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Out of Thin Air: Running Wisdom and Magic from Above the Clouds in Ethiopia by Michael Crawley
willschick85's review against another edition
5.0
Great inside look at the lives of runners in Ethiopia.
_walter_'s review against another edition
4.0
I'm shelving this one under the "Outsider Joins Tribe, Attempts to Learn their Ways" bin.
For this category, just on the subject of running alone and ranked by preference, we have:
1. [b:Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen|6289283|Born to Run A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen|Christopher McDougall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631519495l/6289283._SY75_.jpg|6473602]
2. [b:Running the Dream: One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age|49342140|Running the Dream One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age|Matt Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575591906l/49342140._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73796231]
3. This book!
4. [b:The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance|41817453|The Rise of the Ultra Runners A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance|Adharanand Finn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539280529l/41817453._SX50_.jpg|65256471]
5. [b:Running With the Kenyans: Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth|13147812|Running With the Kenyans Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth|Adharanand Finn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577703l/13147812._SY75_.jpg|18321983]
Apparently there's something about running that makes people want to go and pester a successful group that would probably like to be left alone. Or maybe it's just writers...
At any rate, a lot of good stuff in here regarding Ethiopian running culture. It has caused me to consider and perhaps even rethink aspects of the sport that I had strictly sought to distance myself from, such as running in a group. Ethiopians believe that group running is essential if you want to improve, since it forces you to adapt to someone else's pace. I mostly run to seek some fresh air, stay in relatively good shape, and for some alone time with my thoughts and perhaps some music. So we'll see...
Recommended to all/any running enthusiasts!
For this category, just on the subject of running alone and ranked by preference, we have:
1. [b:Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen|6289283|Born to Run A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen|Christopher McDougall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631519495l/6289283._SY75_.jpg|6473602]
2. [b:Running the Dream: One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age|49342140|Running the Dream One Summer Living, Training, and Racing with a Team of World-Class Runners Half My Age|Matt Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575591906l/49342140._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73796231]
3. This book!
4. [b:The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance|41817453|The Rise of the Ultra Runners A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance|Adharanand Finn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539280529l/41817453._SX50_.jpg|65256471]
5. [b:Running With the Kenyans: Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth|13147812|Running With the Kenyans Passion, Adventure, and the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth|Adharanand Finn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1333577703l/13147812._SY75_.jpg|18321983]
Apparently there's something about running that makes people want to go and pester a successful group that would probably like to be left alone. Or maybe it's just writers...
At any rate, a lot of good stuff in here regarding Ethiopian running culture. It has caused me to consider and perhaps even rethink aspects of the sport that I had strictly sought to distance myself from, such as running in a group. Ethiopians believe that group running is essential if you want to improve, since it forces you to adapt to someone else's pace. I mostly run to seek some fresh air, stay in relatively good shape, and for some alone time with my thoughts and perhaps some music. So we'll see...
Recommended to all/any running enthusiasts!
christospanayi's review against another edition
3.0
Exactly what you would expect. Nothing particularly groundbreaking or life altering but joyful, somewhat inspiring and insightful - in terms of the lifestyle of elite runners in Ethiopia. Having read a number of these books I do find parts of them a bit more stale but I think that is just me.
miahluwalia's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
5.0
This is the best book about running ever written.
tim_ohearn's review against another edition
4.0
Tight writing from a guy who learned Amharic and embedded himself within an elite Ethiopian squad as part of a scholarly study. This is the type of book that every runner dreams of writing. Achievable, but not without substantial sacrifice, a bit of risk, and very well-developed writing skills.
junderscoreb's review against another edition
3.0
This is an effective book for feeling good about running. It's a pretty standard format for a book like this: a humble narrator goes to experience life among the experts, who have the good humor to put up with his bumbling attempts to execute whatever craft the book is about. In this case it rings a little hollow, given our narrators a 2:20 marathon runner. Of course, his impossible speed is mind-blowingly slow by the standards of his new mates. He does seem likable despite being too fast to be truly sympathetic. Like many anthropology books, there's an aspect of exploitation and a tone of noble savagery lurking in the background, but Crawley does a responsible job with it.
The Ethiopian runners compellingly describe their lives. They caution against every running alone, which is seen as a bit onanistic. (This was an awkward point of view to swallow, given that I mostly consumed this book while jogging by myself, but whatever.) There's an interesting tension between their standard training method based largely on camaraderie and improving together, and the fact that only a few runners can actually win. The stakes are high: those that win make life-changing amounts of money, and those who don't face pretty grim economic prospects. That's sports, though. Made me want to run sprints.
The Ethiopian runners compellingly describe their lives. They caution against every running alone, which is seen as a bit onanistic. (This was an awkward point of view to swallow, given that I mostly consumed this book while jogging by myself, but whatever.) There's an interesting tension between their standard training method based largely on camaraderie and improving together, and the fact that only a few runners can actually win. The stakes are high: those that win make life-changing amounts of money, and those who don't face pretty grim economic prospects. That's sports, though. Made me want to run sprints.
ainedougherty's review against another edition
3.0
This book made me see running in a different way, as more collective and interest-driven than I am used to. I appreciated the author’s commitment to training with and getting to know the runners. Eventually, though, the stories got a little boring to me. I also think this lacked a central story to serve as a driving force; I would’ve enjoyed deeper dives on only a few runners or key races.
darren0101's review against another edition
5.0
Out of Thin Air is Michael Crawley's brilliant account of his time spent with Ethiopian long-distance runners. In his book, he documents the dedication of the runners to not only train to be the best but to use running to help improve their lives.
The sacrifices and hard work undertook by the runners shine throughout and we learn how the beliefs and occasional superstitions play a large part in their training.
A brilliant read and a fascinating insight into the mindset of athletes were running is life.
This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review
The sacrifices and hard work undertook by the runners shine throughout and we learn how the beliefs and occasional superstitions play a large part in their training.
A brilliant read and a fascinating insight into the mindset of athletes were running is life.
This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review