Superficially, Born to Run is an expose of a tribe of Mexican runners who are capable of extraordinary feats of strength and endurance, not to mention the lengths to which American promoters are willing to go to capitalize on their secrets and publicize their talents. However, underneath this premise is a powerful story about a lifelong runner seeking help for a body giving out on him and the radical hopes offered to him by people living on the fringe of society. Populated by charming characters, fascinating science and interesting historical facts, Mr. McDougall (Mens Health magazine) has forged here a lovely tale about dreams and unintended consequences that I would recommend to anyone interested in extreme pursuits.
For all its quality however, I will remember this book mostly for Mr. McDougall's thorough savaging of Nike's effort to create the perfect running shoe and the extent to which their obsession to sell product has negatively impacted the health of countless runners they claim to be helping. (5/5 Stars)
No comments:
Post a Comment