Customer Reviews

Running and Philosophy: A Marathon for the Mind (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture)

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

 

 

This is one of the best books in the whole philosophy and pop culture genre.

For philosophers, the essays feel like they come very naturally out of the topic. They are wide-ranging but all grounded in running--no stretches to get the philosophy in. It's as effortless as a comfortable pace can be.

For runners, there is an informative development of ideas that you've probably started to have in your own running, but haven't seen through this far.

Fun, challenging, motivating.

I picked up this book at the perfect time and that is why I am giving it 5 stars. I originally got into running like a lot of people in high school as part of the cross country team. I only ran cross country as a way to get in shape for basketball season. After high school I stopped running and did not pick up the sport again until after my Step-father was diagnosed with cancer. He was a big time runner and had a 10 year streak of competing in a local 13.1 mile race. So I stepped in to run in his place to keep the streak alive. After his passing, I ran my first marathon in his memory and in the process found out a lot about myself. I have been running ever since, taking on 5K, 5 milers, halfs and marathons, all the while becoming more engrossed in the sport of running as well as the psychology behind it. As a child running is as natural as breathing, then at some point it became a chore and now it gives me the time and space I need to think in our modern world. This book simply shares the thoughts of others who have found similar insights from running. Happy trails.

This book is a series of 19 essays,the vast majority of which were written by philosophy professors who to some degree or another also run or jog. As a practical matter the book was not what I was looking for after reading about it. I was hoping for some thought and insight into running with at least an equal focus on the running side of the title. While a few of the essays seemed to hit that mark, most seemed to be essays on philosophy that occasionally tried to incorporate some running theme with only mixed success. Mix in recurring references to the many of the same philophers (i.e., Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Thoreau), and the philosophy side of the book was not much better than what I would expect in an introductory philosophy class.

Examples of the essays I enjoyed are Chapter 2 "Chasing Happiness" which suggests that running can lead to true happiness because it "provides a context that is well suited for developing perfect friendship" in the sense that Aristotle defined "perfect friendship." Another talked about the importance of always keeping a goal in view to keep us focused when there are plenty of exuses for not running. Another made some interesting distintions in the different reasons people run while explaining the differences between runners and joggers. And another made some interesting points about the phenomenology of actually becoming a "runner". This involved the transition from initially having to occupy your mind while running to distract yourself from what you are actually doing to becoming free from the worries of distance and time.

The essays that I did not particularly enjoy included almost all of the rest. But here are a few examples of what you might expect. One essay is 11 pages on why running outside is a better experience than running on a treadmill with the premise being that treadmill running does not produce the same experience as running in natural surroundings because, of course, your inside on a treadmill and not outside where you should be. Another makes the argument that achieving the "good life" is harder today than it used to be because the agricultural revolution prevents us from living the lives our bodies crave. So in order to avoid "self destruction" we must cram a full day of hunting and gathering into our limited free time. This essay can best be described as a 9 page criticism of modern culture and religion which occasionaly mentions running. It also contains such insight as "if god exists, which is a big if . . . he could have designed us for kneeling on the floor, sitting in pews, or standing around chatting while downing cheap donuts and coffee." But instead if he exists at all he designed us with "buttocks and achilles tendons". Another is an essay on opera and classical music as an expression of emotion which talked very little about running other than the fact that the author is able to play music in his head while running without headphones by listening to cds at home before he runs.

If you are looking for a book primarily about running, my advice is to look elsewhere.

Though I have read very few pop culture & philosophy books all the way through, this is one of the best ones I have read. Not only do many of the essays connect to well known philosophers and ideas, but many other essays seem very original in their thesis and their conclusions. The best part about this book, though, is that nearly all of essays are easily relatable as anyone who has ever done even a short mile or 5K race can instantly understand what the author is talking about when they mention something about running. It doesn't hurt that many of the best authors seem to be runners themselves and imbue their essays with their own personal experiences. However, at times the book suffers from what many pop culture & philosophy books suffer from: essays and ideas that are not explained very well and go way over the heads of the readers. One essay in particular started talking about "zombies" without explaining what he was talking about. It took me half of the essay to figure out what he meant. Overall, while this book won't make you a better runner or be as necessary as a good pair of running shoes, but the topics discussed will keep you thinking on those long runs.

Philosophy is the key word in the title. I'm not a philosophic guy generally speaking. The book is made up of many different philosophical view points and then they are equated to running. I think it would be an outstanding resource if I find myself taking Philosophy 101 and have to show how philosophy can effect my daily life.
That being said, I did find many of the essays thought provoking, and I was able to really think about them on my runs. Some of the subject matter and tag lines even became part of my blog posts about running.
It you are looking for something deeper to think about while you are running, or need something to help your motivation, it is an excellent choice.

Very inspiring and thought provoking. Not only gets your foot out the door but your mind is no longer lazy either! Must read for all thinker/runners.