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

by Christopher McDougall

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

 

Staff Pick

Born to Run is the one of those books you just can't keep to yourself. In fact, it's probably the one title I've recommended more than any other in the last two years. It has a little bit of everything: adventure, travel, history, science, and sport, all wrapped up in a fun, quick-reading package. Trust me. After reading this book, you will not be able to stop talking about it.
Recommended by Shawn D., Powells.com

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the worlds greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexicos deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

Review:

“Hugely entertaining....One of the most joyful and engaging books about running to appear for many years.” The Irish Times

Review:

“Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history....[McDougall] seeks to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara the old-fashioned way: He tracks them down. ...The climactic race reads like a sprint....It simply makes you want to run.” Outside Magazine

Review:

“Compelling....Entertaining....[McDougall] uses an extended portrait of one of the world's least known cultures, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, to put modern American running under an exacting magnifying glass.” San Francisco Chronicle

Review:

Born to Run is funny, insightful, captivating, and a great and beautiful discovery.” Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica

Review:

“A page-turner, taking the reader on an epic journey in search of the world’s greatest distance runners in an effort to uncover the secrets of their endurance.” The Durango Herald

Review:

“Driven by an intense yet subtle curiosity, Christopher McDougall gamely treads across the continent to pierce the soul and science of long-distance running." Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers

Review:

"One of the most entertaining running books ever." Amby Burfoot, Runnersworld.com

Review:

“It’s a great book....A really gripping read....Unbelievable story....a really phenomenal book.” Jon Stewart on The Daily Show

Synopsis:

An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America's best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall's incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

About the Author

Christopher McDougall is a former war correspondent for the Associated Press and is now a contributing editor for Men's Health. A three-time National Magazine Award finalist, he has written for Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Men's Journal, and New York. He does his own running among the Amish farms around his home in rural Pennsylvania.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 22 comments:

amy clark, January 19, 2012 (view all comments by amy clark)
Inspiration through running and words.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
Jan Chavarie, January 19, 2012 (view all comments by Jan Chavarie)
Whether you believe the barefoot running theory or not, this is a great read!
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
dangerduncs, January 4, 2012 (view all comments by dangerduncs)
Christopher McDougall tells a fascinating story about the terahumara, a native tribe in Mexico, that run barefoot for hundreds of miles. He balances the story about the terahumara and their long distance running with some of the science behind running, which is interesting. Also there is a fun race between some American ultradistance runners against the terahumara. It is a great story and it has helped inspire some of my friends and myself to enjoy running a lot more.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
View all 22 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780307279187
Author:
McDougall, Christopher
Publisher:
Vintage Books
Subject:
Running & Jogging
Subject:
Anthropology - Cultural
Subject:
Special Interest - Adventure
Subject:
anthropology;cultural anthropology
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Series:
Vintage
Publication Date:
20110331
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
28 x 13 x 4.6 in 14.08 lb

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Related Aisles

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Vintage) New Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$15.95 In Stock
Product details 304 pages Vintage - English 9780307279187 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

Born to Run is the one of those books you just can't keep to yourself. In fact, it's probably the one title I've recommended more than any other in the last two years. It has a little bit of everything: adventure, travel, history, science, and sport, all wrapped up in a fun, quick-reading package. Trust me. After reading this book, you will not be able to stop talking about it.

"Review" by , “Hugely entertaining....One of the most joyful and engaging books about running to appear for many years.”
"Review" by , “Equal parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history....[McDougall] seeks to learn the secrets of the Tarahumara the old-fashioned way: He tracks them down. ...The climactic race reads like a sprint....It simply makes you want to run.”
"Review" by , “Compelling....Entertaining....[McDougall] uses an extended portrait of one of the world's least known cultures, the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, to put modern American running under an exacting magnifying glass.”
"Review" by , Born to Run is funny, insightful, captivating, and a great and beautiful discovery.”
"Review" by , “A page-turner, taking the reader on an epic journey in search of the world’s greatest distance runners in an effort to uncover the secrets of their endurance.”
"Review" by , “Driven by an intense yet subtle curiosity, Christopher McDougall gamely treads across the continent to pierce the soul and science of long-distance running."
"Review" by , "One of the most entertaining running books ever."
"Review" by , “It’s a great book....A really gripping read....Unbelievable story....a really phenomenal book.”
"Synopsis" by , An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America's best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall's incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
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