Rating: 
Summary: A Great Place to Start
Review: When I started running about a year ago, this book was my only guide. The book is loaded with valuable information that helped make my running program much, much easier. The most helpful information for me included common mistakes beginners make, injury prevention, and the mental side of running. Some reviewers complain that Runner's World magazine is better, which may be true, but what first-time runner wants to subscribe to a year's worth of magazines that arrive once a month and may or may not contain what you need at the beginner level? Burfoot's book is a great place for any beginning runner to start.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice overview
Review: Written by several different authors with Burfoot as a guide at the beginning and end of each chapter, this book is very enjoyable.I am a new runner this past summer and I have found this book to be a very helpful guide to getting started. It provides a good basic overview of the important parts of running--avoiding injury, nutrition, shoes, etc. Because of the format of using several different authors, there are places in which the book conflicts with itself. I did not find this troubling. In fact, I think it led me more to realize that running is not an exact science. Different training methods work for different people. Because of the variety in the book, readers will more likely be able to find what works best for them as they "listen to what their body tells them."
Rating: 
Summary: This book lacks substance
Review: `Runner's World Complete Book of Running' is a compilation of different articles from Runners World magazine. It has 37 articles written by about 25 different authors. While the book has a lot of breath, it lacks a certain commonality between the chapters. Amby Burfoot. The editor, attempts to rectify this by writing introductions and postscripts after each chapter. With that, the book has a lot of valuable information and is an excellent overview for those that want an summary of the various aspects of running. On the other side, the book, notwithstanding its title is not `Everything you need to know to run....'. There is a lot of information and details that are left out. But if you are looking for a good introductory text into running, this is it.
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