Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Notes From Your Bookseller n nA unique combination of adventure, science and health, Born To Run puts a runner/journalist up against the sport of ultra-running, specifically around the culture surrounding the Copper Canyon. It's a riveting read that will take you on an actual journey and make you want to get up and run yourself. n nNATIONAL BESTSELLER ? The astonishing and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? n nEqual parts quest, physiology treatise, and running history.... The climactic race reads like a sprint.... It simply makes you want to run. --Outside Magazine n nIsolated 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. n nLook for Born to Run 2, out now! n nEditorial Reviews n nA tale so mind-blowing as to be the stuff of legend. --The Denver Post n nMcDougall's book reminded me of why I love to run. --Bill Rodgers, San Francisco Chronicle n nFascinating. . . . Thrilling. . . . An operatic ode to the joys of running. --The Washington Post n nIt's a great book. . . . A really gripping read. . . .Unbelievable story . . . a really phenomenal book. --Jon Stewart on The Daily Show n nOne of the most entertaining running books ever. --Amby Burfoot, Runnersworld.com n nEqual 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 n nMcDougall recounts his quest to understand near superhuman ultra-runners with adrenaline pumped writing, humor and a distinct voice...he never lets go from his impassioned mantra that humans were born to run. --NPR n nBorn to Run is a fascinating and inspiring true adventure story, based on humans pushing themselves to the limits. It's destined to become a classic.-Sir Ranulph Fiennes, author of Mad, Bad and Dangerous To Know n nEqual parts hilarity, explanation and earnestness--whisks the reader along on a compelling dash to the end, and along the way captures the sheer joy that a brisk run brings. --Science News n nBorn to Run is funny, insightful, captivating, and a great and beautiful discovery. --Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica n nA 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 n nDriven 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 n- From the Publisher n nThe scenario is a writer's dream. McDougall found a large cast of crazy characters, an exotic setting for drama and discovery, and a tailor-made showdown with which to cap the book. By and large it's a thrilling read, even for someone who couldn't care less about proper stride and split times and energy gels. McDougall's prose, while at times straining to be gonzo and overly clever, is engaging and buddy-buddy, as if he's an enthusiastic friend tripping over himself to tell a great story. n-The Washington Post n- Dan Zak n nA journalist's adventures in a secluded Mexican community of the best endurance athletes in the world. On an unrelated assignment, Men's Health contributing editor McDougall (Girl Trouble: The True Saga of Superstar Gloria Trevi, Her Svengali, and the Secret Teenage Sex Cult that Stunned the World, 2004) uncovered the legend of the Tarahumara Indians, a tribe of astonishingly fit runners concealed deep within the Copper Canyons of Mexico. Determined to learn their secrets, McDougall braved uncharted territory and encounters with lethal drug-smugglers in search of Caballo Blanco, one of the only outsiders to befriend the bashful natives. The colorful Caballo recounts an enthralling story involving the arduous Leadville ultra marathon and Rick Fisher, a greedy, hotheaded opportunist who bribed the Tarahumara out of hiding to compete. The exploited tribesmen participated in the grueling event three times before they disappeared back to their villages for good. An inspired Caballo followed the Tarahumara back to Mexico, where he ran the local trails and lived peacefully in isolation. His dream was to draw the top American contenders to this remote locale to lock horns with the clan in the ultimate endurance exhibition, and he wanted McDougall's help to make it happen. The author returned to the Copper Canyons with a handful of prominent distance champions, including Scott Jurek and Jenn Shelton, and the story culminates in a final 50-mile showdown. McDougall's background as a magazine writer is readily apparent-his prose is light and airy, informative without being pretentious. Most passages are short and engaging with extra doses of drama and exclamatory phrases thrown in to great effect.McDougall wisely grounds the narrative in his own struggle to engage in the concluding race-he was frustrated with his tendency to get injured-and he offers insightful sidebars on a variety of topics, from the development of the modern running shoe to an evolutionary argument that humans are literally born to run.A terrific ride, recommended for any athlete. First printing of 75,000. Author tour to Boston, Boulder, Colo., Denver, New York, Portland, Ore., Salt Lake City, San Francisco. Agent: Larry Weissman/Larry Weissman Literary n n- Kirkus Reviews n nThink 26.2 miles is a long run? Not even close. McDougall's book traces the spirit of ultra-runners, the world's greatest distance runners, whose runs take them on personal and physical journeys much more demanding than mere marathons. Focusing on a small, quiet tribe of Mexicans and a handful of assorted Americans, the book explores the question of why people run. Narrator Fred Sanders keeps the pace and maintains a steady enthusiasm as he tells of runners' personalities, diets, and team-oriented competitiveness. Like a well-conditioned runner, nothing in the book is wasted-even parts about the genesis and science of running are fascinating. Sanders never tires while describing humans' innate ability to run. Non-runners will gain an insight from this compelling read, runners will love it, and ultra-runners? Well, they live it. M.B. AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine n- AUGUST 2009 - AudioFile