Hills, Hawgs & Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner [Paperback]

Don Kardong (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Keokee Co Pub Inc (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879628120
• ISBN-13: 978-1879628120
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,264,431 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Run On, October 22, 2001

By 

Jena Ball "Jena Ball" (North Carolina, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hills, Hawgs & Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner (Paperback)

You have to be or have been a dedicated runner, or at least a serious athlete, to appreciate the motivation behind the things that Don Kardong undertakes in this book. It also helps to be or have been a triathlete and/or a multi-sport enthusiast since Kardong frequently finds himself involved in competitions which require skill in something other than running. Fortunately for everyone involved, Kardong has a great sense of humor and is truly in love with his sport. Both dedication and humor are found in abundance here. I especially enjoyed the piece about Steve Prefontaine and Kardong's attendance at a Triathlete workshop where he steadfastly refused to so much as look at the swimming pool. However, I did get a bit tired towards the end of all the over the top races - the grueling 50 miles, the Grand Canyon trek and the seemingingly endless marathons where he inevitably gets nauseated at mile 22. Kardong is a truly talented writer whom I suspect has a bit more to say than he's letting on. Wonder what he'll write next?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Misplaced memoirs, September 28, 2005

By 

Al - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hills, Hawgs & Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner (Paperback)

Wait a sec... found this book in the "Martial Arts" category?!? Anyway, by and large an enjoyable read, but not quite as funny as, say, "The Looniness of the Long distance runner". Kardong writes in the manner of a columnist, concisely and accessible. Basically, the book is a collection of essays, each of which has as its theme a particular race or event the author participated in.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining, April 11, 2005

By 

M. Eichenlaub - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hills, Hawgs & Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner (Paperback)

Kardong's chief asset is his sense of humor. However, you shouldn't sit down and read straight through the book. It's a series of articles about his crazy, semi-running related competitions and after a few of these you just want him to stop being a nut and write about running for a while. I think the best pieces are "Le Grizz" about a 50-miler, and the cross country race where he talks about getting old. Come to think of it, he talks about getting old quite a lot. Of course, the only reason he can do all these offbeat competitions is he is retired from professional running so he doesn't need to be in top shape any more. Anyway it's worth a read.