The Born to Run: Racing Greyhound, from Competitor to Companion [Paperback]

Ryan Reed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2010

In chronicling his travels to many of America’s dog tracks, Greyhound owner and adoption advocate Ryan H. Reed shatters misconceptions about the controversial sport of Greyhound racing. Reed uncovers a world of magnificent canine athletes and their devoted owners and trainers. With amazing color photographs of the dogs in action, Born to Run gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the daily activities of breeding kennels, racetracks, and adoption centers, detailing the lives of racing Greyhounds from puppyhood to their competitive careers to their lives as cherished pets after retirement.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ryan Reed was born in Kennewick, Washington in 1968. Ryan adopted his first retired racer from Greyhound Pets of America's Idaho Chapter (now Greyhound Pets, Incorporated). A few scant months later, he began working as an adoption volunteer for the organization. His current Greyhounds, Dino and Bailey, were adopted through GPI as well.
Ryan is a contributor to The Greyhound Review – the official publication of the National Greyhound Association – and was a contributor to the short-lived publication, The Racing Greyhound Insider. Ryan continues to be an advocate for the sport of greyhound racing and adoption.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thoroughbred Times Books (July 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593786891
• ISBN-13: 978-1593786892
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #606,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, November 23, 2010

By 

Catherine DArcy - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Born to Run: Racing Greyhound, from Competitor to Companion (Paperback)

This book is a comprehensive anthology of greyhounds as racers to retirees. The author does a great job to capture a greyhound's excitement of racing and then contentment as couch-potatoes. The pictures are truly amazing. People's perception of racing and the handling of racing greyhounds will be realigned when they read this book. Both the greyhound racing fraternity and the adoption community come together on the pages of this book; sharing a commonality ... their love of greyhounds! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and bought a second copy for a local greyhound adoption group.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, September 6, 2010

By 

Wickedwinner - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Born to Run: Racing Greyhound, from Competitor to Companion (Paperback)

In print and pictures, this wonderful book documents one adopter's journey through the world of greyhound racing and its relationship with adoption. This book contains wonderful photos, but more importantly, a frank and first-person tour through the racing life that has shaped the greyhounds we all love. A must-read for those of us who love greyhounds and want to learn more about how our dogs were raised and raced before they came into our lives.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not what I hoped for, August 30, 2010

By 

dva1264 "dva1264" (Lakewood OH) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Born to Run: Racing Greyhound, from Competitor to Companion (Paperback)

I'm a retired racing greyhound owner who doesn't think the track system is intrinsically evil, unlike a lot of other greyhound rescue folks I know. I do think it has problems, even big problems, and that many dogs are not treated well. I feel that greyhound owners can learn a lot about the breed from the racing industry, and about their dogs by learning how they lived before they found a home. This book fails to deliver on those points. It's a good, comprehensive look at racetracks and racers, and certainly fills a need for many readers who are only interested in greyhound racing. It would have been better if it delivered more insight into the life of the dogs while in the track system, and if it acknowledged some flaws - it didn't point out any of significance, if any at all. If you read this and nothing else, you'd think the greyhound racetrack system is perfect in its treatment of the dogs. As it is, it strikes me as something of a fan book. This is a disappointment as I hoped this book might be something that would start to bridge the divide between those who like the racetracks, and those who vilify them.