Rating: 
Summary: Simple advice but may not lead you to a 4-hour marathon
Review: There is nothing in this book that I didn't agree with except that I'm not sure that you could follow these instructions to run a 4-hour marathon. It's a straight forward book and it's simple to read. You can pound it out in less than an hour.
Rating: 
Summary: a quick, whirlwind tour down a 26.2 miles path
Review: this book is a very quick read, a trait that i found very refreshing after digging through a lot of big running handbooks. it includes very helpful training schedules for a 4:00, 4:15. 4:30, or 4:45 marathon. it has some major gaps due to its (lack of) length, but i think it is a good supplement to a more general running book. as for whether it works? well, ask me in january.
Rating:
Summary: Dated information?
Review: This book is good but not great, and appears to have lots of dated information. For example, the author cites Nike, Reebok, and Adidas as the brands to look for when buying technical running shoes, but the fact is that these three companies make a lot of "casual" and "retro" shoes, many of which are mixed into their line and sold as "technical" shoes to the unknowing. He also seems to suggest that cotton t-shirts and sweatshirts are fine to run in; if you are seriously training for a marathon, whether it's your first or your fifth, you would be better off with advice that encourages you to wear technical running tops made of technical fabrics (coolmax, dri-fit, etc.). They are much more comfortable, breathable, and moisture-wicking, therefore leaving your body to focus on running efficiently rather than struggling to cool you off.It just seems like there's some not-so-great advice in here, which then made me wonder about the rest of the information he was presenting...
Rating:
Summary: It can be done
Review: This book is short and to the point. It provides both training regimens and racing tips. Personally, I think there are many first time marathon runners who should train just to finish and not worry about whether it is four hours, four and a half hours or whatever. However, I know that it can be done because over 20 years ago, I ran my first marathon in under four hours after training seriously for it for about three months. I had been running for a few months more than that but not doing any marathon training. I increased my mileage until I ran several long runs of about 20 miles, just what this book recommends. The training recommended by this book my be a little too rigorous for some people. Remember, you must run at close to a nine minute per mile pace to break four hours. Some people cannot run a ten kilometer race at that pace so, four hours is not within everyone's reach. I recommend just running the first marathon to finish but, four hours is possible. However, I ultimately ran a marathon in 3:02 so my potential was a lot greater than four hours. If four hours is the highest level someone can potentially achieve, I do not think it is wise to attempt to do that the first time out .. just finsh!!!
Rating:
Summary: Short and to the point
Review: This book provided a quick high level overview of how to prepare for a Marathon. You have to be able to run about 7 miles to begin the 16 week training course. The recommended mid-week runs seem too short to enable someone to have the endurance and stamina needed to run a Marathon in 4 plus hours. Other preparation information is helpful.
Rating:
Summary: "Running for Dummies"!
Review: This book should be titled,'Running for Dummies'. I guess in that sense it is extremely user friendly, if anything. This is, however, the worst book I've ever read on runnning! It's poorly organized and poorly written. People who don't like to read should buy this book because there is just not too much to it. The only useful thing in this book is the author's list of the "Fastest Marathons in the US". In addition, the author attempts to motivate the reader by instilling the philosophy of, "If Oprah can do it so can you!" Frankly, I doubt if the average American would (be able to) hire a personal trainer to train with exclusively and hold his/her hand through a Marathon. The author should re-check his data on Oprah's finishing time for the Marine Corp. Marathon. In sum, if you hate to read, aren't concerned with details, and only care about the 'how to' and the 'why', then I DO recommend that you buy this book. If you like the more intellectual, mataphysical approach don't buy it because you will be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A basic but complete guide to marathon training
Review: This is a short and easy read. It contains all the information you'll need to run your first marathon. It is geared to first timers with information on everything from what to eat, what to wear, and training schedules, but has good information for anyone who wants to run long distances. It was my bible for for four months and I used it to run my marathon in 3:58:40. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to run their first marathon.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent "How-To" book for beginning & veteran marathoners
Review: This is by far my favorite marathon training book. Presented in an easy to read style, Keuhls will walk you through eating, dressing, pacing, resting, and everthing else you'll need to complete your marathon in 4 to 5 hours. If you're running your first marathon, or if you're interested in improving your PR in your next marathon, trust me, GET THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: not boring, with a pulse
Review: this is the Fox news of marathon books. It's not boring and also gives you all the info you need to finish in 4 hours. I am ready to run one this fall.
Rating:
Summary: Great starter book - it helped me run my first marathon
Review: When I started training for my first marathon a few years ago, I had this book and also 'Galloway's Book on Running'. The interesting thing was that while Galloway's book had much more information, I was always carrying the '4 Months' book with me because it had all the basic necessary stuff in an easily accessible format.
Some people have complained that it is too brief and not very thorough but I found it to be the best trait of this book. Many other books have simply too much information and if you have to spend a week or two digesting hundreds of pages of technical information, your initial enthusiasm to train for a marathon has cooled somewhat. '4 Months' at the same time is very concise and to the point, giving simple, step-by-step instructions for everything from shoes to nutrition.
It also contains a very well-defined training program, which I followed to the letter. The program was relatively hard but once I had completed it all, I was able to beat the hour mark surprisingly easily, so I can say that it really works! Therefore, if you are already an established runner, or if you're looking for more theoretical background, I suggest you get some "more advanced" book like the above-mentioned 'Galloway's Book on Running' or 'The Competitive Runner's Handbook', both are very good.
But if you are like me back when I didn't have too much running background then '4 Months to A 4 Hour Marathon' QUICKLY gives you all you need to get started. I owe it one of the greatest experiences in my life.
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