Born to Run
McDougall told the story of a hidden tribe of super-runners in Mexico and turned it into an investigation of why humans were born to run.
“If you don't think you were born to run, you're not only denying history. You're denying who you are.”
Why It Matters
McDougall told the story of a hidden tribe of super-runners in Mexico and turned it into an investigation of why humans were born to run. The book launched the barefoot running movement and changed how millions of people think about exercise, evolution, and their own bodies. It is the rare nonfiction book that literally changed how people move through the world.
Notable Quotes
“You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running.”
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle — when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”