Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Okay, it doesn’t matter if you have never run, hate running, get hurt every time you do go running, etc. —run, don’t walk to get this book!  I stumbled upon it and just out of curiosity started to read the reviews.  In addition to gushing kudos, the reviewers were referencing things that you wouldn’t expect from this kind of book.

You will discover in a very enthralling way why the fancier the running shoes you buy, the more likely you are to get hurt.  That running barefoot (starting in grassy fields) is the most natural kind of running you can do for pure enjoyment and avoiding injury.  (see the image below of my new “running shoes” for hard surfaces). And that only humans have the ability to run long distances non-stop. 

Because of my bad back (a life-time ailment as a result of carrying sides of beef when I was 12 —no kidding!) I avoided running at all costs.  It would just kill my back.  Now my back hasn’t bothered me since I relearned how to run.  This book will destroy the myths we’ve all carried about running and open a whole new world of expressive joy that we were literally born for.

Make no mistake, this non-fiction book is awesome story telling by a journalist for Men’s Health magazine.  His style keeps you totally engaged and the fact that he participates in his own story lends a kind of gonzo journalistic flavor.  In addition to meeting some incredibly colorful characters along the way, you will discover that the principles that make running so natural for us (when done the way nature intended) can be carried over to business and life.  I was incredibly inspired and regardless of your disposition towards bi-pedal locomotion, you will be too!

(***** Five Stars!! – reviewed 7/15/09)