It would likely be an interesting study but I bet most of us can track milestones in our lives by the things we were reading. As a kid I read Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone. In college I couldn’t afford anything aside from what was required for class. After college I was interested mainly in books on sales, marketing, and negotiation. I gobbled up anything written by Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, and Og Mandino. I soon moved on to books that promised to help me strike it rich; non-fiction business. Books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Beat the Street.

There was even a lengthy fiction phase. Love that Harry Potter. My wife and I call them crack-books; not very good for you but hard to put down.

I feel like I am entering a new phase, which is analogous to economists saying the United States economy is in a recession before it’s over, but nevertheless. I decided to start with a book I’d recently overheard folks talking about in the gym. Trip to the bookstore!

Before Ultra Marathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, by Dean Karnazes, I had not read a truly memorable book in years. This guy is, and I am sure would be the first to admit, a little sick in the head. Folks, that’s what make these stories absolutely fascinating. The author is an ultra endurance athlete; he has run 350 miles without rest, completed 50 marathons (26.2 miles each) in 50 days, and run a marathon at the South Pole. If that doesn’t peak your interest then endurance sports are just not your thing.

This is an easy read but very real. Grab a copy and tell me what you think.