Racing the Antelope: What Animals Can Teach Us about Running and Life

by Bernd Heinrich

Book Overview

"Each new page [is] more spellbinding than the one before--this is surely one of the most interesting books I've ever read."--Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs When Bernd... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060199210
• ISBN13: 9780060199210
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

I'd Rather Eat Worms than Deplete

Anyone (like myself) who likes to run longer distances (and likes ~bugs~ to boot) will just plain enjoy reading about Heinrich's passion for the simple, elegant and primordial sport of running. Heinrich has woven his autobiography with scientific inquiry...his vocation (biology) is what gives this book about his avocation (running) an interesting bent. Heinrich talks about antelope, birds, toads, dogs and cats etc. and investigates what those animals can teach us about running, and what humans do or do not have in common with these animals regarding stamina, endurance, and even focus. I think that this book gives the reader / runner something to think about and be inspired by in an abstract way rather than serving as a ~step-by-step process~ on how to be a better runner. This is not some boastful read for the old-fart jock club (which by age I would qualify for), but an inspirational life story ~and~ scientific investigation regarding the human spirit, our primal / animal need to run (well, some of us anyway) and the drive to pursue our dreams (that goes for all of us!).

Inspiring and Informative

After reading this book I'm running every day, really paying attention to what I'm doing while running and what my body is telling me, feeling stronger, getting stronger, and loving it. Thoughout my life I have run inconsistently, mostly as a chore to get in shape, preferring to bicycle when ever I wanted to engage long distance, aerobic efforts. Running always hurt too much in comparison to cycling. After reading this book my strengths, physical and mental, have come forward, and I run with a great deal more ease and enjoyment. But that's only half of it. Bern is a very high class story teller too. Very enjoyable book all the way around.

Running Is Life!

A truly wonderful book. Heinrich's exploration of endurance and running in the animal kingdom, coupled with his own efforts to prepare for and win an ultra distance (100-kilometer) race, is extraordinarily revealing. As a life long (66 year old) runner, I recommend this book without reservation.

a rare look at an old survival skill

As an experienced student of the human condition I write to heap great praise on this book. In its pages are found fascinating remote evidences of the struggle that Mother Nature faced in creating that remarkable animal called us. Heinrich mines his treasury of biologic endurance characteristics and produces this wonderful treatise that bids us struggling zoo animals to regain our precious exercise heritage.

Re: A Cautionary Tale

I'd like to write a review of the previous review from Chicago. All it tells me is the the couch potato wasn't smart enough to buy the right book and then sought to blame the author(Heinrich) for his disappointment. Not much help.