Born to Run
Born to Run by Christopher McDougallby Christopher McDougall and Fred Sanders
Shares rank 65 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
Readers recommend it as a good story that helped one reader fix foot pain with thin shoes and walking on rocky ground. Critics say it is a story, not a practical handbook.
Readers recommend it as a good story that helped one reader fix foot pain with thin shoes and walking on rocky ground. Critics say it is a story, not a practical handbook.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 4
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 80%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 4 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 4 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Practical fix for foot problems
“I was able to fix mine by wearing thin sole shoes and walking regularly on rocky terrain. See Born To Run.”
Comment from 21 Jun 2026 in “Tell HN: Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers, uncles, that role model” Good storytelling
“he's certainly a storyteller and not a scientist to put it simply”
Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Energy return in running shoes explained (2025)” “It it's a good story, not a handbook of practical advice.”
Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Energy return in running shoes explained (2025)”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Not a scientific source
“he's certainly a storyteller and not a scientist to put it simply”
Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Energy return in running shoes explained (2025)” Not a practical handbook
“It it's a good story, not a handbook of practical advice.”
Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Energy return in running shoes explained (2025)” Exaggerated claims
“Some claim hyperbolically - masterfully understated there, Wikipedia.”
Comment from 19 May 2026 in “Energy return in running shoes explained (2025)”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Clifford Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| Born to Runby Christopher McDougall and Fred SandersThis page | 4 | 1 | 80% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I was able to fix mine by wearing thin sole shoes and walking regularly on rocky terrain. See Born To Run.”
“he's certainly a storyteller and not a scientist to put it simply”
“It it's a good story, not a handbook of practical advice.”
“Some claim hyperbolically - masterfully understated there, Wikipedia.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.