Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance

Christopher McDougall

The second book by Christopher McDougall, the author of the bestselling, and controversial, Born To Run, this book attempts to cover the guerilla war on the Island of Crete during WWII, parkour, and high fat diets. I’m generally very forgiving of books that cover this kind of stuff, but even I have to admit that this is kind of a mess. Really, this is two different books — the fascinating story of the war on Crete (and the incredible men who fought it), and the much less well fleshed out story of how McDougal got into parkour and high-fat diets. The logic is often flawed, and the science at times dubious, but if this is your kind of thing, it’s a quick read. Just remember, like Born to Run, enjoy McDougall’s stories, but don’t take his recommendations too seriously.

Recommended for the enthusiast.