Christopher McDougall, Author of the International Bestseller, Born to Run

RUNNING WITH SHERMAN– The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero

CHRISTOPHER MCDOUGALL

Chaucer’s Books is excited and honored to have the opportunity to host a book signing with the legendary Christopher McDougall, author of the best-selling Born to Run, on Saturday, October 19th at 4pm. His new book, Running with Sherman, is the inspiring story about McDougall training a rescue donkey to run one of the most challenging races in America.

When McDougall agreed to take in a donkey from an animal hoarder, he thought it would be no harder than the rest of the adjustments he and his family had made after moving from Philadelphia to the heart of Pennsylvania Amish country. But when Sherman arrived, the donkey was so sick he could barely move. McDougall decided to undertake a radical rehabilitation program designed not only to heal Sherman’s body but his mind as well. He’d learned that the best way to soothe a donkey is to give it a job, so McDougall decided to teach Sherman to run. He’d heard about burro racing–a unique type of race where humans and donkeys run together in a call-back to mining days. He and Sherman entered the World Championship in Colorado.

Easier said than done. In the course of Sherman’s training, McDougall would have to recruit several other runners, both human and equine, and call upon the wisdom of burro racers, goat farmers, Amish running club members, and a group of irrepressible female long-haul truckers. Along the way, he shows us the life-changing power of animals, nature, and community.

Christopher McDougall trained as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press during the wars in Rwanda and Angola before writing his international bestseller, Born to Run. His fascination with the limits of human potential led him to create the Outside magazine web series, “Art of the Hero.” Born to Run is currently being made into a feature film starring Matthew McConaughey.