Natural Born Heroes

Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance

By Christopher McDougall | Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

About the book

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Born to Run comes a book that inspires us to unleash the extraordinary potential of the human body and climb, swim, skip, throw, and jump our way to heroic feats.

\"Redefines the heroic ideal, establishing heroism as a skill set rather than a virtue.\"—NPR Books

Christopher McDougall’s journey begins with a story of remarkable athletic prowess: On the treacherous mountains of Crete, a motley band of World War II Resistance fighters—an artist, a shepherd, and a poet—abducted a German commander from the heart of the Axis occupation.

To understand how, McDougall retraces their steps across the island that birthed Herakles and Odysseus, and discovers ancient techniques for endurance, sustenance, and natural movement that have been preserved in unique communities around the world.

His search takes us scrambling over rooftops with a Parkour crew in London, foraging for greens with a ballerina in Brooklyn, tossing heavy pieces of driftwood on a Brazilian beach with the creator of MovNat—and, finally, to our own backyards. 

“McDougall traveled to Crete to examine the physical and mental capacity of Greek war heroes [and] studied natural movement, endurance, and nutrition to understand how regular people are capable of extraordinary athletic feats.... We can all adapt the tools of the athletes featured.” —Real Simple

Look for Christopher McDougall's new book, Born to Run 2, coming in December!

Editions of Natural Born Heroes

Paperback
ISBN 9780307742223
AltFormat
ISBN 9780307594969
EBook
ISBN 9780307962287
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9780804194150
AudioStreaming
ISBN 9780804194174
AudioDisc
ISBN 9780804194167
AudioDisc
ISBN 9780804194143

Read an Excerpt

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Born to Run comes a book that inspires us to unleash the extraordinary potential of the human body and climb, swim, skip, throw, and jump our way to heroic feats.

\"Redefines the heroic ideal, establishing heroism as a skill set rather than a virtue.\"—NPR Books

Christopher McDougall’s journey begins with a story of remarkable athletic prowess: On the treacherous mountains of Crete, a motley band of World War II Resistance fighters—an artist, a shepherd, and a poet—abducted a German commander from the heart of the Axis occupation.

To understand how, McDougall retraces their steps across the island that birthed Herakles and Odysseus, and discovers ancient techniques for endurance, sustenance, and natural movement that have been preserved in unique communities around the world.

His search takes us scrambling over rooftops with a Parkour crew in London, foraging for greens with a ballerina in Brooklyn, tossing heavy pieces of driftwood on a Brazilian beach with the creator of MovNat—and, finally, to our own backyards. 

“McDougall traveled to Crete to examine the physical and mental capacity of Greek war heroes [and] studied natural movement, endurance, and nutrition to understand how regular people are capable of extraordinary athletic feats.... We can all adapt the tools of the athletes featured.” —Real Simple

Look for Christopher McDougall's new book, Born to Run 2, coming in December!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Natural Born Heroes about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Born to Run comes a book that inspires us to unleash the extraordinary potential of the human body and climb, swim, skip, throw, and jump our way to heroic feats.

\"Redefines the heroic ideal, establishing heroism as a skill set rather than a virtue.\"—NPR Books

Christopher McDougall’s journey begins with a story of remarkable athletic prowess: On the treacherous mountains of Crete, a motley band of World War II Resistance fighters—an artist, a shepherd, and a poet—abducted a German commander from the heart of the Axis occupation.

To understand how, McDougall retraces their steps across the island that birthed Herakles and Odysseus, and discovers ancient techniques for endurance, sustenance, and natural movement that have been preserved in unique communities around the world.

His search takes us scrambling over rooftops with a Parkour crew in London, foraging for greens with a ballerina in Brooklyn, tossing heavy pieces of driftwood on a Brazilian beach with the creator of MovNat—and, finally, to our own backyards. 

“McDougall traveled to Crete to examine the physical and mental capacity of Greek war heroes [and] studied natural movement, endurance, and nutrition to understand how regular people are capable of extraordinary athletic feats.... We can all adapt the tools of the athletes featured.” —Real Simple

Look for Christopher McDougall's new book, Born to Run 2, coming in December!

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Natural Born Heroes?

Health, Relationships and Personal development > Family and health > Fitness and diet > Exercise and workouts

Where can I read a sample of Natural Born Heroes?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780307742223

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Natural Born Heroes?

Christopher McDougall

Who is the Publisher of the book Natural Born Heroes?

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Natural Born Heroes is available as paperback(ISBN 9780307742223) and altformat(ISBN 9780307594969) and ebook(ISBN 9780307962287) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780804194150) and audiostreaming(ISBN 9780804194174) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780804194167) and audiodisc(ISBN 9780804194143)

Where can I buy Natural Born Heroes online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Natural Born Heroes from below

Where can I buy Natural Born Heroes?