My Family and Other Animals Book Review

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as I ran, and I often laughed out loud (true lol). People must have thought that I was crazy. It was actually embarrassing at times. Between the eccentric family and the anthropomorphizing of it all, I had a good time.

Surely, Durell romanticized his childhood, but maybe all he remembers is the good stuff. This isn't a true 5 star book, but I think I enjoyed it more than 4 stars. My Family and Other Animals is a fun, light read. Do yourself a favor and give it go.

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Rest Day, Peak Performance Book Review Wed, 1/17/2018

I ran 6.25 recovery miles, yesterday.  It took a while to get out of the house. I really did not want to run, but I’m on schedule for a 50 mile week, and I didn’t want to blow it.  There’d be no way to make up 6 miles.  I felt terrible, at the beginning.  I had side stitches, but they went away after about a mile.  I ended up enjoying a few of the miles, but I was ready to be done by the time I got home.

Today is a scheduled rest day, but I intend to do my hip exercises.  My toes are hurting a little.

I finished a book about training recently.  The reviews is as follows.

Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Brad Stulberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I purchased Peak Performance as an audiobook. I like to listen to audiobooks when I run. I couldn’t get into it while I ran, so I listened to it during my commute. The book is worth the $2 or $3 dollars I paid, but it was disappointing. I didn’t learn much. Half of the book seemed to be trying to convince athletes to train hard and then rest. I think all serious athletes know the value of rest. I even named the blog Run, Rest, Repeat.  The value of rest is well documented. Another theme was that athletes should find a goal that transcends self. People can can push their bodies past perceived limits if they have a goal other than themselves.  Again, most people know that Momma Bear can lift a car if her babies are trapped underneath. The authors actually told a car lifting story.  On this topic though, the authors offered some practical advice on helping athletes figure out their goal.  They even included worksheets (I think).  I have the audio version, so I may have to go back and listen more carefully with a pen and paper handy.

Most of the book was a compilation of information that serious athletes already know, but I learned two new things. The first was that taking a walk break during intellectual activity is more effective than a sitting break. The second was that your brain treats looking at pictures of nature for six minutes almost the same as it treats actually sitting in a park for the same amount of time. Those two facts alone were worth three stars to me. If you haven’t read a lot of other training books, this book could be 4 or 5 stars.

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Book Review Dust Tracks on a Road 1/9/2018

I love to read as much as I love to run.  I just finished Dust Tracks on a Road.  It was a wonderful book.  My review, that you can find on goodreads, is as follows.


Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This autobiography is a collection of memories and short stories. Zora Neal Hurston uses her life as a backdrop to let a loose plot unfold. Her talent as a storyteller shines through and is the star of the book. She paints vivid pictures, and the pace is just right. Hurston tells us what she wants us to hear and leaves out quite a bit, but I didn’t really want more. She told me the one thing I wanted to know which was what was going on in her mind when she wrote Her Eyes Were Watching God. In my opinion, that book is a Harlem Renaissance masterpiece. If I was left wanting anything, it was more about her process in writing it.

I’m going to let everyone else debate about Hurston’s politics, plagiarism or whatever. This book is intriguing, interesting and entertaining. I'm going with 5 stars all the way.


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