"The University of Oregon's running coach Bill Bowerman had revolutionary ideas for his time (the 1950s, '60s and early '70s). He instituted rest days, researched training methods and experimented with runners' clothing; his runners repeatedly broke the four-minute mile. Moore, a former Olympian and Sports Illustrated writer, trained with Bowerman, and he writes of his mentor with a veneration that frequently crosses into hagiography. For example, Bowerman hazed his new runners by urinating on them in the shower and branding them with a hot set of keys, a practice Moore calls 'an initiation rite, not unlike the ritual circumcision some African tribes use to make men out of boys.' Bowerman was a central player in the building of Nike, although, despite the subtitle, this is just a small part of his story. The focus is on running. Bowerman was at many important moments of running history; he trained Steve Prefontaine, coached at the Munich Olympics and developed Nike's waffle-soled shoe. Moore's writing distinguishes his book from others in the running genre; even smaller races are grippingly recounted. While far from objective, Moore's work is an inspiring and touching look at the man who made Eugene, Ore., the running capital of the U.S. Photos." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Running coach and Nike co-founder William J. Bowerman (1911 - 1999) had a profound impact on the world of track and field. Written in cooperation with Bowerman's family by a runner whom he coached, this biography describes Bowerman's life and career in great detail. Just a few of the topics covered: Bowerman's WWII service, his invention of the waffle sole for running shoes, his innovative training methods, and the siege at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games where Bowerman was head U.S. track coach. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Moore, a marathon runner and one of Bill Bowermans Oregon men, tells the story of his mentor and hero, drawing on years of taped interviews and the full cooperation of the Bowerman family and Nike, the company that Bowerman helped to found.