Though this book lacks the inspiring stories and colorful prose of born to run, it is definitely a suggested read for serious runners. Natural Running is not the most fun read, it read like a text book. Natural Running is after all written by a professional running expert rather than a professional author, but the content alone is enough to keep the reader interested and turning pages.
The author, and founder of Newton Running Shoes, Danny Abshire, makes a strong argument for the importance of running with a gait that allows the foot to land beneath the runners center of mass. The reader will gain a better understanding of the mechanics of the foot, and how various foot strike patters affect the overall biomechanics of the body.
When first opening the pages of Natural Running, I was expecting a long infomercial on the qualities of Newton running shoes, and there was a touch of Newton promotion, but the book was much more informative than it was an advertisement. Interestingly enough, after reading Natural Running, in my mind, the ideal running shoe, far from being Newtons, which are full of gimmicks, would be Vibram Five Fingers, or better yet, no shoe at all.
Whether you believe that natural running is a fad, a trend, or a saving grace for runners, your knowledge of running is not complete until you have read this book.