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laurenlethbridge's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.5
ziagouel's review against another edition
1.0
DNF @ 30%
Zatímco McDougall mě štval s jeho bulvárním přístupem, Finn píše absolutně nezajímavě, nekonzistentně a ploše. Hodnota informací téměř nula, text působí jako soubor poznámek z cest, spíchnutých dohromady, spíš než jako celek. Žádná snaha o nějaké hlubší pochopení poměrů v Keni, z nichž vycházejí nejlepší běžci světa. Nechce se mi s tím už ztrácet čas.
Zatímco McDougall mě štval s jeho bulvárním přístupem, Finn píše absolutně nezajímavě, nekonzistentně a ploše. Hodnota informací téměř nula, text působí jako soubor poznámek z cest, spíchnutých dohromady, spíš než jako celek. Žádná snaha o nějaké hlubší pochopení poměrů v Keni, z nichž vycházejí nejlepší běžci světa. Nechce se mi s tím už ztrácet čas.
protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
I've read a lot of different running books in the last few years, and although I did enjoy reading this one and learned quite a bit about the Kenyans and their emergence as a dominant force in the running community, there was something a little bit lacking in the presentation of this particular story. Perhaps I am over-saturated on running books, but I just didn't get especially inspired by this one. I enjoyed the actual racing parts the best and was always happy to hear about Finn's successes and failures. It was heartening to hear his doubts and to realize that I'm not the only one who struggles to push myself through those especially difficult moments on a tough run, and that sometimes, even someone who devotes their full attention to running will give in to the inner demons telling you to stop. I also like how Finn brought a human face to the swell of Kenyans who dominate the sport. I think I would have preferred that some of the bigger names in the sport had been featured more prominently. Overall, a solid effort worth 3 1/2 stars.
george_potter99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
Inspiring, informative, fantastic pacing. Complete immersion into not only Kenyan culture but also way of life. Answered questions but leaves you wanting a little more….like you should go to Iten yourself. Will be recommending to everyone. Dropped it .25 stars because I’m injured and the book annoyed me because I couldn’t run.
skylarkochava's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not a runner (yet?), but I thought this was an excellent book. If it weren't for the Goodreads giveaways, I probably never would have picked up this book, assuming I wouldn't understand it. It's completely accessible, part non-fiction running book and part memoir.
I got so involved with the "characters" in the story that, for the first time ever, I excitedly read the Acknowledgements section to see what else was said about them.
I got so involved with the "characters" in the story that, for the first time ever, I excitedly read the Acknowledgements section to see what else was said about them.
lucyrider's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this on Audible and I did get through it quite quickly and it was an interesting listen in general, but like many of the other reviews I wasn't entirely comfortable with some of it. I didn't quite get the point of the author going to Kenya to train other than being an entirely self indulgent sabbatical. It spent a lot of time discussing barefoot running, Kenyan nutrition and a lot of the lifestyle factors that influence their success on the world stage of running, but I don't know if it gave much in the way of a conclusion of what their "secrets" were. I am always a bit nervous of these types of book being a bit "colonial" where a Brit goes to "explore" a third world country and give their critique, but it was an interesting insight into running as a profession in Kenya.