Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen [McDougall, Christopher] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen Review: Excellent narrative, and thought-provoking research as well - I came to this book in the most weird way, drawn to it by the awesome narrative. One day, reading a book on leadership by John Maxwell, I found a famous quote about a lion and a gazelle, which I knew, but did not know that it was attributed to Roger Bannister. This prompted me to re-visit the Bannister entry on Wikipedia, which linked to a Washington Post page excerpting Chapter 1 of the book. That sampler was enough to buy it. So good is, in my opinion, McDougall's narrative. I had not read anything from him before, but this book has a great story to tell, and does so in a way that hijacks your imagination. I was not aware, until after reading it, that it weighs in at about 280 pages. It surprised me a lot, given that I went through it on one day from 6 PM to about 2 AM and then 10 AM to 2 PM the next day. It was that good a read to me. Something I appreciated is that, even though you may get an impression that some racy bits (of the sexual kind) are given away in the product descriptions, the book doesn't dwell deeply at all in those subjects. It is a passionate story that stands on its own without having to resort to artificial topics outside its main subject to keep the reader engaged. I really value that. Other than the literary qualities, McDougall puts his research journalism skills to good use and comes up with some very thought-provoking and even defying statements. If you have, like me until a few months ago, been hesitant against running because you read or were told that we humans are not meant to, this book may shake your ground a little bit. Or a lot. Going as far as exposing scientific evolutionary evidence for the fact that we are not only able, but actually supposed to run, you'll see many interesting ideas that should at least put some doubt in your mind about running, our capabilities about it, and the importance and endurance of its benefits (not just physical) beyond what seems to be a fad or fashion that comes and goes every so often. I am not able to test the book's theories about running right now, as I recently suffered some back problems (casued by my sedentary lifestyle, apparently...) and have been told not to run for now. But I must confess whatever little desire of running I might have had before reading this book has now grown explosively, and I look forward to enjoy that outcome as much as, or more than, I enjoyed getting pumped up about it in the first place. Well worth your ten or so bucks! Review: Excellent Source of Inspiration for Runners and a Fascinating Examination of Modern Running Shoes - Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" contains an epic tale about a race between some of the greatest modern ultra-runners pitted against the original (and elusive) extreme distance-runners, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. I was impressed on multiple levels and look forward to re-reading this book in the future. I chose to read this book at this time because I am in the middle of training for my second half-marathon and thought it would give me an extra boost of inspiration for my training. Not only was the book helpful for my training, it was educational and thrilling at the same time. This book pack quite a punch — certainly more than I bargained for, which was a pleasant surprise. The Tarahumara Indians are a group of native Mexicans that are well-known for their ability to run ultra-marathon distances. They are difficult to locate due to their ability to camouflage their homesteads, and prefer hermet-like isolation to interacting with the outside world. It is difficult to earn their trust, and McDougall explains the process that he went through to locate them and then cultivate a positive relationship with them. I found the story of the Tarahumara fascinating and even jaw-dropping at times, and McDougall does an excellent job describing their background to his readers. There is a character in the book named Caballo Blanco, who is a former-American that lives primarily in the Copper Canyons where the Tarahumara are located. He is capable of running ultra-marathon distances daily, just like the Tarahumara, and he has befriended the Indians over a long period of time. "Born to Run" begins with the search for Caballo, who takes McDougall under his wing and eventually orchestrates an incredibly unique ultra-marathon race between the Tarahumara and a small ragtag group of modern ultra-runners. The book takes a brief detour to discuss the correlation between modern running shoes and injuries. I was very interested in this section and absorbed a lot of helpful information that I plan to gradually incorporate into my running practice. Next there is a section that offers evolutionary evidence that shows that our species may have evolved the ability to run long distances specifically for persistence hunting (running animals to death by exhaustion). Is it really possible that modern-day humans are built for long-distance running because it provided an evolutionary advantage over the Neanderthals? I will have to reserve my judgment for this theory until I read more scientific evidence, but it is certainly an interesting theory. And it inspires me to encourage everyone I know to pick up running, since we may have literally been built for it! The climax of the book centers on the race between the Tarahumara Indians and modern ultra-runners. The race sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and McDougall's description of it is enough to make any runner salivate with desire to take part. "Born to Run" is an excellent book that provides a thrilling yarn, a history of an ancient group of ultra-runners, an in-depth look into the possibility that modern running shoes cause running-related injuries, and an evolutionary theory about our ancestors' ability to run long distance for hunting animals. I would advise any runner who is interested to give it a read, and look forward to reading it again in the future.
| Best Sellers Rank | #5,494 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Track & Field Sports #2 in Extreme Sports (Books) #6 in Running & Jogging (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (26,215) |
| Dimensions | 5.18 x 0.91 x 7.9 inches |
| Edition | Reprint |
| ISBN-10 | 0307279189 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0307279187 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 304 pages |
| Publication date | March 29, 2011 |
| Publisher | Vintage |
R**Z
Excellent narrative, and thought-provoking research as well
I came to this book in the most weird way, drawn to it by the awesome narrative. One day, reading a book on leadership by John Maxwell, I found a famous quote about a lion and a gazelle, which I knew, but did not know that it was attributed to Roger Bannister. This prompted me to re-visit the Bannister entry on Wikipedia, which linked to a Washington Post page excerpting Chapter 1 of the book. That sampler was enough to buy it. So good is, in my opinion, McDougall's narrative. I had not read anything from him before, but this book has a great story to tell, and does so in a way that hijacks your imagination. I was not aware, until after reading it, that it weighs in at about 280 pages. It surprised me a lot, given that I went through it on one day from 6 PM to about 2 AM and then 10 AM to 2 PM the next day. It was that good a read to me. Something I appreciated is that, even though you may get an impression that some racy bits (of the sexual kind) are given away in the product descriptions, the book doesn't dwell deeply at all in those subjects. It is a passionate story that stands on its own without having to resort to artificial topics outside its main subject to keep the reader engaged. I really value that. Other than the literary qualities, McDougall puts his research journalism skills to good use and comes up with some very thought-provoking and even defying statements. If you have, like me until a few months ago, been hesitant against running because you read or were told that we humans are not meant to, this book may shake your ground a little bit. Or a lot. Going as far as exposing scientific evolutionary evidence for the fact that we are not only able, but actually supposed to run, you'll see many interesting ideas that should at least put some doubt in your mind about running, our capabilities about it, and the importance and endurance of its benefits (not just physical) beyond what seems to be a fad or fashion that comes and goes every so often. I am not able to test the book's theories about running right now, as I recently suffered some back problems (casued by my sedentary lifestyle, apparently...) and have been told not to run for now. But I must confess whatever little desire of running I might have had before reading this book has now grown explosively, and I look forward to enjoy that outcome as much as, or more than, I enjoyed getting pumped up about it in the first place. Well worth your ten or so bucks!
D**R
Excellent Source of Inspiration for Runners and a Fascinating Examination of Modern Running Shoes
Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" contains an epic tale about a race between some of the greatest modern ultra-runners pitted against the original (and elusive) extreme distance-runners, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. I was impressed on multiple levels and look forward to re-reading this book in the future. I chose to read this book at this time because I am in the middle of training for my second half-marathon and thought it would give me an extra boost of inspiration for my training. Not only was the book helpful for my training, it was educational and thrilling at the same time. This book pack quite a punch — certainly more than I bargained for, which was a pleasant surprise. The Tarahumara Indians are a group of native Mexicans that are well-known for their ability to run ultra-marathon distances. They are difficult to locate due to their ability to camouflage their homesteads, and prefer hermet-like isolation to interacting with the outside world. It is difficult to earn their trust, and McDougall explains the process that he went through to locate them and then cultivate a positive relationship with them. I found the story of the Tarahumara fascinating and even jaw-dropping at times, and McDougall does an excellent job describing their background to his readers. There is a character in the book named Caballo Blanco, who is a former-American that lives primarily in the Copper Canyons where the Tarahumara are located. He is capable of running ultra-marathon distances daily, just like the Tarahumara, and he has befriended the Indians over a long period of time. "Born to Run" begins with the search for Caballo, who takes McDougall under his wing and eventually orchestrates an incredibly unique ultra-marathon race between the Tarahumara and a small ragtag group of modern ultra-runners. The book takes a brief detour to discuss the correlation between modern running shoes and injuries. I was very interested in this section and absorbed a lot of helpful information that I plan to gradually incorporate into my running practice. Next there is a section that offers evolutionary evidence that shows that our species may have evolved the ability to run long distances specifically for persistence hunting (running animals to death by exhaustion). Is it really possible that modern-day humans are built for long-distance running because it provided an evolutionary advantage over the Neanderthals? I will have to reserve my judgment for this theory until I read more scientific evidence, but it is certainly an interesting theory. And it inspires me to encourage everyone I know to pick up running, since we may have literally been built for it! The climax of the book centers on the race between the Tarahumara Indians and modern ultra-runners. The race sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and McDougall's description of it is enough to make any runner salivate with desire to take part. "Born to Run" is an excellent book that provides a thrilling yarn, a history of an ancient group of ultra-runners, an in-depth look into the possibility that modern running shoes cause running-related injuries, and an evolutionary theory about our ancestors' ability to run long distance for hunting animals. I would advise any runner who is interested to give it a read, and look forward to reading it again in the future.
R**O
Uma jornada incrível, vc corre com eles!
J**S
I started to read this and i was bummed everytime I had to put it down, and then I got the audiobook and I could barely stop listening. Christopher unravels the story of the Tarahumara, the running people located somewhere in the Barrancas and feeds you on their ease of lifestyle, and passion of running. As someone who forced themselves to run 45 minutes a day, I now find that running to me is more of an enjoyment and that there is so much more than “just running.” This book was a joy, and subtly compares running an Ultra, to the race of life which I personally feel inclined to liken to my own journey of faith as a Christian. Humans were born to run, because we were made to run. Our own two legs are the best vehicles we were ever given, and after reading this book, I’m sure you’ll be convinced likewise.
A**R
Super recommend for runners at all levels.
"**"
Me encanta ese libro! Me motiva a salir a correr y he aprendido nuevas técnicas y mucha información. También lo tengo en castellano!
U**L
ES DE MIS FAVORITOS, gran libro , sentí emoción de nuevo por correr, la historia se basa en hechos científicos, la narrativa es interesante , me encantó ! , si te gusta correr te va a fascinar y si no te gusta es muy probablemente que le encuentres un muy buen gusto a empezar
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