The Complete Book of Running [Hardcover]

James Fixx (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1977

Discusses not only the physical benefits of running, but its psychological benefits as well: increasing self-esteem, acquiring a "high" from running, and being able to cope better with pressure and tension. Yep, it still sells.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Discusses not only the physical benefits of running, but its psychological benefits as well: increasing self-esteem, acquiring a "high" from running, and being able to cope better with pressure and tension. Yep, it still sells.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1 edition (September 12, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394411595
• ISBN-13: 978-0394411590
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's still the Bible of running, July 20, 2003

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Running (Hardcover)

How well I remember when this book was published in 1977. I was a teenager and hardly anyone I knew jogged or ran for pleasure. In those days it was rare to see anyone on the street actually doing exercise. With this book, Jim Fixx revolutionized the world of exercise, and especially the sport of running. This book precipitated the running boom of the late 70's when every granny laced up her New Balance's or Saucony's and hit the streets. Jim Fixx was an overweight business executive who began running simply because he wanted to improve his tennis game. He loved running so much that he gave up tennis to concentrate on increasing his weekly running mileage.

Fixx writes extremely well and it's still hard to put this down. It's held up remarkably well in the intervening 25 years and the information is still current and just as riveting as it was back then. Fixx has special chapters on kids running, women, senior citizens, injuries and the Boston marathon. He spends considerable detail on expounding upon the magical "runner's high" which occurs on runs lasting more than 45 minutes. Based on considerable personal experience, I will say that the runner's high is freequently elusive, but you'll know when you get it.

Jim Fixx died of a heart attack in the late 1980's while running on a quiet Vermont road. Unfortunately, this became the butt of some late night jokes made by overweight comics thinking it was ironic that a running guru would die of a heart attack. But Jim Fixx has the last laugh: he helped usher in the running boom and cement this avocation in the lives of millions of people. This is an outstanding book, as interesting and readable as it was when it was first published all those years ago.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Keeps Going, and Going, and Going, August 25, 2003

By 

David Bradley "David Bradley" (Sterling, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Book of Running (Hardcover)

Decades after it's initial release, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF RUNNING has become a classic and remains what it was Fixx intended it to be: a great guide for beginners and a textural gathering place for multitudes of runners.

Some of the training tips have been overwhelmed by further study, and Fixx's recommendation to buy good running shoes has been slammed as the starting point for Nike's attempt to take over the universe, but the book is still inspirational to anyone looking for some kind of cultural backbone for what is, at it's core, the most individualist fitness activity.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Book of Running, September 5, 2000

By 

lisa (Rochester Hills, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Book of Running (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. I am relatively new to "jogging" (4 years, and as James refers to it, as running) and this book, even though dated, still give lots of wonderful information. This is a witty, fast read, and I felt it was very well organized. I am currently training for my 2nd 10K race this season, so I guess I'm hooked!