Customer Reviews

The Runner and the Path: An Athlete's Quest for Meaning in Postmodern Corporate America

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

"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.

I really enjoyed and highly recommend The Runner and the Path. Ottati takes the reader on a wonderful journey. Whether it's facing down real coyotes on the running trails of Mt. Diablo or facing off against paper coyotes on the paths of corporate America - Dean covers nearly all the difficult facets of balancing one's life in today's America.

The focus of The Runner and the Path is Dean and his fascinating network of running partners who provide and provoke Dean's insights into the spiritual struggles of living in Post-modern America. From his faithful dog Izzy, to hot-shot corporate execs and of coruse, the inscrutable Closet Magician - Dean has run with them all. And from the first chapter on, you will want to run with them too!

The Runner and the Path has much to offer for both runner and non-runner alike. I have run sporadically over the years and Dean has renewed my interest in heading out on the trails. More importantly, having spent fourteen years in corporate America, I very much appreciated Dean's insights into the challenges of managing one's values against the frequent pressures in corporate America for results at almost any cost.

Dean's writing style is easy going and mature. He had me involved in serious introspection one minute and then laughing and grinning the next with his often Twain-like wry anecdotes.

The old Bulldog of Britain, Winston Churchill (who probably did not do much running in his life) once said:

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened."

We should all thank Dean for not hurrying off! At least not without writing it down first.

I certainly look forward to his next work.

This book is filled with gems of truth and you don't even have to be a runner to find them. Ottati takes us on a journey of self exploration in which his ever increasing awareness of the sub-conscious weaves the delicate connection between work, family, and play. Ottati is both humurous and revealing and sure to inspire the reader to hit their own path...

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and came away deeply impressed with Ottati's story and style. A thoughtful book that's equally powerful for runners and non-runners, Ottati's work left me thinking long after I'd read the last page. His style is easy and engaging and he's a wonderful storyteller. It's not often that such an important book is also such an enjoyable one! This is Ottati's first book but I hope it's not his last. We need a lot more like him in this world.

The promo says it's in the spirit of Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - and it is. Ottati wrote a thoughtful and inspiring book for all runners, as well as thinkers who want to be runners (or vice versa). Of course, if you are both a thinking and a runner, it's perfect and easy to get into.

Like Zen and the Art of MM, the running is the backstory. Ottati's philosophizing is pretty basic, but it's refreshing and very relevant to today's post 9/11, post high-tech crash world.

And... Mahler sounds like a good run.

I really enjoyed and highly recommend The Runner and the Path. Ottati takes the reader on a wonderful journey. Whether it's facing down real coyotes on the running trails of Mt. Diablo or facing off against paper coyotes on the paths of corporate America - Dean covers nearly all the difficult facets of balancing one's life in today's America.

The focus of The Runner and the Path is Dean and his fascinating network of running partners who provide and provoke Dean's insights into the spiritual struggles of living in Post-modern America. From his faithful dog Izzy to the inscrutable Closet Magician - Dean has run with them all. And from the first chapter on, you will want to run with them too!

Dean's writing style is easy going and mature. He had me involved in serious introspection one minute and then laughing and grinning the next with his often Twain-like wry anecdotes.

The Runner and the Path has much to offer for both runner and non-runner alike. Having spent the past fourteen years in corporate America, I very much appreciated Dean's insights into the challenges of managing one's values against the frequent corporate pressures for results at almost any cost.

The old Bulldog of Britain, Winston Churchill (who probably did not do much running in his life) once said:

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them
pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened."

We should all thank Dean for not running off --- but running and writing instead!

I certainly recommend this book and eagerly look forward to Ottati's next work.

This is NOT a "how to" book written by a "wanna-be" subject mater expert. This is a truly inspirational work that challenges us to face our "postmodern" human condition.

Ottati places himself in the midst of common, modern day dilemmas where we all find ourselves pondering and searching for fulfillment while striking a balance between work, family and leisure. Each chapter has a story and message that stands alone on its own merit. One or many of these chapters will strike a chord with the personal life of every reader.

This book is an unconventional and inspirational challenge to those who are seeking fulfillment in their "normal" corporate lives and to younger people who aspire to such positions.

I sat in the parking lot before a sport injury prevention workshop and read a chapter in Dean Ottati's new book and came close to weeping.

It's a wonderful book in many ways: first because it is so easy to relate to Dean's experiences. He's a runner just like the rest of us. Second, because he has a way of giving us hope, that we can find beauty and meaning and realize our ideals. And third, because he encourages us to carry forward our search for meaning and soul. It's a book to be grateful for.

Disclaimer: I edited Dean's book. I've been a runner for thirty-four years and, in the early 1970s, served as assistant editor of Runner's World. I mention this because I'm familiar with runners' dreams, and in my view, no one has ever expressed them better than Dean Ottati.