A book about running combines two of my favorite hobbies. I am the kind of person who enjoys watching the Olympics for the sports and the background stories on the athletes. I think I love those topics equally. If you feel the same, you will enjoy this book by Kenny Moore.
This book does answer all the expectations to detail the history of the University of Oregon track and field program, Prefontaine’s career, and the history of Nike. I thought Bowerman’s personal history was just as interesting I also appreciated hearing about the contributions of Mrs. Bowerman.
I appreciated that Kenny Moore had a hard task here; to educate the reader about Bowerman, to give the reader the complete picture including the good and the bad, and to be fair to his former coach. I think he did a great job. He also delivered a very readable book that doesn’t feel like work to read.
The history of Nike did make me wonder a bit about the running shoe industry. The need for shoe companies to constantly expand seems like it could devolve into a need to attract more customers or to convince current customers to buy more shoes. We’ve been hearing so much about the arms race in marathon shoes, this book made me wonder when that really started.
I particularly enjoyed hearing about Bowerman’s devotion to service. From his military service to helping young athletes build a future, he seemed to be driven by a desire to be part of the solution. These days I think we need more Bowerman’s in the world.
This book is available on Amazon in print ($18.69 for paperback) and on Kindle ($9.99). You can also order this book from my favorite Independent bookstore, Powell’s (used paperback starting at $6.50). I am a book collector and avid reader. I love a used book sale or book auction, and if you’d like me to look for a nice copy of this book (or anything else) just drop me a line at books@hackyourrun.com