quiero en atletismo.

Recomiendo este libro a las personas que quieren empujarse a sí mismos y tener éxito en la vida, especialmente los atletas. Para los atletas que se dedican todos los días y se empujan a ellos mismos lo cual es más difícil cada día y las cosas de sacrificio con el fin de ser el mejor no son faciles, este libro es el mejor que usted puede leer. La lectura de este libro creo que para los atletas tendrá un impacto muy grande, especialmente en los atletas que hacen atletismo.

Mi cita favorita de este libro es "Hay que fijarse objetivos para que pueda uno empujarse mas dificil". El deseo es la clave del éxito. "Me encanta esta cita tanto, me ha gustado otras citas en el libro, pero este era mi favorito porque voy por la que diariamente. Cuando me despierto me puse mis metas para el día, mis tiempos para la formación y el tiempo que necesito de remolacha, lo pongo en mi cabeza y en la formación que ponen todo lo que tengo, no importa lo cansado que estoy me empuje a mis límites . Querer a las cosas es lo que conduce al éxito, si usted no es apasionado y dedicado en lo que está haciendo usted nunca va a llegar a usted el máximo.

[Mika Auramo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usain Boltin (tähänastinen) elämäkerta oli mielenkiintoista ja mukaansa tempaavaa luettavaa. Olin aiemmin nähnyt tästä juoksijalegendasta kertovan dokumenttielokuvan ja nyt aloitin illalla kirjan ja luin seuraavana aamuna loppuun.

Kerronta on tavanomaista muistelua lapsuudesta Cherwood Contentin pikkukylässä Jamaikalla aina vuoteen 2013 saakka menestyksen huipulle. Kuitenkin Boltin rennon letkeä ote välittyy myös käännöksessä varsin hyvin. Lukuja on yhteensä kuusitoista, ja ensimmäinen alkaa dramaattisesti auto-onnettomuudesta vuonna 2009, jolloin kaara meni rusinaksi, ja kuin ihmeen kaupalla Bolt selviytyi vain muutamalla ruhjeella.

Palataan alakouluun ja Usainin alkuinnostukseen. Kun Brasiliassa jalkapallo on ykköslaji, Jamaikalla se on yleisurheilu. Opettaja lahjoo palkinnolla pikkupoikaa juoksukisoihin, ja hän voittaakin. Siitä alkaa kiinnostuminen juoksua kohtaa, ja pian katsotaankin olympiasankareita, ja on aika haaveilla niin kuin pojilla on tapana. Kotona on kova kuri, ja kahvifirman esimiehenä toimivan isän opit muistivat mieleen vielä olympiavoittojen jälkeenkin: nöyryys ja vaatimattomuus korostuvat. Äiti on ompelija, ja hän jää taka-alalle.

Ura lähtee nousuun koulukisojen voiton jälkeen neljätoistavuotiaana v. 2001. Seuraavana vuonna hän voittaa nuorten maailmanmestaruuden 200 metrillä. Valmentaja vaihtuu niin myös kotikylä Kingstoniin. Alkoi tehokkaampi valmennus, joka johti nuorten maailmanmestaruuteen 2004. Parin vuoden päästä Usain oli lopussa, selän skolioosi vaati spesiaalihoitoa Saksassa. Ateenan olympialaiset menivät pieleen, ja oli aika valmentajanvaihtoon parin vuoden päästä. Millsin otettua vastuu valmennuksesta vuodesta 2006 tähtäin asetettiin muutaman vuoden päähän, ja alkoi armoton ja määrätietoinen treenaaminen maailman parhaaksi. Kuin sattuman kautta Usain otti 100 toiseksi päälajikseen välttyäkseen juoksemasta 400 metriä. Hän on pituudeltaan muita mittavampi (196 cm), eli lähtö on hitaampi, mutta satasella tarvitsee ottaa vain 41 askelta eli muutama vähemmän kuin muut vähän lyhyemmät huippujuoksijat.

Maailmanennätyksiä ja olympiavoittoja tulee useilta matkoilta niin Ateenassa kuin Lontoossakin vuonna 2012, ja kirjan tapahtumat päättyvän Moskovan MM-kisojen jälkeiseen aikaan. Nöyryys korostuu, ja kunnon koutsin tavoin Mills piiskaa Usainin yhä parempiin suorituksiin. Olympiavoittokaan ei saa valmentajaa riemun kiljahduksiin, sillä amatöörimäinen heittäytyminen tuhosi mahdollisuuden samalla maailmanennätykseen.

Kirja keskittyy hyvin monen huippu-urheilijan urasta haaveilevan lukijan kannalta aivan perusasioihin eli siihen, mikä ajaa jatkuvasti ylittämään oman itsensä ja mikä motivoi kilpailijaa kehittymisessä. Boltilla se on armoton voittamisen halu ja häviämisen vihaaminen. Hän analysoi hyvin uran keskeisiä juoksuja, ja tempaa lukijan mukanaan radalle. Kirjasta välittyy hyvin mielikuva juoksijalegendasta, joka pitää jalat maassa ja jolla on myös oma tahto, eikä hän heittäydy valmentajien, managerien ja muiden taustahahmojen ja uran keskeisin vaikuttajien sätkynukeksi. Hän tietää oman arvonsa, asemansa ja sen, että nyt on hänen aikansa - muutaman vuoden päästä jonkun muun. Silloin onkin aika vaihtaa lajia, ostaa uusi talo, ja äidille uusi pesukone.

[Karthik V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually the second autobiography that I was reading, after the one by Sir Alex Ferguson. And while that was a good book, this one really exceeded my expectations completely. Usain Bolt really does have a flair for writing, not in putting together huge sentences or in making the use of an extensive vocabulary, but in simply managing to put all his feelings into words. His stories seem sincere and from the heart and get quite engrossing. If you have an idea of his achievements in athletic history, then this book provides you an insider's view of what was probably running through his mind at the very time that he was creating world records and winning gold medals at the highest level.
Bolt comes across as frank and open, not wanting to beat around the bush or mince any words. He tells things as they are - for instance, when talking about his humble beginnings or about how he used to get disciplined by his father. He also does not fail to mention his flaws such as his habitual clubbing and partying and also his fondness for junk food (chicken nuggets in particular which is what he supposedly ate before the world record breaking performances in Beijing). He shows no hesitation in clearing out a lot of accusations that have been made against him and I'm sure that the reader will appreciate the candid nature of his writing.

While I do not want to mention the contents of the book explicitly, it is worthwhile to note the way in which he talks about his relationships to people. He talks about them quite openly, be it his Coach who always gives him a hard time, or his Jamaican partner Blake who he felt disrespected him, or his rivals Gay and Gatlin. The book provides an in depth focus on how he thinks before and after a run and the motivations that keep him going. He gives pointers on what one must focus on and how not to let the small things affect your game. Highly motivating stuff. But even better, is when he describes some of the major races that he's been a part of like the Olympics in Beijing and London - he absolutely drags the entire story out and it feels almost impossible for a person to have so many thoughts during a sub-ten second sprint, but going by his words, it seems entirely possible. They may seem only a few seconds on YouTube, but they go on for an eternity on paper. And boy, are they descriptive! You get sucked into the story, to almost such an extent that you can hear the cheers of the crowd, the thuds of the spikes and the grunts of the athletes themselves. Riveting stuff!

The book is a great way to learn about the life and times of one of the greatest track and field athletes the world has ever seen and accurately summarizes his life from his childhood, all the way to the championships in Moscow, 2013. I hope he writes an extension once he's done with athletics, possibly after the Rio 2016 Olympics. I for one, will definitely look forward for that.