The Running Ground A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports

It would seem disingenuous to say that Nicholas Thompson s mesmerizing and moving The Running Ground isn t really about running. But while running from its practical agonies and ecstasies to its philosophical and deeply personal undercurrents suffuses this book, something Thompson writes early on holds the key to its deeper revelations: Running is the simplest of sports. But if we look closely, it can teach us about the hardest things in life. It s those hard things that make this an endlessly surprising, revelatory, and heart-rending read. Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue

Most of us struggle to escape the specific gravity of our ordinary selves through the discipline of education and learning. Nicholas Thompson s amazing memoir charts his awakening (and ours vicariously) through running. Here body, mind, and heart become an advanced machine that transcends age and time and generations, uniting him and us in the race of a lifetime. Bravo! Ken Burns, filmmaker

The Running Ground is more than a book about running it s a deeply human and beautifully written story of honest introspection in which Thompson illustrates how the simplest sport can help us navigate the most complex terrain of our own lives. Kilian Jornet, ultramarathoner, world record holder for fastest time running up Mt. Everest

This is not just an engaging memoir about running. It s a meditation on what it takes to marshal and maintain motivation. Nicholas Thompson s extraordinary strides illuminate how to unlock your potential. Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and host of Re:Thinking

At its heart, The Running Ground is about fathers and sons, ambition and aging, and the quiet grace of moving ever forward. It s an important look at how one of the simplest human actions placing one foot in front of the other can help us outrun our shadows, and catch what we love most. Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

In this pensive memoir, Atlantic CEO Thompson (The Hawk and the Dove) ruminates on the lessons he s learned from fatherhood and distance running. . . . [Thompson] manages to weave everything into an appealing whole. It s a satisfying self-portrait. Publishers Weekly

The best part of the book is the runner s equivalent of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, when Thompson applies lessons learned from marathons and other long-distance journeys on foot to daily life, including acquiring discipline of his own and gaining mastery of useful life skills. . . . Thompson exudes calm and wisdom. . . . An exemplary memoir of a life spent on the run. Kirkus Reviews, starred review