Zen and the Art of Running: The Path to Making Peace with Your Pace

First, if you are looking for a how-to guide and programme, this might not be your best choice.It's more of a "companion book" to your typical running book - although it does include very sensible advice about the different kinds of trainings and lists the most usual injuries.The true originality and added value of this book is to encourage you to take a step back towards your running habits, put small annoying things into perspective, like rain or cold (or bigger things, like injuries, set backs etc.)The idea is to "let go" and to have a more peaceful approach to running, not so results-focused but process-focused (it's the journey...")There is a small part on meditation, but nothing hardcore or that would put you off if that's not your thing or if you want to skip that bit. I did. By the way, meditation sounds a lot tougher than running does.I liked that the author gave some personal examples here and there, about his being a family man and university professor: the tips were less abstract that way. Likewise there were pretty cool quotes, including buddhist ones (ex : "We become what we think").I just read some great reviews for a book in the same spirit called "Running with the Mind of Meditation: Lessons for Training Body and Mind". If you haven't read either, it's probably worth checking out a sample of both to see which one you'd like best!

I know this is a pretty popular running book. I just got into running so I've been reading lots of running-related books, but this just wasn't what I expected. It was much more a book about zen, than a book about running. Chapters on how to maintain calm before a race, for example, just seemed like more of the same. Not my favorite.

I don't know much about Eastern Zen thought, but I do know a little about logic. Many of the techniques used in this book appear very logical. Identify problems with the least amount of bias due to your preconceived ideas and form a solution that directly addresses the cause. But it also exposes some faulty lines of reasoning in a few of his examples that are not very reasonable. Worth the read for me.

I found this book a very easy read ...both informative and entertaining. I have run both half marathons and a marathon in the past but was looking for help with my training as I age gracefully! I have applied many of the principals both to my running and my day to day life ...particularly the principals of "right effort" and "the middle way" A "must read" for runners of all ages and abilities.

This book isn't going to make you into the buddha instantly. But if you listen to its tenets, you can practice a more relaxed form of running that will bring you a lot more peace than running with intensity.

This book shows you how running should be done.

I've read lots of books on Zen, and this one has the best description of mindfulness and how it is practiced and an awesome meditation guide for people starting out. It has a practical, useable guide to right effort, and the whole thing is based in stories of how the author has succeeded and occasionally not succeeded at applying right effort to his running life.Great book on running, even better book on Zen!

Although we want our high school runners to set specific goals, it is especially important that they focus on the process. This book is very helpful in pointing out that process of simply paying attention to the moment at hand.

I've read a few books on Buddhism and have found it quite baffling. This book, however, has made some of the concepts much clearer to me by applying them directly to something I enjoy. Some chapters weren't relevant to me but, generally, the book was of great interest and full of practical ideas. I will definitely be running Zen style from now on.

I really like the idea of combining running and spirituality. I had great hopes for this book. However this book is very dull. The spirituality that I read about before I gave up seemed to be very basic CBT. In no way inspiring.

Great, concise, easy read. Entertaining and relates to any sport or any aspect of life ! Written from the heart ,

Excellent book. The section at the back regarding injuries really resonated with me also

Took a while to connect with but glad I persevered - great read. Keeps you running during these wet weeks !