Running With Sherman, by Christopher McDougall

Christopher McDougall had a huge role in the exploding minimalist running trend with the publication of Born to Run in 2009.  I would guess that Running With Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero will play a role in increasing interest in burro racing, but I'm pretty sure your local running store won't start stocking halters and saddle bags.  As his readers will expect, McDougall's writing is quite entertaining and, despite the fact that he's writing about a niche sport that a tiny handful of people in a tiny geographical area participate in.

If Running With Sherman were just a book about burro racing, it would be easy to ignore.  But McDougall explores so much more.  Sherman is a rescue donkey that was sick, almost crippled, and surely near death.  McDougall's family took Sherman in, cleaned him up, fed him, and got him healthy.  He quickly turned his mind to burro racing, and decided that he would train Sherman to run a burro race in the mountains of Colorado.  This was no easy task, given Sherman's health, the fact that they live near sea level in Pennsylvania, and the fact that McDougall knew next to nothing about the sport.

A major theme of Running With Sherman the link humans have with animals.  Many of McDougall's neighbors are Amish.  He notes that they tend to be healthier, happier, and longer-lived than most any other group of people.  That is, of course, due to their active lifestyles, diets that don't include American junk food and packages food, and their religious devotion and discipline.  But McDougall also argues that the connection with animals, a connection that people who live in cities, drive cars, and use mechanical implements instead of beasts of burden, simply don't have.  Any pet owner will confirm this, if to a limited extent.

Running with Sherman is fun to read and furthers McDougall's reputation as one of the best writers about running.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!