When barefoot running guru Christopher McDougall takes in a neglected donkey, his aim is to get Sherman back to reasonable health. But Sherman is ill-tempered, obstinate and uncooperative - and it's clear his poor treatment has made him deeply fearful of humans. Christopher knows that donkeys need a purpose - they are working, pack animals - and so when he learns of the sport of Burro Racing or running with donkeys, he sets out to give Sherman something worth living for. With the aid of Christopher's menagerie on his farm in rural Pennsylvania, his wife Mika and their friends and neighbours including the local Amish population, Sherman begins to build trust in Christopher. To give him a purpose, they start to run together. But what Sherman gains in confidence and meaning is something we all need: a connection with nature, the outdoors, with movement. And as Christopher learns, the side benefits of exercise and animal contact are surprising, helping with mental and physical health in unexpected ways.
ISBN: | 9781781258279 |
Publication date: | 2nd July 2020 |
Author: | Christopher McDougall |
Publisher: | Profile Books Ltd |
Format: | Paperback |
Pagination: | 352 pages |
Primary Genre | Memoirs |
Christopher McDougall is a former war correspondent for the Associated Press and author of the international bestseller Born to Run, which is currently being adapted into a film, and Natural Born Heroes. He runs with Sherman among the Amish farms around his home in rural Pennsylvania.
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