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Loading... Strides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete (edition 2007)by Benjamin Cheever
Work InformationStrides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete by Benjamin Cheever
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I loved this book. The book contains a smorgasbord of topics about running: running history, running lore, personal autobiography, health issues and more. The author, Benjamin Cheever, is a writer by trade and it shows in this book. I found the book informative, intriguing and entertaining. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book, which rarely happens to me. I like how much of the book is written from a personal level, about his experiences with the different aspects of running. He takes you to a military base and you learn how important running is to the military. He takes you to Kenya and you learn about Kenyans and running in their culture. And during these "trips" the stories are as much about the people you meet , as running. The only downside I experienced with the book, is I inhaled it so quickly I can't remember chunks of it. Which means at some point, I'll have to pick it up and read it again. I look forward to it! no reviews | add a review
Acclaimed novelist Benjamin Cheever--author of The Plagiarist, Famous After Death, and The Good Nanny--brings his buoyant literary style to this impassioned memoir about the sport that changed his life. From Pheidippides, who ran the first marathon in 490 BC--bringing news to Athens of the Greek victory on the plains of Marathon--to our own soldiers in Iraq today, running is an integral part of human culture and legend. In Strides, heralded author Benjamin Cheever explores the role of running in human history while interspersing this account with revelations of his own decades-long devotion to the sport. Cheever has traveled the world writing features for Runner's World magazine, and he draws from this rich experience on every page. His adventures have taken him to Kenya in search of the secrets of the world's fastest long-distance runners and to a 10-K race with American soldiers in Baghdad. Cheever celebrates the quotidian personal satisfaction of a morning run and the more exotic pleasures of the Medoc Marathon in Bordeaux, where fine wines are served at water stations and the first prize is the winner's weight in grand crus. He shares vivid moments from the New York Marathon and waxes rhapsodic about the granddaddy of American distance events--the Boston Marathon. But what truly distinguishes Strides as a memorable read is the unique lens through which this sparkling writer explores our deep bond to running, an experience he likens to that of being able to fly. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)613.7172Technology Medicine and health Personal health and safety Physical fitness Exercise and sport Running and walkingLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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There were parts of this book I liked a lot. I liked that the author interviewed professional athletes and other experts to add to his own perspective. I liked his perspective, especially on his own experiences, since these were often told with the most humor. And I liked seeing the enthusiasm and love the author clearly feels for running. As a non-runner, it was interesting to see what draws people to running and what the challenges are. It sounds as though on of the great benefits of running is the feeling of community. That was conveyed through a variety of poignant stories.
One downside of the book was the complete mix of topics, from funny to moving stories and from myth to history to musings on running. The author would often make a point, relate a few anecdotes, make that point or another point, and than return with more anecdotes. As a result, the book felt somewhat choppy. I also would have liked to see more research and more history, both of which were smaller components of the book than I expected based on the description and subtitle. Of course, someone looking for something different, particularly someone looking to read another runner’s thoughts on running, might enjoy this book a lot more. Given how funny some of the anecdotes were, I might pick up a memoir or a comedy he’s written since those might be more for me.
This review first published on Doing Dewey. ( )