Running Away
A Memoir

If you had asked me yesterday, I would have told you this was a 2- or a 3-star book. It had so much not going for it: I hate memoirs--the bestselling ones are usually navel-gazing pity parties, often written by privileged people who can afford to take the pity party to Bali or through-hike gorgeous......more

At the risk of coming across as insensitive, this read like one long whinge about the author's ex wife. He cheated on and then left HER, why all the bitterness? I don't want to dismiss anyone's experience of depression, but this type of narrative where Author Hits Rock Bottom, Author Sets Goal, Auth......more

A Pavement Pounder It's a bit of a pity party at times but it slogs on and with some humor here and there. Any book you finish by choice isn't a bad book and I hung around until the very end.......more

At a low point in his life; divorced, overweight, drinking too much, and profoundly depressed, Powell decides to take a year to live in Boulder, Colorado and take up running. Not just running though. Powell sets his sights on training and qualifying for the Boston Marathon in just a year. Driven by......more

Appreciate the anti-climatic and decidedly non-self-congratulatory nature of this running-focused memoir. I liked the realness that underlined Powell’s story— I just wasn’t fully captivated. I wish his self-worth was based on training for and completing the marathon itself, rather than the (arbitrar......more