What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir vs. Barbarian Days by William Finnegan

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir

While training for the New York City Marathon, Haruki Murakami decided to keep a journal of his progress. The result is a memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of vivid recollections and insights, including the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, here is a rich and revelatory work that elevates the human need for motion to an art form.

Barbarian Days by William Finnegan

A book about surfing. An autobiography. Pulitzer Prizer winner 2016. Narrated by the author.

Image of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir
www.amazon.com/What-...
Image of Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
Barbarian Days by William Finnegan
www.audible.com/pd/B...
No reviews yet
No reviews yet
Pros
ItemVotesUpvote
Easy read1
Learn how Murakami thinks about work, life and running1
Inspires you to run1
Inspires you to do your best work1
Murakami's reflections on aging1
Cons
ItemVotesUpvote
No cons yet, would you like to add one?
Pros
ItemVotesUpvote
No pros yet, would you like to add one?
Cons
ItemVotesUpvote
No cons yet, would you like to add one?

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Content & Alternatives

  1. 6
    Image for Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
    1.Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

    "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a groundbreaking exploration of systems and entities that thrive and grow stronger in the face of stress, volatility, and chaos. Taleb introduces the concept of "antifragility," which goes beyond resilience or robustness. Through a mix of philosophy, practical wisdom, and real-world examples, Taleb illustrates how embracing uncertainty and leveraging disorder can lead to success and innovation. This book is essential for anyone interested in risk management, personal development, and understanding how to benefit from uncertainty and change.

    1 comments
  2. 4
    Image for What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
    3.What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

    by Haruki Murakami. In this book, Murakami shares his thoughts and experiences about running and writing. He talks about how he started running in his 30s and how it became a big part of his life. Running helps him think and gives him ideas for his writing. The book is like a diary where Murakami writes about his runs, the races he joins, and how running affects his life and work. He also talks about getting older and how that changes his running. The book is not just for runners but for anyone who enjoys a good story about trying hard and not giving up.

    1 comments
  3. 2
    Image for The Disaster Artist
    5.The Disaster Artist

    The best book about the best director in the world. It was such a great book it was adapted into a movie. Bet the other books on this list can't say that!

    0 comments
  4. 1
    Image for Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
    9.Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

    The great thing about this book is that it takes a big-picture view of human history. It attempts to explain the main themes of human history without getting bogged down in the details. Sapiens also debunks many popular myths about human history, including the one that people today live happier lives and have better diets than our hunter-gatherer predecessors. It comes with an epilogue about the future of humankind in light of ever-accelerating technological progress. With the recent advances in AI it is more relevant than ever. If you're going to read one book on history this year, read this one.

    0 comments
  5. 0
    Image for South of the Border, West of the Sun
    13.South of the Border, West of the Sun

    Hajime has arrived at middle age with a loving family and an enviable career, yet he feels incomplete. When a childhood friend, now a beautiful woman, shows up with a secret from which she is unable to escape, the fault lines of doubt in Hajime’s quotidian existence begin to give way. Rich, mysterious, and quietly dazzling, in South of the Border, West of the Sun the simple arc of one man’s life becomes the exquisite literary terrain of Murakami’s remarkable genius.

    0 comments
  1. 3
    Image for Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
    1.Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

    "Project Hail Mary" is a space adventure story written by Andy Weir, the same guy who wrote "The Martian." It's about a man named Ryland Grace who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he's there. He figures out he's on a mission to save Earth from disaster. The story follows him as he tries to remember his past and complete his mission, which involves a lot of science and problem-solving. Along the way, he meets an alien, and they form an unlikely friendship. The book is full of cool science stuff, suspense, and humor. It's like a mix of a mystery and a space adventure, with a lot of heart. The narration by Ray Porter is superb, with sound effects and excellent voice work.

    0 comments
  2. 1
    Image for Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
    2.Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

    I'm a sucker for audiobooks read by the author and this is one of them. Trevor Noah is a skilled comedian and his stories of his growing up in South Africa are genuinely hilarious. It's like listening to a book-length stand up show.

    0 comments
  3. 1
    Image for Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
    3.Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

    Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiography by South Africa's first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela, and it was first published in 1994 by Little Brown & Co. The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years spent in prison If you're new to South African history, as I was, this is a great starting point. Why not hear from the man who played a key part in it?

    0 comments
  4. 1
    Image for Mythos by Stephen Fry
    4.Mythos by Stephen Fry

    Greek myths retold by Stephen Fry. He is both the author and the narrator of this book. His wit and sense of humor come across in both the text and in the delivery. Plus, you actually get to learn Greek myths.

    0 comments
  1. 1
    Image for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
    1.The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

    In a Tokyo suburb, a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife’s missing cat—and then for his wife as well—in a netherworld beneath the city’s placid surface. As these searches intersect, he encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists. Gripping, prophetic, and suffused with comedy and menace, this is one of Haruki Murakami’s most acclaimed and beloved novels.

    0 comments
  2. 1
    Image for Norwegian Wood
    2.Norwegian Wood

    Toru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman. Stunning and elegiac, Norwegian Wood first propelled Haruki Murakami into the forefront of the literary scene.

    0 comments
  3. 1
    Image for 1Q84
    3.1Q84

    She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.’ A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled. As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

    0 comments
  4. 1
    Image for After the Quake
    4.After the Quake

    An electronics salesman who has been deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package— and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who views himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. The six stories in this collection come from the deep and mysterious place where the human meets the inhuman—and are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today.

    0 comments
  5. 0
    Image for A Wild Sheep Chase
    6.A Wild Sheep Chase

    "A Wild Sheep Chase" by Haruki Murakami is a surreal and captivating novel that combines elements of mystery, magical realism, and postmodernist twists. The story follows a nameless, chain-smoking protagonist who embarks on a quest to find a mystical sheep with a star-shaped birthmark. This sheep holds the secret power behind a dying political and economic leader known as "The Boss." Joined by his enigmatic girlfriend with supernaturally perceptive ears, the protagonist's journey takes him from Tokyo to the remote regions of Hokkaido, encountering bizarre characters and unraveling deep, philosophical mysteries along the way.

    0 comments
@tomasz_fm© 2023 Tomasz Stefaniak
feedback