6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not really a running book, April 12, 2003
I have to admit that I'm only halfway through this book, but honestly I have put it aside for a while. Dean's book is good, but know that it's closer to a business or personal improvement book than a running book. If that is what you are looking for, this is a good one. But Dean is definitely not the next Sheehan, and his topics and style are completely different. A good book, but know what you are really getting.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read!, May 9, 2002
I'm not a runner and I'm not in to New Age anything, mystics, spoon benders or waterless hand cleaners, so I picked up this book with some trepidation. As a terminal businessman though, I was attracted by the title and wondered what he could possibly mean by a quest for meaning in "postmodern Corporate America"?
If you're a runner, there is a lot here that you'll find interesting, and even wonderful about this book. Read it for the great descriptions of running as a part of your life. I have to admit that I was (almost) tempted to put on some shoes and head off down the road. While I've never had even a glimmer of the draw to running that many people have, this book provided clear insights into the athletic attraction as well as the unexpected near-spiritual aspects of running.
This book really hit home for me on the business stuff. There are some very engaging anecdotes. You'll particularly enjoy them if you have a technical or telecomm background. Business books are usually devoid of any entertainment value, or even entertaining presentations of ideas; this book is compelling.
Ottati is easy to read. He has some straight-forward ideas that he gently introduces, then illustrates and expands on with stories and analogies that make clear, targeted sense. Later chapters build on ideas and stories introduced earlier.
Ottatis' thoughts are clearly presented. Interesting thoughts. Universal thoughts. Are they all entirely unique? These are mid-life ponderings that all of us have when we've gotten 20 years away from college idealism and are wondering, late at night, what it's all about. What is unique is that he has presented them in original fashion, with actual thought involved (!), and descriptions of how he adapts the way he lives his life in response to the conclusions he arrives at. It helped me formulate my own thoughts about these issues.
I was somewhat curious when I read that this was a first effort at writing, and wondered if I'd find weak writing, clichéd style, etc. Not to worry at all. This is a well-written book. The ideas or philosophy parts are clear and coherent; the anecdotes are very entertaining, and above all, there is a point! Go figure, there was a reason to write this and he stuck with it all the way through. If this is his first book, I'm anxious to read his next after he's gained this experience.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Not About the Running Shoes, July 15, 2003
"What would I do if I knew I only had one day left to live?" writes Dean Ottati in a key passage of this book (p. 223). The answer he says, is that he would start by going out to run. "During that run, I would smell each smell, the roses and the horse droppings, with equal joy. I would listen to the leaves rustling in the trees, and I would watch the red-winged blackbirds against bright yellow mustard flower . . . . I would run up the Mauler [hill] one last time. And I would thank it for remaining such a consistent challenge over the years."
Those sentiments are the core of this book. It's not about running, it's about being a runner. The distinction is critical. I am a runner and author of running books. Ottati is a runner and has written a book that tells of how running has helped to shape his life. It's a good book: in places a great one. There are insights here about the importance of various aspects of our lives: hill running, career, family, corporate negotiations. I fluctuate between a four-star and five-star review, but some of the corporate lessons seem a bit obvious. But maybe that's just me...I abandoned that career path decades ago-about the time that I myself took up running, and my interest in corporate America is inherently limited.
Highly recommended to anyone struggling to make sense of their priorities.
Especially if you also happen to be a runner.
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