Bob Riethorst Riethorst itibaren Belušić, Serbia itibaren Belušić, Serbia

The author deftly weaves together an argument for barefoot running, an evolutionary perspective on running, and an inside look at the world of ultrarunning. The book culminates in the improbable, almost magical, coming together of an extraordinary array of characters, led by the most mysterious and magnetic among them, Caballo Blanco, for an epitomic ultrarunning competition. How could a longtime runner not love a book that makes the case that running is the most natural of human activities? Still, I don’t see myself becoming a practitioner of barefoot running any time soon. It should appeal to me—I’ve always taken a minimalist approach to my own athletic pursuits, investing in just enough gear (both in terms of quantity and quality) to get the job done. But I love my running sneakers. I’ve been fortunate not to be plagued by the common running injuries the author blames on fancy sneaks (knock on wood), so I guess I’m going with “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” for now. By far my favorite parts of Born to Run focused on the culture of and top figures in the American ultrarunning scene. I’ve long been enthralled with ultrarunning, and the book only intensified my fascination. I now have serious crushes on Scott Jurek and Jenn Shelton (the woman can drink herself silly all night and then, on very little sleep, kick ass in a 50-miler rehydrating with diet coke at aid stations. I want to be her). Maybe I’ll run a 50k sometime, just so I can call myself an ultrarunner for a day.