Customer Reviews

Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-runners, and the Greatest Race the World Has Ever Seen

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I heard the author of this book being interviewed on CBC radio and was so intrigued by what he was saying about proper stride and foot techniques vs. the new technology in current running shoe offerings, his studying the of the art by the masters in Mexico etc., that I had to order the book in, even though I am not a long distance runner.

The book was fantastic! Not only could I not stop reading it, I couldn't stop talking about it with friends, family and co-workers. I can't wait to study the stride now and get out running, because I now understand that I was Born to Run.

Without doubt, "Born to Run" is a book that will entertain you, teach you a thing or two that you didn't know before, and get you thinking about joining the next marathon near you. The book is divided into two parts: one part narrative on ultra-runners, the Tarahumara people, and the incredible long distance race you've never heard of; the second part is an anthropological and scientific analysis of human evolution.

There is no doubting McDougall's writing, he knows a good story when he sees one. The stories about Barefoot Ted, Jenn and Billy, descriptions of the Copper Canyon in Mexico, are all highly engaging. However, McDougall's exploration of the scientific part is incomplete at best. For every study and report that shows that barefoot running is better for you and that persistence hunting was the reason for modern human development, there are peer-reviewed academic studies and reports by scientists that refute the claims made in the book, none of which McDougall includes.

Overall, I found this a very interesting and quick read and I gather most readers will as well. My only caution is to take McDougall's claims with a grain of salt and to seek more complete information if the topic so interests you.

This is a great read. If you love running you will spend the entire read alternating between nodding, smiling and wanting to go for a long trek. If you don't love running, you will still love this book and will probably think about going for a slow run afterwards.
I am taking a star off only because I found it romanticizing the poverty of the Taramuhara but in the end it is not a political book, it is a tale of running.
I really recommend this book to anyone who loves a good yarn mixed with anecdotal inspiration, scientific journalism and some great characters.

I am not a runner. In fact every time I try running I am seized with back pain that can last days. However, I found this book fascinating, from the evolution of the running shoe, to the lonely tribe in Mexico that runs for days just for fun. If you are an athlete, this is a must read.

I'm glad this book was recommended to me. There was a thrill and feeling of personal adventure that went along with reading about the feats of endurance undertaken with the ultra-distance races described. It made me want to run and although I think that I'll always plod along at short distances the book is an inspiration at keeping me out there pounding the pavement. Dream along with other readers and runners as the author delves deep into the mystique and history of distance running. Learn about shoes, injuries, and the personalities behind some of the greatest races ever performed. Even if you are not a runner you will probably find the book interesting and a page turner.

As an anthropologist who has lived and done research in rural Mexico and as a moderate runner, I agree with other reviewers that this book is entertaining and very well-written. It has all of the elements of much earlier travelogues -- the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good is that it is an interesting narrative brought to life through a series of interesting characters. However, what is good is overshadowed by the bad and ugly of such narratives. It is a story of white adventurers making forays into the "wilderness" inhabited by "primitives" who provide "magic," "mysteries," and a "primal naturalness" to ease the physical and psychological aches and pains of civilization. Then the white adventurers return home to make a small fortune writing a book while others open this "wilderness" to tour groups who want to experience "adventure tourism." All you have to do is consult "Caballo Blanco's" website and the smooth marketing of Mc Dougall's book. But what are the Raramuri getting out of this? And most of the "science" in the book is laughable -- generalizing about millions of years of human evolution from limited contemporary ethnographic examples, assuming a uniformity of conditions in early human evolution, exaggerating the role of persistence hunting among contemporary foragers, etc. In reality, the Raramuri and Mc Dougall's other main ethnographic case -- the Kung of the Kalahari Desert -- are the least likely cases to say anything about early human evolution since they were relatively recently forced into extremely harsh environments with scattered food resources, hardly indicative of the varied, and often plentiful, environments that early hominids occupied. I could go on, but enough is enough. This is exploitation that feeds a leisure time activity and business and creates the illusion that runners wearing the latest gimick in footwear are doing something "human" and "natural.'

This book sat on my bookshelf for about six months. I run 30+ miles per week and am very busy. I was recently sidelined by surgery, so I finally got around to reading it. Without hesitating for a second, I tell you that this book has inspired me like never before. It was an easy and thoughtful read, but it left me knowing that I was truly born to run, and run forever, but even more importantly, it made me want to be a better person!!! Way to go Chris!!!!!!!!!

Lots of good stuff in this one! I would reccommend it to all of my friends and have too !

This book is a great read for anybody interested in sports or general physical activity. To read how people can run for over 10 hours in bare feet is incredible. Well worth buying as a present. I have passed this book round to family and friends and they all enjoy it.

i was running my first marathon when I read this book. The only unfortunate part about reading this book was that I was reading it during my taper period. This book just made me want to run long distances and often!

It is a very inspiring book and I contribute it to help motivate me to run my first 50km event. I plan to go further as well!

McDougall writes from the 'every person' perspective. Coming off several injuries himself, he can relate to other runners and they can relate to him.