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Reviews
Barefoot Running: How to Run Light and Free by Getting in Touch with the Earth by Michael Sandler
patlo's review
3.0
What an uneven, poorly edited, poorly researched book... but still helpful. If you take it as ONE MAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS on barefoot running, it's good. If you take it as a well-grounded, well-researched book... not.
The first few chapters are new agey "connect with the magnetic fields of the earth" kind of hooey, but if you can wade through that (or skim fast), then the book gets pretty good. Its discussion of mechanics, exercises, how to build up your foot, injuries - all are good. The discussion of food and nutrition is very basic: eat organic, eat local; nothing different for a runner than for any other human need. The author makes goofy outlandish statements right and left that make a reader wonder if there's any truth to that phrase (hot peppers are a superfood! sugar is the only food that makes you want to eat more of it!) I stopped making notes for things I wanted to fact-check after a while - they all might be true, but the author doesn't support any of it, beyond a quasi-religious enthusiasm from his personal experience.
There's a decent little mini-chapter at the end about minimalist shoes, but you're better off visiting a barefoot/minimalist shoe store and asking for help. I'm very fortunate to have www.borntorun.com local to me in Seattle.
All in all... good resources, but take it as more of a memoir with some good details, rather than a well-researched resource.
The first few chapters are new agey "connect with the magnetic fields of the earth" kind of hooey, but if you can wade through that (or skim fast), then the book gets pretty good. Its discussion of mechanics, exercises, how to build up your foot, injuries - all are good. The discussion of food and nutrition is very basic: eat organic, eat local; nothing different for a runner than for any other human need. The author makes goofy outlandish statements right and left that make a reader wonder if there's any truth to that phrase (hot peppers are a superfood! sugar is the only food that makes you want to eat more of it!) I stopped making notes for things I wanted to fact-check after a while - they all might be true, but the author doesn't support any of it, beyond a quasi-religious enthusiasm from his personal experience.
There's a decent little mini-chapter at the end about minimalist shoes, but you're better off visiting a barefoot/minimalist shoe store and asking for help. I'm very fortunate to have www.borntorun.com local to me in Seattle.
All in all... good resources, but take it as more of a memoir with some good details, rather than a well-researched resource.
uncoveredwhimsy's review
3.0
Interesting book. I think it has some great ideas, and I like that it focuses on keeping the run fun, and tells you to stop as soon as it stops being fun. I don't think I will ever completely switch to barefoot, but I do see the appeal and this book does a great job of teaching the switch from shoes to barefoot.
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