by Bernd Heinrich (Author)
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A Year In The Maine Woods
Bernd Heinrich
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
The author of numerous bestselling and award-winning books, Bernd Heinrich is a professor of biology at the University of Vermont. He divides his time between Vermont and the forests of western Maine.
Product details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ecco (May 7, 2002)
Language: English
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Biography
Bernd Heinrich is a biologist and author of numerous books on the natural world. He lives in Richmond, VT, and in a cabin in the forests of western Maine.
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Customer Reviews
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Top customer reviews
Bernie GourleyTop Contributor: Fantasy Books
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 starsPart autobiography of a runner, part comparative biology, part evolutionary biology, and part guide to ultramarathoningNovember 13, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This book is actually several different books woven together. It’s part autobiography of the author’s running life, it’s part a study of comparative biology between various creatures with an endurance bent and humans, it’s part an examination of the evolutionary biology of humanity’s proclivity to run, and it’s part guide to preparing to engage in ultramarathons.
Often I pan such books as being unfocused, ill-planned, and—most often—attempts to whip an article’s worth of material into a book length piece. However, Heinrich keeps it interesting enough that I don’t feel it necessary to level these criticisms.
Still, my first warning to readers is that one has to read on for quite a while before one gets to the book that one thought one bought—i.e. one that answers the title question of “why WE (i.e. people in general and not the author specifically) run.” In short, you’ll need to have an eclectic set of interests to get through the whole book, but some may find reading only part of it gives them all they wanted from the book.
It should be noted that the book is on its second title. The original title was: “Racing the Antelope: What Animals Can Teach Us about Running and Ourselves.” The author explains in the front matter why the original name was changed (apparently some loud and obnoxious writer had a similarly titled book on a different subject and whined about it.) Changing the title wasn’t required because: a.) titles cannot be copyrighted, and b.) it wasn’t exactly the same title anyway. Still the new, more succinct, title may lead one to expect a succinct book, which this isn’t so much.
Some readers will enjoy Heinrich’s writing style; others will find that it ventures too far into flowery territory on occasion. I did enjoy it. However, I can see how a reader might find some of the descriptive sequences to be excessive--particularly toward the beginning of the book.
While there’s some overlapping and interweaving, one can think of the book in three sections. It’s written in twenty chapters.
The first six tell the author’s story of getting into running and his youth.
The next eight chapters deal in comparative and evolutionary biology. In general, these chapters look at the biology of other creatures as they pertain to said animals’ ability to engage in running (or activities that are like running in that they involve endurance of muscles and the cardiovascular system.) Also included in this section is the evolutionary biology of humans as it relates to becoming a species of runners. This is the core of the book and was the most interesting section for me. In it, Heinrich considers the endurance activities of insects, birds, antelopes, camels, and frogs.
Each of these has a particular relevance. For example, camels are masters of endurance under harsh conditions. Frogs tell the story of the difference between fast and slow twitch musculature (relevant to sprinters versus distance runners.) Antelopes are, of course, the exemplars running in the animal kingdom, but the nature of their running is so different from that of humans (i.e. making quick escapes versus pursuing wounded prey.) The last six chapters can be seen as a guide to preparing for ultramarathon races, but it’s also a continuation of the author’s self-examination of his running life from the time he began ultramarathoning.
I’d recommend this book for readers who are interested in the science of human performance. It’s well written, and the insights it offers into the biology of other animals are fascinating. Whether you read the whole book or just the part that pertains to your interests, you’ll take something away from this book.
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6 people found this helpful
Michael Lacombe
5.0 out of 5 starsWhy I RunFebruary 21, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
This was a different type of book about running. I have fun for over forty years and have read hundreds of books about running and runners, but none like this book. As I have matured as a runner, I have become more interested in the physiology of running, rather than psychology. The author describes the science behind the birds migratory flights and animals of the plains hunting expeditions in terms I could relate to the physiology of my running; though their great feats of endurance and speed far exceed that of humans! A well written, easy to understand book about why we run from a refreshing perspective.
Michael A. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 starsBernd Heinrich's Why We Run is an excellent resource for those interested in both research and personal ...April 9, 2018
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Bernd Heinrich's Why We Run is an excellent resource for those interested in both research and personal account. It is quite detailed, and for those who run, it is also quite personal. I learned a lot about the human body and other species in relation to the hunt. A species' anatomy, diet, metabolism, heat management, and more evolutionary adaptations have enabled all species to survive
Jay McLaughlin
5.0 out of 5 starsMr. Heinrich is a captivating writerOctober 2, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I loved as always his scrupulous attention to detail. His continuous attention to the effects of natural selection and the "survival of the fittest."
I'd recommend this to anyone interested in endurance or evolution or living by their wits.
I chose this rating because the gratification I experienced reading this book far outweighed the paltry few dollars I spent on it.
John
3.0 out of 5 starsWhy do we really run???September 19, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I saw this book in an airport and decided to check to see if it was available as a Kindle Version. It was and I ordered it. I got halfway through the book when I realized, it really hasn't said anything about, "Why we Run". It is mainly a story about the author and his life, which includes running. I was hoping it would be more scientific than just another story about a guy who likes to run and how much of it he did as a kid and into adulthood. It also throws in a reference here and there to insects and animals and how they are designed for endurance. Oh yeh, and how the title started out as something different until he got harassed enough to change it. I have set it aside until I have one of those rainy days where I am bored and have nothing else more exciting to read.
Don's Thoughts on the Matter
5.0 out of 5 starsBiographical, informative, and practical. A unique perspective...May 11, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
What do you get when you mix an evolutionary field biologist and a distance runner? Amazing insights, unparalleled research applications, and a unique set of personal stories which serve as an illustrative backdrop. The author's unique life experiences and academic knowledge were allowed to percolate for a decade or two before he put the story to paper. Not only is the story of "the race" compelling, but the opportunity to travel along with a great mind weaving knowledge and application together into becoming a smarter runner was a delight. (I learned a lot of science along the way as well; plus, I got an appreciation of evolutionary biology as a useful scientific paradigm. A pretty diverse set of gleanings from a book on running.) ;-)
Albert Reingewirtz
5.0 out of 5 starsFantastic book as usual from Bernd HeinrichAugust 23, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Fantastic book as usual from Bernd Heinrich. I could not believe it this biologist has plenty of explanations and examples that would make an anthropologist successful in any university. I am not a runner but I had to buy a book for a visiting relative who runs Marathons as a present. This is how much I love this book. I did not recommend it I bought it as a present.
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Why We Run
Why We Run: A Natural History is a non-fiction book by author and biologist Bernd Heinrich and was originally published as Racing the Antelope: What Animals Can Teach Us About Running and Ourselves.
Synopsis[edit]
The narrator, Heinrich, writes about the challenges that he faced in his life and in writing the book. It explains why humans endure ultramarathons. One segment focuses on the time Heinrich came first in the Golden Gate Marathon in the 1980s. During the ultra-marathon, Heinrich drank Ocean Spray cranberry juice rather than water, stating that it was sugar that kept him running throughout the 100 kilometres (62 mi).
The book is organised into chapters detailing different animals and their ability to use their natural advantages for greatest endurance and explains how Heinrich used this knowledge to become an ultra-runner. Why We Run focuses on how antelope, deer, wolves, bees, frogs, camels and other animals exhibit endurance techniques that humans later adopted. For example, antelopes travel in packs and "leap frog" from back to front to conserve energy and escape predators. Deer are natural sprinters and sprint to escape predators. Wolves, like endurance runners, chase sprinting prey to tire them. Camels are adapted to fat storage and usage in order to conserve water in their harsh environment. Birds have a majority of slow twitch fibrous muscles that are adapted for long travel times as well as the ability to simultaneously inhale and exhale. The book concludes as Heinrich completes an ultra-marathon and reflects on the biology, anthropology, psychology and philosophy that affected his life along with the animals and their metabolic functions.
Racing the Antelope[edit]
Why We Run: A Natural History was originally released as Racing The Antelope, What Animals Can Teach Us about Running and Ourselves. The title was changed due to a complaint from Sean Gibbon, author of Run Like the Antelope, a book about the rock band Phish. In order to distinguish his work from that work, Heinrich and his editor Daniel Halpern switched. Bernd Heinrich stated that this new title worked just as well since a new book had been released titled Running after Antelope by Scott Carrier. With an influx of antelope-titled books, Heinrich stated that the new title was more appropriate.[citation needed]
Critical Response[edit]
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Why We Run: A Natural History gained mostly favorable reviews from Google Booksand Barnes & Noble. Reviewers stated that Heinrich's writing is passionate and engaging, with many comments that he leads an interesting life. However, the focus on animal physiology was found convoluted and little tied to other chapters until the end. Other reviewers found that many facts were "mushy" and are not integrated. Positive reviews from New York Times,[1] Publishers Weekly,[2] and positive aggregated reviews earned Why We Run: A Natural History best-seller status on Amazon.com, where it reached 19th place in popularity for science and wildlife books.[unreliable source?]
| Source | Rating |
|---|---|
| Amazon.com | 3.8/5 |
| Barnes & Noble | 3.5/5 |
| Google books | 3/5 |
