Title: The Way of the Runner
Author: Adharanand Finn
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 342
Rating: 4/5
Let me start off by pointing out that I picked up this book because I’m a keen runner, and I don’t think there’s going to be much here to interest you if you’re not.
The Way of the Runner is Finn’s second book on the subject, and it follows up from a previous book called Running with the Kenyans which focused on…well, you can probably figure that out for yourself. Interestingly enough, that particular book was Ronnie O’Sullivan’s book pick for Desert Island Discs, which appeals to me because I’m a big O’Sullivan fan.
Here, instead of running with the Kenyans, Finn is running with the Japanese while trying to understand what makes running so popular in the land of the rising sun. He points out that Japanese runners are generally considered to be the third fastest in the world, and that it’s a huge part of Japanese culture, with corporate sponsored teams entering major running events that sometimes draw television audiences on a scale that’s comparable to the Superbowl.
That starts to explain why Haruki Murakami is such a keen runner and also reminded me that I need to re-read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running now that I’m a runner myself, as I enjoyed it enough from my previous two reads even though back then I was mostly sedentary.
Finn’s book is interesting because he takes us on an adventure, and so it’s not just a case of a piece of dry non-fiction that relies on scholarly insights and little else. In fact, it’s travel writing as much as it’s non-fiction about running, and I think readers would enjoy it if they’re interested in Japanese culture even if they’re not runners themselves.
Finn also has an engaging writing style that’s easy to relate to, and by the time I was two chapters in, I was hooked. He has a podcast, too.
